The St. George Central City Historic District in St. George, Washington County, is locally significant, both architecturally and historically, as an excellent representation of the social, economic, and architectural history of St. George, Washington County, Utah. The period of significance is 1862-1975, which extends between the construction of the earliest contributing building in the district, the Orson Pratt/Richard Bentley House at 76 W. Tabernacle St. (1862) to the latest construction within the 50 year age limit, the St. George Savings & Loan Association and Sun Capital Bank (1975). Within the district, the built environment illustrates the city’s growth through five historic periods established in this nomination. Divided temporally, these periods illustrate the city’s development within the context of broader social and historical movements. St. George was developed as a pioneer settlement of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints partly out of an effort to grow cotton, which had recently proven successful in testing in the nearby community of Washington. It continued to increase in population and later benefitted from the federal highway system and auto tourism associated with Zion National Park. Contributing resources within the historic district reflect both the city’s pioneer heritage and its modern development. Under Criterion A in the Area of Commerce, the district is significant because of its central local role in the regional economy for goods, services, agriculture, and tourism. Under Criterion A in the Area of Social History, significance within the district is tied to St. George as the center of societal life in Washington County. As in many pioneer Mormon communities, early construction centered on gathering spaces for worship but also for civic and social events. Under Criterion C in the Area of Architecture, the district is significant for the intact architectural diversity of its primary resources, high degree of integrity and representation of the architectural evolution of the city. Outside the district boundary, the appearance and feeling strikingly changes to commercial strips, older housing that lacks integrity, housing built after 1976, and the Utah Tech University campus. The variety of building types and styles reflects the historical development of St. George and serves as a good representation of historic styles that have served (and still serve) the community of St. George after the city transitioned to a tourism and recreation economy in the early 20th century. The richest extant collection of adobe buildings, both primary and secondary, in the state lies within the district. Under Criterion C in the Area of Community Planning and Development, the district is significant at the local level for its critical role in establishing a southern regional Mormon capital and utilizing the Plat of the City of Zion to further Joseph Smith’s utopian vision.
