The Lehi City Council was presented with a proposal on Tuesday, Feb. 29 to bring back the Railroad Depot Museum located at 225 E State Street by the Stice Family.
“We would like to thank the city of Lehi and the Lehi Historic Preservation Committee for preserving, restoring and maintaining this historic depot. It’s the only two-story train depot still standing west of the Mississippi,” said Dawn West to begin the presentation.
The Utah Southern Railroad Depot was built by Brigham Young in 1872 and was active until 1973. The depot changed hands over the years and eventually ended up relocating to State Street and was retrofitted to a museum beginning in 2001. It was closed by the Hutchings Museum in 2020, primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Currently, the Point Chamber of Commerce leases the top floor for office space and the Hutchings Museum leases the main floor, although it’s vacant. Lehi City owns the land and the building, and pays the utilities and maintenance.
“We need the city’s permission. You own the building, so we need your permission to bring back the museum,” said Karl Farnsworth, who is a member of the Stice Family and involved in the request to bring back the museum.
The Stice Family’s proposal to the City Council includes:
-Create a 501(c)3 called the Utah Southern Railroad Foundation and obtain a lease from Lehi City
-Lehi City obtain the artifacts presently held by the Hutchings Museum
-Recruit and train museum docents
-Open May 10, 2024, on the 155-year anniversary of the Golden Spike Ceremony (1869)
The museum wouldn’t be open every day and would be available by request, scheduled field trips and tours.
“We’re just looking for a few thousand dollars. Mostly just one-time funds,” concluded Farnsworth. The funds would be used to repaint and resign the depot, as well as bring the artifacts back. The family is also looking to purchase a security system.
City leaders are considering the proposal and have not made any decisions.
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