Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Beer River
Posted By Babs De Lay on November 9, 2022, 4:00 AM
The Albert Fisher Mansion and Carriage House, located at 1206 W. 200 South, is a familiar landmark—one you likely have driven by when taking the freeway to the airport from the east side. As you weave west on Interstate 80, if you look on your immediate right, you can see the mansion.
Designed in 1893 by Richard K.A. Kletting—an influential architect from Utah who also designed the original Salt Palace, the Saltair resort pavilion, the Utah Capitol, the Territorial Insane Asylum, the Lehi Tabernacle and others—the mansion has been sitting vacant for decades.
Fisher was a German immigrant who built this home near his place of work—the A. Fisher Brewing Co. The two-story, 12-room mansion was constructed in the Victorian eclectic style in a then-sparsely populated neighborhood near the banks of the Jordan River. He lived in his mansion until he died in 1917.
With the help of 50 employees, Fisher's family beer business brewed 75,000 barrels of suds a year, providing beer to Salt Lake County bars and taverns, many of which Fisher also owned. Interestingly, his was the only local beer brewery to reopen after the repeal of Prohibition. It closed again in 1957.
The mansion was later leased out to the Catholic Church for missionary sisters and then, in 1970, became a treatment facility for alcohol and drug abusers. It was then purchased by Salt Lake City in 2006.
The home sat vacant for years while input from citizens was gathered as to the potential uses of the building. It's got great bones with wonderful craftsmanship. However, the 2020 earthquake damaged the building and all three of its chimneys, so in September of that year, the city switched its efforts from updating the mansion to working on the adjacent carriage house instead.
Sadly, in March 2022, thieves made off with most of the historic brass metal fence surrounding the property.
Despite the many setbacks, the carriage house renovation is now complete, featuring offices and a small public meeting room. It's also a recreation hub along the Jordan Trail. There's a new boat ramp next to the mansion, which gives access to kayakers who want to explore the Jordan River. Users say it's the best boat ramp yet to be built along the Jordan River Parkway Trail.
The other two nearby ramps are located near the Utah State Fairpark at the Gadsby trailhead (just east of the State Liquor Store) and one at 1800 North. Accessing the river now will be much easier, and there are more ramps planned for the future.
The Jordan River flows from Utah Lake in Utah County to the Great Salt Lake. State, county and city planners and volunteers have been working for years to develop not just the Jordan River Parkway Trail along the river but the boat ramps as well.
It's a great experience to boat in the fall, to leaf peep along the waterway and see nature firsthand, rather than through your car window.
For info on Jordan River ramps, visit slc.gov/parks/Jordan-river-boat-access.
About The Author
Babs De Lay
A full-time broker/owner of Urban Utah Homes and Estates, Babs De Lay serves on the Salt Lake City Historic Landmark Commission. A writer and golfer, you'll find them working as a staff guardian at the Temple at Burning Man each year.
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