Construction on the Kirk Hotel in Tooele, Utah began in 1927 and was completed in 1928. The hotel is locally significant because it was a key influence of the local economy and provided lodging related to the mining and smelting industries. The Kirk Hotel also provided event space that was important to small-town life. The building remains one of Tooele’s most important historic buildings in the downtown district today. It is significant under Criterion A in the area of Commerce for its use as a hotel, reputed to be the finest one in Tooele City when built.In spite of some alterations, the building has been well maintained over the years. The Kirk Hotel is also significant because it has been used continuously as either a hotel or tenement from its construction until the present. It is the oldest and best preserved historic hotel building in Tooele City. The building also housed a restaurant/coffee shop throughout the period of significance that was a mainstay in the small town of Tooele. The period of significance is 1928 through 1973 when it was converted into apartments. This covers its continual use as lodging,from its original conception as a hotel to the present as a rental, with some structural alteration to accommodatethat use. The alterations made in 1973 kept it a viable rental housing unit. The Kirk Hotel was designed by Ashton & Evans, a premier Salt Lake City architecture firm that designed several notable public buildings in theregion, including sevaral meetinghouses public school and university buildings, and the second iteration of Saltair resort.
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