Andrew J. Warner House

The Andrew J. Warner House is one of Utah’s earliest Queen Anne structures. Located just a few blocks east of Ogden’s downtown, the mansion was erected during a period of economic prosperity for the city. This two-and-a-half-story house was built for real estate developer Andrew J. Warner, who later became chief clerk of the Reed Hotel (later the site of the Bigelow Hotel), just three blocks west.

Different materials and decorative motifs combine to create an eclectic Victorian design. The first floor is built of red brick and accented with sandstone sills and lintels; the upper floors are shingled. A modified bay window to the left of the main entrance is flanked by Romanesque sandstone columns. A veranda that curves around the southeast stair tower features decorative turned posts and a handrail with a square box motif, typical of Eastlake designs; a smaller porch on the west facade echoes these stylistic details. Exterior sidewalks form a V-shape from the street and lead to the two porches. The upper stories are clad in shingles, with those on the second story featuring distinct patterning that divides the wall surface horizontally into thirds. On the west facade is a covered sunporch located above the side porch. The uppermost story features a shingled central gable with decorative bargeboard. Topping the stair tower is an onion-shaped dome with an S-pattern at its base.

The asymmetrical facade reveals the interior layout. The main porch leads to the front parlor on the left and a whimsical serpentine staircase on the right; other public rooms on this floor include the receiving room and library. A kitchen is toward the rear of the house. The upstairs bedrooms were reconfigured in the 1920s, and modern plumbing and a new bathroom have since been installed. The kitchen, located in the center rear, has also been remodeled, and two additions built to either side of it. The original hardwood floors are extant, as are a grand fireplace, pocket doors, and door hardware.

With its eclectic design, the Warner House evokes the growing self-confidence of Ogden’s new moneyed classes. By the mid-twentieth century, east-central Ogden was negatively impacted by the railroad’s decline. The Warner House, and many others in the neighborhood, were subdivided and rented. In the 1970s architect Ronald D. Hales purchased the property and began restorations. The Warner House’s current owners have continued restoring the Queen Anne mansion to its former glory.