1864

Thomas Austin was born in England in 1864 and came to Lehi in 1868 with his parents, who were converts to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His father became a farmer, and it seems likely that young Thomas was raised in this type of work. In the 1880s and ’90s, both the cattle and the sheep industries became increasingly important commercial enterprises in Utah. By the mid-1890s, Austin was well established in sheep and cattle. In 1896, for example, he opened sheep shearing corrals west of Lehi where he employed 35 men and sheared between 5,000 and 6,000 sheep a season. Such success allowed Austin to build a large, elaborate house for his family in 1901. Combining decorative elements of several styles into a highly irregular format, the eclecticism of the Austin House is consistent with the prevailing architectural thinking of the period.

(Utah State Historical Society, National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, p. 8, 1980.)

1901

Located at 427 East 500 North in Lehi is the Thomas Austin House. The house was built in 1901 for English-born local rancher Thomas Austin for $4,000. According to its National Register of Historic Places nomination form, it is “the best example in Lehi of Victorian domestic architecture.” Additionally, “at a time when eclecticism and irregularity in house design was at a premium, the Austin House projects an asymmetry of massing and mixing of historical details which is truly exceptional.”

(“Thomas Austin House” by Jacob Barlow, 2014.)

“During the late-19th century, the Queen Anne, Eastlake, and Stick Styles dominated the domestic architecture of Utah. These styles were united by a picturesque aesthetic which stressed highly irregular plans, discontinuous asymmetrically massed forms, and the manipulation of surfaces with varied textures. In addition to a preoccupation with visual complexity, this picturesque tradition was by nature highly eclectic with architects freely choosing among many diverse historical periods for suitable elements of composition and decoration. The Austin House seemingly takes both main facets of the design model to their extremes: the floor plan and roof outline of the house are self-consciously asymmetrical and complex (there are few straight lines left intact for the eye to follow, while the mixing of Classical and Queen Anne exterior motifs is both unusual and invigorating. “Only the use of masonry walls prevents the attainment of the third architectural principle--the texturing of wall surfaces. In all, the Thomas Austin House in Lehi is a fine extant example of Victorian architecture in Utah.”

(Utah State Historical Society, National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, p. 8, 1980.)

1906

The Thomas Austin home appeared in the Sugar City Times newspaper Christmas edition on December 25, 1906. The home depicted in the Sugar City newspaper is a mirror image of the home built in 1901 in Lehi. In 1906, the Sugar City Times reported that Thomas Austin called Lehi “his home and headquarters up to the time of his coming to Idaho in 1904” where he managed the Austin Brothers Association, a successful sheep and wool business. While in Idaho, Thomas was also involved as chairman of the Town Board, director of the Sugar City Mercantile Co., Mutual Investment Company and Commercial Club, and a member of the Board of School Trustees.

(Sugar City Times Newspaper Christmas edition, December 25, 1906.)

1923

The 1910 and 1920 United States censuses indicate that Thomas Austin and his family were back in Utah living in Salt Lake City, however, they retained ownership of the home in Lehi until after the death of Thomas Austin in 1923.

1927

After the death of Thomas Austin, the home was sold to Charles and Geneve Mercer who owned the property until 1948.

(Ownership Summary for historical home at 427 East 500 North, by Christine Parry)

1948-1975

The property changed hands four times before C. Wesley and Geraldine Dalley purchased the home in 1975. The home had been divided into four apartments and was in need of tender loving care. Wesley and Geraldine have done much to preserve the history of Lehi, including restoring two notable Lehi properties and working to have them placed on the state and National Register of Historic Places.

1975

While the couple was restoring their Main Street property, they purchased the beautiful home at 427 E. 500 North. Since 1948, the elegant home had been divided into four apartments. The Dalleys went to work to restore the home to its former glory. They removed the partitions, lowered ceilings, sandblasted the exterior, replaced the transom windows and scraped old paint and wallpaper off the walls. They tracked down the stained-glass windows sold to a local shop and repurchased them. They installed new door and window casings suitable for the era of the home as well as new furnaces, plumbing, bathrooms and so forth. Outside work included planting 100 blue haven trees and laying 20,000 red bricks to form a patio and two driveways. The labor of love took 20 years and was finally finished with the installation of new hardwood floors and carpet.

(“Lehi Historical Society and Archives: Dalleys lauded for protecting, restoring two historic Lehi properties,” Lehi Free Press, July 31, 2022).

1982

The Thomas Austin House is placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1987

The Thomas Austin House was the site of several scenes in the 1987 movie, “Promised Land,” starring Kiefer Sutherland and Meg Ryan.

2025

Over the years, this unique historic home has served as the site of many weddings and social activities.

The Dalleys still reside in this home that they started restoring with loving care half a century ago.