A historical Mormark was reopened on Tuesday when the members and leaders of the community gathered in the House of the House of Virginia for a band cutting. The celebration, which was held in cooperation with the Heber Valley Chamber of Commerce and Advisory Board, was the latest milestone in the multi -year transformation of the resort property.
The brick house opened by the Swiss immigrants Simon and Maria Schnunitter in 1886 was the original accommodation building for the Hot Pot Resort by Schnitter. The building, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, is the only remaining example of architecture in federal style in the region.
The 2.5 million dollar restoration, led by the new owner group of Homestead, aimed at preserving the historical character of the house and presenting modern features for guests. The project included the reinforcement of the stone foundation, upgrading windows and doors in harmony with the original design, the restoration of the brick facade and the rebuilding of the exterior. New landscape design, a fire station outdoors and a completely converted winter garden with a small bar for drinks and bites together have also been added.
“This is a big deal. This is a lot of blood, sweat and tears,” said co -owner Ben Shakespeare. “It is 150 years old. So if you get involved, open the walls and find that the floor is rotted and you have to reinforce the foundation.
While it originally housed guests, the Virginia House will now act as a check-in area of the land, while the renovation work on the site is continued elsewhere. In addition to office space, the building will also contain a gift shop inspired on halfway with goods and products from local Utah suppliers in Utah.
Shakespeare, which originally comes from south -utah, said that her owner group quickly understood the importance of the building for the middle.
“This was the first building that was built from all the historical pictures. This was the first piece of the hotel on the property here. So it means a lot of people, including us a lot,” he told. “It is protected by laws and regulations, but it is really the story on this property for us.”
With plans to join Marriott's autograph collection by the end of 2026, the reopening of the Virginia House is a “medium step” in the larger revival of home stead, said Shakespeare. The roots of the resort in the middle.
“We want to do justice. We want to build it right. We want the legacy and the story that are here, honor and then also bring in the modern experience that the guests would hope for and try to mix it,” he said. “It's not easy, but I think we're doing a good job. I hope we are. I hope that those who know this place can honor you and that you are proud of what we do for you.”