The Christian and Sarah O. Knudsen House, built in 1909 at 123 South Center St. in downtown Lehi, is on a southeast corner lot immediately south of Lehi's business district.[i] The house is a prominent part of Lehi's oldest neighborhood. The Knudsen house was constructed of a light, buff-colored brick. This building material is common throughout Utah County, including several homes in Lehi. This two-story, central-block-with-projecting bays, Victorian Eclectic house is the largest example of the use of this building material in Lehi, and indeed, is one of the largest homes in Lehi overall. 

A coarsely-laid limestone foundation supports the brick walls, which are sheltered by a hipped roof.[ii] Prominent architectural features on the exterior (much of which is obscured by vegetation) include projecting bays on the north and west facades, stone window sills and heads, pedimented gables, and a two-story wraparound porch on the southwest corner of the building. This porch, supported by Tuscan columns and clipped at its southwest corner, was partially enclosed sometime after its construction. Wood siding and wood double-hung windows in the porch enclosure indicate, however, that this work probably occurred within the historic period.

The main entrance to the house is through the southwest corner, which is clipped and accented by a small pedimented gable at the roof line.[iii] The leaded-glass transom window on the projecting bay is a typical Victorian Eclectic detail. A door to the second story porch is positioned immediately above the main entrance. Another enclosed porch is incorporated into a wood framed and sided addition on the east side of the house. This addition houses the kitchen and service areas.

The Christian and Sarah Knudsen House, constructed in 1909, is a historically significant example of the houses associated with the growing prosperity of Lehi in the late 19th and early 20th century.[iv] The arrival of the railroad in 1872 allowed for access to wider markets for Lehi's goods and produce. The 1890s were a decade of explosive growth in Lehi with industries such as the Utah Sugar Company Factory and the stock industry prospering. Easy access to the railroad in Lehi was a major factor in this growing prosperity, especially for stockmen such as Christian Knudsen, the builder of this house. Knudsen was not only prominent in the cattle industry but was notable for his philanthropy and church service in Lehi, as well.

A native of Norway, Christian Knudsen arrived in Lehi with his family in 1872 at the age of fifteen. [v]  He married Sarah Larous Ottesen, of Spanish Fork, in 1879. They settled in Lehi and had ten children. In 1896, Christian was called to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Norway. After his return, he continued to oversee his growing cattle operations. Soon after moving in, the Knudsens opened their home as a halfway house for Scandinavian travelers on their way to and from Salt Lake City. Christian and Sarah Knudsen also donated large sums to build the Provo, Alpine and Lehi LDS stake houses.

The Knudsens remained in the house until 1926, when Christian fell from atop a hay wagon and died from a broken neck.[vi] Their son, Gilbert C. Knudsen lived in the family house along with his mother until his death in 1929. In 1943, Sarah Knudsen gave title to the house to her daughter, Vera Chipman It is not known if the Chipmans ever lived in the house (or a portion of it) during Vera's period of ownership.

In 1943, the house was converted into three apartments as part of an effort in Lehi to relieve the wartime housing shortage. Because of Lehi's location near Camp Williams, the industries in the Salt Lake Valley, and the Geneva Steel Plant, it was an ideal location for war housing. 

Alvin and June Schow purchased the home in 1962. [vii] In 1963, Vern and Jessie Carter of Carter Airport fame, purchased the home. As the home was still divided into apartments, the Carter children had their rooms in the apartments upstairs while Vern and Jessie lived in both apartments downstairs. When Vern died in 1966, the children moved downstairs so that the upstairs apartments could be rented. 

In 1978, Jessie built a new, smaller house to the south of the Knudsen House and sold the Knudsen House on contract. When the purchaser defaulted on the loan, she foreclosed on the contract. [viii] In 1985, she sold the house to Mike and Sandee Schanderl, owners of Mike’s Subs on Lehi’s Main Street. They began a systematic restoration of the home, which was continued by Robert Trepanier, the owner of Porter's Place restaurant, and his wife Sandee. [ix]

In 2005, Ron and Charlotte Otteson purchased the home and continue with restoration work to this day. 

[i] National Register of Historic Places Registration: Christian and Sarah Knudsen House. 5 November 1998.   National Park Service.

[ii] Ibid

[iii] Ibid

[iv] Ibid

[v] Ibid

[vi] Ibid

[vii] Christine Parry Property Report for 123 S. Center St.

[viii] Email to Lara Bangerter from Ray Carter, son of Vern and Jessie Carter, dated Mar. 26, 2026.

[ix] Van Wagoner, Richard. A Guide to Lehi City’s Historical Sites and Places. Lehi Historical Preservation Commission. 1997. p. 122.