1011 Empire
Roderick Wallace & Mary MacDonald House

Tax Photo - circa 1930s

Recent Photo

This house was considered far from town when it was built about 1904. Roderick Wallace MacDonald and Mary Elizabeth Ormiston married in Nova Scotia, Canada in 1896 and moved to Park City that same year. Rod purchased a blacksmith business on the corner of Park and Heber Avenues in 1902. He offered horseshoeing, general blacksmithing, mining tools and forging. Rod trained as a blacksmith in Rhode Island. Also an accomplished carpenter, he later partnered with Clyde Paul and the pair contracted to build many houses and commercial buildings in Park City.

Mary and Rod lived in this home for many years. They appear in the 1920 census here with their two daughters, 25 year old Myrna and 10 year old Frances. Myrna taught school in Park City. Both were involved in the Grand Lodge of Masons, Rod served as Utah’s Grand Standard bearer and Mary was Worthy Matron of the local Order of the Eastern Star. Active in the community, Rod served as Justice of the Peace and in 1925 was elected Mayor of Park City.

The house is a modified pyramid, the type of house that became popular in Park City after 1900. The hip roof has been truncated at the end allowing for placement of two double-hung windows to ventilate and light the attic space.