Franklin in Franklin County, Idaho — The American West (Mountains)
Lorenzo Hill Hatch & John Doney Houses
In 1872, Lorenzo Hill Hatch built this elegant stone house on Main Street across from the city square. It is a rare Idaho example of the Greek revival style of architecture popular in Utah during the 1870s. Its rectangular proportions, symmetrical doors and windows, and heavy cornice lines with return eaves, are characteristic of Greek revival architecture brought to Utah by Mormons from upstate New York. When it was built, the Hatch house was the largest house in town. Travelers from Utah, including Brigham Young, often stayed here. The brick room on the rear was added around 1905 when the house was remodeled and plumbing installed. The house was occupied by Bishop Hatch's descendants until the 1940s. In 1979, it was acquired by the Idaho State Historical Society.
Lorenzo Hill Hatch was Franklin's temporal and spiritual leader from 1863 to 1875, serving as the town's second Mormon Bishop and first mayor. He was also the first Mormon legislator in Idaho. Born in Vermont in 1826, Hatch later moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, before settling in Lehi, Utah, in 1851. Like many early prominent men in the church, he married plural wives and fathered twelve sons and twelve daughters. In 1863, at the request of Church president Brigham Young, Hatch settled with his large family in Franklin to serve as Bishop.
The small stone house was built by John and Ann Doney to house their family of ten children. The Doneys, originally from England, journeyed west as part of a handcart train to Utah. Arriving in 1860, they were among the settlers who established Franklin. The Doneys built this modest home, typical of early Franklin and Cache County dwellings, using locally quarried stone. Many of Franklin's early buildings were constructed using the same local stone, laid by skilled stone masons, many of whom had emigrated from England. Originally located one half mile to the south, the Doney house was moved to this site, which is owned by the Idaho State Historical Society, in 2002.
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The Doney family journeyed west as part of a handcart train. Thousands of new Mormon converts from England and Wales took a new form of transportation west to Utah. They could not afford wagons after leaving their homeland, so they pulled handcarts. Between 1856 and 1860, ten companies of handcart pioneers walked 1,300 miles from the end of the rail line at Iowa City, Iowa to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Erected by Idaho Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1872.
Location. 42° 1.038′ N, 111° 48′ W. Marker is in Franklin, Idaho, in Franklin County. Marker is on East Main Street near 1, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 125 East Main Street, Franklin ID 83237, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Hatch House (here, next to this marker); FCMI Store 1858 (within shouting distance of this marker); ZCMI Co-op Building (within shouting distance of this marker); Franklin Historic District (within shouting distance of this marker); Franklin Relic Hall - 1937 (within shouting distance of this marker); Franklin's Pioneer School House 1860 (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Birthplace of Samuel P. Cowley (approx. ¼ mile away); Old Fort of Franklin (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Franklin.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 17, 2017. It was originally submitted on July 17, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 584 times since then and 51 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 17, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.