Ephraim Relief Society
Ephraim Relief Society Granary NRHP (Io LandArch and Evalogue Life) – What began as a National Register Nomination for a small vernacular structure in Ephraim, Utah became an extensive research project to discover the voices of women in early Utah and pioneer history, who were often silenced. The process included obtaining oral histories, extensive primary research, and community outreach. The Granary was saved in 1990 by a group of women artists and community advocates, and today the building is home to Granary Arts, a woman-led non-profit. Rhonda of Evalogue Life went on to assist Granary Arts in a public awareness campaign to share the unique history of the building with the broader community, and to draw attention to the ongoing activities happening around and in the building today.
Io LandArch and Evalogue.Life researched the history of and wrote the National Register Nomination for the Ephraim Relief Society Granary, constructed c.1872-1875. This vernacular classical-style stone granary building is located along Main Street in the rural town of Ephraim in Sanpete County, Utah. The building was used to store grain and other resources for the Relief Society, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Ephraim Co-op. Although Relief Society granaries once existed in nearly every Utah town, today only nine remain. At the time of its operation, the granary served as one of the few social and economic spaces for local women during Utah’s early settlement years.
Today the structure is one of the largest and most substantial Relief Society granary still existing, and features simple yet elegant Greek-Revival style massing and proportions. In the 1980s the building, along with the neighboring Ephraim Co-Op building were saved by a small group of local preservation advocates. It was eventually converted into use as an arts space and gallery, which was founded by and today is run by women.
I absolutely love working with Io! They are smart, insightful, and excellent at what they do. Their team is keenly attuned to the relationships between history, place and design - and work closely with clients to build a plan that is responsive and visionary. A pleasure to work with, Io brings the best work to the table, I give them my highest recommendation.
Amy Jorgensen
Granary ArtsDecember 17, 2018