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| The Princeton and Boulevard Apartments on the corner of 100 S 900 East |
In the 1910s SLC had an apartment building boom very similar to what is happening today.
The Princeton and the Boulevard Apartment Buildings at the corner of 100 South and 900 East are examples of this boom.
These twin apartments were built in 1913 by William Charles Andrew Vissing (1874-1936) who constructed at least 20 other major apartment buildings throughout the downtown area of SLC, including many projects for the Covey family of which he married into.
Before Vissing bought the corner lot on which the 2 buildings sit there were 2 houses on the lot which had been used as rentals for at least 10 years previous. Vissing purchased and demolished the houses to build his new apartments.
Vissing was primarily a contractor and sold most of his buildings when they were completed to finance his next project (although he kept these for several years).
Vissing sold his recently completed Bernice Apts (which are still standing on the same block at 101 S 800 East) to finance the Princeton and the Boulevard at a combined cost of $78K (about $2M in 2020 dollars).
The Princeton and the Boulevard were Vissing’s 14th and 15th apartment projects and were one of the most luxurious of his yet.
Each building was constructed of buff brick and red sandstone and featured a built-in central vacuum. Each apartment had a front porch and a rear sleeping porch, and the interiors were finished with mission oak and white enamel. A special feature was the enclosed garages in the back of the property to serve those residents with automobiles.
There was such high demand for housing that the Princeton and the Boulevard were both completely rented before they were opened for occupancy in Nov 1913.
The Princeton and the Boulevard are within the Central City- Bryant National Historic District but they are not part of a local historic district or a local historic landmark (so there are no legal protections against demolition).
Sources: SL Telegram 1913-04-08; 1913-11-29
Before Vissing bought the corner lot on which the 2 buildings sit there were 2 houses on the lot which had been used as rentals for at least 10 years previous. Vissing purchased and demolished the houses to build his new apartments.
Vissing was primarily a contractor and sold most of his buildings when they were completed to finance his next project (although he kept these for several years).
Vissing sold his recently completed Bernice Apts (which are still standing on the same block at 101 S 800 East) to finance the Princeton and the Boulevard at a combined cost of $78K (about $2M in 2020 dollars).
The Princeton and the Boulevard were Vissing’s 14th and 15th apartment projects and were one of the most luxurious of his yet.
Each building was constructed of buff brick and red sandstone and featured a built-in central vacuum. Each apartment had a front porch and a rear sleeping porch, and the interiors were finished with mission oak and white enamel. A special feature was the enclosed garages in the back of the property to serve those residents with automobiles.
There was such high demand for housing that the Princeton and the Boulevard were both completely rented before they were opened for occupancy in Nov 1913.
The Princeton and the Boulevard are within the Central City- Bryant National Historic District but they are not part of a local historic district or a local historic landmark (so there are no legal protections against demolition).
Sources: SL Telegram 1913-04-08; 1913-11-29
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| The Boulevard on 900 East |
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| The Princeton on 100 South |
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| W.C.A. Vissing from Men of Affairs in Utah 1913 |
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| A selection of Vissing buildings still standing in SLC |
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