The Edward “Bob” and Mertilla Bullock House in Provo, Utah County was constructed in 1948. The house is locally significant under Criteria A and C. Under Criterion A the house is significant in the Area of Social History for the Bullock’s contributions to the local Provo community. Kenneth Edward “Bob” and Mertilla Johnson Bullock were key figures in shaping Provo’s mid-20th century development, cultural life, and institutions. These contributions included establishing a Utah County nature preserve, helping found Provo’s Riverside Country Club, leading downtown Provo’s mid-century urban revival, instigating the earliest efforts to clean Utah Lake of sewage output, establishing a major university scholarship and various other activities. Also significant under Criterion C in the Area of Architecture, the house, designed by Provo-area architect Logan Bennet, features iconic Mid-century architectural motifs such as horizontal massing, angled roofs, and ribbon windows, among other features. It is significant as Provo’s first known contemporary-style house. While such features became relatively common in Provo during the 1950s and 60s, the 1948 Bullock House was the first in Provo designed with these elements and subsequently inspired other like residences in the community. The period of significance begins with the house’s construction date, 1948 and continues to 1974, or fifty years ago, as both Bob and Mertilla continued with their contributions to society several years beyond this.
