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Alfred McCune Home
The Alfred McCune House is a
turn-of-the-century mansion sitting on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake
City, Utah, which had been constructed for Alfred W. McCune,
containing 21 rooms, and has been listed on the National Register of
Historic Places. Alfred had been born in India, where his father,
Matthew McCune, was stationed with the British army, and it was
there that Alfred converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter
Day Saints. The whole family would then immigrate to Nephi, Utah,
although Alfred never joined the church. Alfred contracted to
construct part of the Utah Southern Railroad by the age of 21, and
became a well known railroad builder. He soon became connected to
other millionaires of the late 19th century and would become a
partner in the Peruvian Cerro de Pasco mines, with Frederick William
Vanderbilt, J. P. Morgan and William Randolph Hearst. He soon would
have interests in Montana, Utah, British Columbia and South America.
Alfred became respected by his peers, for his likable personality,
integrity and helpful donations to needy causes. He became
interested in politics and civic service, and in 1899 ran for
senator on the democratic ticket, against incumbent Frank J. Cannon
and others. No one was able to get a majority, and became a part of
history as the period when Utah couldn't seat a senator in
Washington. Alfred would try again later, but would be beaten by
Thomas Kearns. Elizabeth, his wife, had as many interests as Alfred,
serving in many capacities in the LDS church, becoming good friends
with Susa Young Gates, the daughter of Brigham Young. In 1889, she
would go to the International Congress of Women in London, since she
was an avid supporter of women's rights, and when she was voted
patron, she would be entertained by Queen Victoria at Windsor
Castle. Alfred was hopeful of making his mansion a showcase, and
sent his architect S. C. Dallas to Europe and throughout the nation
on a two year exploration looking over designs and techniques.
Dallas decided on a Gothic Revival style with some East Asian
attributes, and actually the mansion is a copy of one the couple saw
while driving through New York City and noticed it while on
Riverside Drive. As the mansion was being constructed, Alfred and
John R. Winder went to the First Presidency of the LDS church hoping
they could rent the Gardo House for a couple of years while the
mansion was built and they said yes. The McCune's home site was
picked so that the mansion could rise up with great elegance over
the houses nearby, and they spared no expense to have it done.
Alfred acquired oak from England, mahogany from San Domingo, and a
rare white mahogany from South Africa, with the red roof tiles
coming from Holland and a huge broad mirrored wall that came from
Germany. A special railroad car had to be constructed to carry it
overland, but no expense was questioned. The interior walls had
Russian leather, moiré silks and tapestries, and the exterior used
Utah red sandstone, while the fireplaces would use exotic stone like
Nubian marble. It was finished in 1901 at a cost of more than
$500,000, with the McCune's living there until 1920. They would move
to Los Angeles then, donating it to the LDS church, which
transformed it into the McCune School of Music until 1963. Then it
became the Brigham Young University Salt Lake City Center that
stopped in 1973. It was sold and became the Virginia Tanner Modern
Dance School, that had lessons given in the ballroom. After that, it
has continued to be private, and is now available for short term
rentals and other occasions like weddings. In 1997, Philip
McCarthey, one of the shareholders of the Kearns-Tribune
Corporation, that published the Salt Lake Tribune, purchased the
mansion and starting renovating it in August, 1999, just after the
Salt Lake City tornado that had knocked off one of the chimneys.
Philip finished the work in November 2001.
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