Fredrick and Anna Reber reached Santa Clara in November of 1861. Laboring with other members of their faith, they forged an existence out of the barren, sandy valley that had been their destination. In direct contrast to their native Switzerland, this new climate and harsh environment must have been an incredible shock to their very existence. None the less, they hung on and built a good life that was evidenced with their fine home on the main street in tiny Santa Clara.
The Frederick and Anna Reber home was built in 1870 and was one of only a few two-storied homes along the main street. It is an example of Greek Revival, double-cell architecture. Identifying features are a gabled roof of low pitch with a two-part cornice line along the main roof. The entry porch, also representative of the Greek Revival style, has prominent, squared Doric columns. The style is categorized with others as "Classical."
The home saw a host of Reber family members come and go through its doors. A constant succession of renters created an additional flow of residents. During the first half of the Twentieth Century, many a newly married Santa Clara couple spent their first years living here, and in the midst of World War II, families lived here waiting for loved ones to return home. Perhaps more than any other home in Santa Clara, this house touched the broadest collection of local human history.
side note
Double-cell building construction.
"The double-cell house is composed of two square or roughly square units arranged axially. It may be one, one and one-half, or two stories tall and usually has a fa?ade with two front doors and either two or four windows arranged symmetrically. Chimneys may be located at the gable ends or in the center of the house. The presence of the tow doors has often led to the conclusion that the double-cell house was a uniquely Utah form developed for polygamous families—one door, that is, for each wife. While in fact the house type did lend itself to multifamily living situations, the double-cell house is a common American form in the South and Midwest, with the double doors providing a balance of openings on the principle fa?ade."
Carter, Thomas and Peter Goss. Utah's Historic Architecture, 1847-1940: A Guide. SLC, UT. University of Utah Graduate School of Architecture and Utah State Historical Society, 1991.
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