Hymas home in Ogden torn down; low-density housing planned for site
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- This undated photo shows the Newel Hymas apartment building in Ogden, prior to its demolition.
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- This undated photo shows the Newel Hymas apartment building in Ogden. The well-known but long-vacant structure recently was demolished.
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- These undated photos show the Newel Hymas apartment building in Ogden.
OGDEN — Blake Anderson has always had a love for Ogden history, enjoying many tours of the historic homes and buildings throughout the city. So when the Newel Hymas home at 742 30th St. went up for sale, he jumped at the opportunity and bought the property.
“When I first looked at purchasing the Hymas property, my plan was to restore the home to a habitable condition and hopefully provide housing for multiple families,” Anderson said. “Prior to many years of neglect and vacancy, the property had been previously used as a four-plex.”
However, because the property had been vacant for several years, it fell into a considerable state of disrepair, Anderson said, and the city determined it to be unsafe, uninhabitable and structurally unsound.
“The concrete was not properly reinforced and the interior wood had rotted and the floors were in a state of collapse,” Anderson said. “Ogden City stipulated in the purchase contract that the home must be demolished by the new owner within 90 days of purchase.”
Anderson bought the property in October, and sadly, he said, the home was demolished last week. According to Weber County online records, the parcel has a market value of $390,000.
According to a video released by the Weber County Heritage Foundation, the iconic art moderne home was built almost entirely out of cement by Hymas, who came to Ogden in the 1920s to work for the railroad. His dream was to build a four-plex. He built the basement in 1943 and lived inside of it while he built the rest of the building cinder block by cinder block, the video states.
The Weber County Heritage Foundation was founded in 1978 by citizens concerned over the loss of historical structures in Ogden, and who had an interest in engaging the community in that history, according to the foundation’s website. The foundation has helped with the restoration of Peery’s Egyptian Theater, Ogden High School, the Ogden Cemetery Gold Star Avenue and the Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum.
Anderson said over the past few years, he has developed a number of high-density projects in Ogden. The new homes were built and sold as affordable housing to several residents in the city.
“That said, I have zero intention of pursuing a high-density housing for this parcel on 30th Street,” Anderson said. “After giving it some thought, I got excited about possibly developing the property in a way that could help preserve the neighborhood’s historical appeal.”
Anderson said he is currently looking at plans for bungalow-style homes that will conform to the area.
“My hope is to see several of these homes that will either be single-family or over/under-type duplex housing,” he said. “No high-density or apartment housing will be on the property.”
