housegenealogy (2025)

26/06/2025

JUNE 2025 ✨

I was inspired by .hoffman’s “last week” series and wanted to share some fun stuff I got up to this month!

My in-laws were in town from Georgia and we went to the Church History Museum (photo 1), looked down at Temple Square from the Conference Center (photo 2), and walked through the Tabernacle (photo 3) before I took them on a tour of downtown Salt Lake (photo 4).

I went on a Women of Ogden tour as a part of the conference, which took us to the Daughters of Utah Pioneers Museum (photos 5 and 6), which was a stake Relief Society hall that was moved in 2012. We also ventured to the Ogden City Cemetery (photo 7) and the where my parents got married in 1988 (photos 8 and 9). We toured Historic 25th Street and learned about the various madams who operated brothels in Ogden, including the ones off of Electric Alley (photo 10). To finish the tour, we learned about the women of WWII at the museum (photo 11).

The MHA conference was hosted at the (photo 12) and where I got to see some of .official’s Mark Hofmann items (photo 13). 👀

A week later, I attended and presented at ’s Preservation Engaged conference (photo 14) and got to tour downtown Mt. Pleasant with some of my fellow Historic Landmark Commissioners (photo 15) and see some cool architectural details (photo 16 and 17).

I volunteered at the Music Stroll (photo 18) to help showcase the 50 year history of the (with the heavy lifting done by to bring this project together).

I finished out the month by visiting the library (photo 19) and the Pioneer Memorial Museum (photo 20) for some current client projects!

June has been a great month so far and I can’t wait to see what July brings! 🥰

17/06/2025

FOUNDER HISTORY

I am a first-generation American on my dad’s side (photo 1). My family’s journey - full of sacrifice, resilience, and hope - is the reason I am here today. Right now, our country is failing at embodying those same values.

My paternal grandmother, Valeria (photo 2), and her family fled Poland in pursuit of a better life in Argentina when she was a young child. My paternal grandfather, Saul (photo 2), was born in Argentina after his parents left Eastern Europe and married in 1908.

My dad’s older sister and her husband came to America without paperwork in 1970 in search of a better life. If they hadn’t done this, my life and this small business I have the privilege of running wouldn’t exist.

The ICE raids and deportations happening across the United States are tearing families apart, criminalizing survival, and punishing people for seeking safety, stability, and a better future.

Being an American should mean standing up for justice. It should mean protecting families like my dad’s (photo 3), not destroying them. It should mean remembering that this country was built on migration, labor, and the dreams of those who came before us (photo 4).

I will always stand up against policies that dehumanize and harm our communities.

Our voices matter. Our stories matter. Our silence is not an option.

29/04/2025

MEET THE FOUNDER 🤗

Hi, I’m Adrienne, and I believe every home has a story waiting to be uncovered. 🕵️‍♀️

For three years, I’ve been diving into the forgotten histories of houses, unearthing the stories of the people who lived in them, and helping homeowners feel more connected to their spaces in a new way.

It’s not just research—it’s storytelling, preservation, and a way of honoring the past.

When I’m not working on client projects, I serve on ’s Historic Landmark Commission, as a trustee for the , and on ’s Historic Propeties Committee—all volunteer opportunities that bring me a lot of fulfillment.

If you’ve ever wondered about the history of your home—who built it, who lived in it, what secrets it holds—I’d love to help you discover its story!

You can apply to work with me through my website—let’s make history together! 💛

20/03/2025

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH 👩

Blanche Everett Freed (photo 1) was born in 1912 in Salt Lake City in a home filled with music and art.

She had a lifelong love of music and graduated from the University of Utah in 1933 with degrees in music and mathematics.

She was awarded a scholarship to study piano in Munich, Germany, but turned it down to marry David Lester Freed (photo 2) in 1935. He was inducted into Utah’s Tennis Hall of Fame in 1994.

They had three daughters (photo 3) and were married for 65 years.

Blanche was very involved in the Symphony Guild (photo 4) and had a personal relationship with Maurice Abravanel (photo 5). She attended nearly every Utah Symphony concert for 50 years.

In addition to being inducted into the Salt Lake Council of Women’s Hall of Fame in 1988, she also received the Woman of Vision award in 1994 and an Emeritus Award from the University of Utah (photo 6).

Blanche’s life (photo 7) was filled with music, including playing the organ for the LDS Church for over 50 years which earned her the Diamond Service Pin.

I’m grateful to Blanche (photo 8) for her service to music and the arts in Salt Lake City! What an incredible woman whose story deserves to be told! 🎶

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12/03/2025

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH 👩

Lena Marie Hansen Pack (photo 1) was born in 1905 and grew up in the Oliver Snow home at 308 South Main in Brigham City (photo 2).

In 1927, she married Alvin G. Pack (photo 3). Together, they built and designed their dream home near 1200 East and 200 South in Salt Lake City (photos 4 and 5).

The home featured several unique elements, including a 9-foot long bed that their five children could enjoy while they read the funny papers (photo 6).

They designed their home with their children in mind — including installing a grand, curved staircase that their future daughter could walk down in her wedding dress (photos 7 and 8).

Lena Marie was a “radio pioneer,” (photo 9) and used the name Marie Fontaine on the radio (photo 10). She wrote, produced, and performed in hundreds of radio features over the course of three decades. She and Alvin were inducted into the Utah Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1988.

Lena (photo 11) was honored in the Salt Lake Council of Women’s Hall of Fame in 1988 for her extensive community service and involvement as an educator, citizen diplomat, and writer. ✨

Come back tomorrow to learn about Bessie Ingersoll Peterson, another 1988 Hall of Famer!

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11/03/2025

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH 💁‍♀️

I stumbled upon this article yesterday while doing research for a project and thought it would be the perfect launching pad for sharing lost history about influential women from Salt Lake City’s past.

Come back tomorrow for the bio of Lena Marie Hansen Pack! 😍

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19/02/2025

LOST HISTORY: Moroni Heiner ⛏️

While working on a client project, I learned about Moroni Heiner (photo 2) and his residence at 1910 South 500 East (photo 1).

Moroni was born in 1877 and played an active role in developing Utah’s coal mining industry (photo 3), which included the creation of the coal mining town of Heiner, Utah (photo 4) in Carbon County.

Moroni (photo 5) was also instrumental in securing the passage of Utah’s pure food law while he served as the state dairy and food commissioner.

The residence (photos 6-10) was also owned by Thomas Robinson Cutler, the “father of the sugar industry in Utah.”

The property (photo 11) became St. Joseph’s Villa in 1947 (photo 12). The land on which the structure stood has changed over time with more development (photo 13).

In 1993, a fire destroyed the home and it was ultimately demolished and a new structure was built in its place (photo 14).

When I learn about the structures that once stood in Salt Lake, like the Cutler-Heiner mansion (photo 15-16), my heart breaks a little. Sharing my research with you is my way of honoring these long-lost architectural gems and ensuring their legacy lives on.

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11/01/2025

SALT LAKE CITY: Found History 🏡

While researching for a client project, I came across this article from October 10, 1930 (photo 1).

The University of Utah’s Phi Mu chapter was founded on May 11, 1930 and they began occupying 1324 East 400 South as early as September of that year.

The property was home to Phi Mu and its Mothers’ Club, although they relocated to 1415 Butler Avenue as early as January of 1933 where they remained for decades (photo 2).

The Skeen family purchased the house as early as 1934 (photo 3) and set to provide extra housing opportunities in the basement the following year (photo 4).

Jedediah Dixon Skeen (1877-1971) and Ethel Isabel Stratford Skeen (1879-1970) lived in this former sorority house for the last nearly four decades of their lives before passing away (photo 5).

11/12/2024

NEWSPAPER THROWBACK 📰

University of Utah’s 1951 Winter Carnival ❄️

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10/12/2024

NEWS THROWBACK 📰

When I’m researching, I come across some really interesting stuff that I can’t help but save for future reference.

This headline caught my attention, as I’m sure the author intended.

I clipped this one in 2021 — before House Genealogy existed!

Should I share more of these interesting historic newspaper clippings that I’ve found?! 👀

12/11/2024

BREAKING NEWS: Abravanel Hall 🎶

I am thrilled to share that Abravanel Hall (Symphony Hall) is now officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places! 🎉

Even though this building is not yet 50 years old, the Keeper of the National Register at the National Park Service saw the value that it provides to the state of Utah.

I am hopeful that my nomination application would have made Dr. Cyril M. Harris (left), the acoustical engineer who designed the concert hall, and Maurice Abravanel (right), the building’s namesake and longtime Utah Symphony conductor, proud.

If this building matters to someone you know, please share this good news with them! 🥰

31/10/2024

EVENT: Mormon History Association Oral History Presentation 🗣️

When a historian passes away, their invaluable stories and insights risk being lost forever — unless we capture them in time.

After the loss of four prominent Mormon historians in 2023, I felt an urgent need to preserve the wisdom of the oldest generation of Mormon historians.

I reached out to the for help, and with grant funding received from the MHA, , and the , I embarked on a mission to conduct oral history interviews with ten of MHA’s oldest past presidents (photos 2 and 3).

In two weeks, I will be providing a public presentation to share (1) interesting stories, (2) lessons learned, and (3) common themes that resulted from these interviews.

Here are the details:
💠 WHEN: Thursday, November 14th at 7:00 PM Mountain Time
💠 WHERE: Zoom (meeting ID: 963 2518 1493)
💠 FORMAT: 45 minute presentation and 15 minutes for Q&A

I hope you can make it! 🤓

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