Helper Commercial District

The Helper Commercial District is a historic district comprising the center of Helper, Utah. The district is bounded by Janet Street to the north and Locust Street to the south, and by First West Street to the west and the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW) yards to the east. It comprises 110 buildings, 98 of which are considered contributing structures. Typical buildings are one to two stories tall in a variety of styles, mostly built in red brick. The district includes a number of modest one-story residences, built by the railroad and mining companies in the manner of a company town. The district represents Helper's development as the commercial center of the local coal-mining industry, and as a railroad service center.[2]

Helper Commercial District
LocationBounded by RR tracks, Janet, 1st, West, and Locust Sts, Helper, Utah
Coordinates39°41′06.09″N 110°51′16.34″W
Area30 acres (12 ha)
Built1913 (1913)
Architectural styleCompany Town Style
NRHP reference No.79002491[1]
Added to NRHP24 July 1979

The most significant structures in the district are the Helper City Hall and the Civic Auditorium. Other important contributing structures include the Railroad Chapel and the Catholic church. Several sites are associated with Japanese, Greek, South Slav and northern Italian immigration to the area. Many structures are associated with the D&RGW, including the train station. During the 1930s the town center was extensively altered by Works Progress Administration forces, who built retaining walls and channelized the Price River, filling in the bed in the area that is now the northern part of the district.[2]

The Helper Commercial District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 24, 1979.[1] The Helper Post Office is individually listed on the National Register within the district.

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Epperson, Terrence W. (February 1978). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form: Helper Commercial District". National Park Service. Retrieved 26 February 2014.


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