703 Park Avenue
E.J and Eva Jane Beggs House

Historic Photo

Recent Photo

The October 3, 1914, issue of the Park Record reported: “E.J. Beggs, the well known mill and carpenter has pulled down his old home on lower Park Ave and will erect on the site a modern 8 room, two-story house. Mr. Beggs has one of the finest building lots in the city and a two-story house will set it off splendidly”. Ellsworth J. Beggs was a master carpenter, having just built the Summit County Courthouse in Coalville, so the high quality of his new home could be expected. Beggs was born in Pennsylvania in 1861, and in 1889 married a local lady, Eva Jane Lockhart. Eva was active in community activities, and many functions were held in the home. Once the yard hosted a picnic for some 200 people. The large beautiful cottonwood trees that once shaded the front yard were removed for street and sidewalk construction. Beggs was a prominent citizen serving as a city councilman. He also built and operated a tailings mill north of town on Silver Creek. In 1946, the Beggs couple sold the house to Byron F. Wilde, a banker. Burnis and Betty Watts purchased the house in 1974 and lived in it until it was purchased by the City in 1997.

The house is architecturally significant as one of only a few two-story Victorian style pyramid houses in Park City.