On the day of the tour, 5-6 private residences will be open to tour.

A Historical Overview

The Rose Park neighborhood began development in 1947, marking a significant chapter in Salt Lake City’s urban history. Four independent contractors—Edward Holmes, Howard Layton, Stayner Richards, and Alan E. Brockbank—orchestrated the original development, resulting in one of the city's largest concentrations of affordable postwar housing.

Characterized by small, simple brick and frame houses, Rose Park's homes were designed to qualify for Federal Housing Administration loans, particularly benefiting returning veterans. This neighborhood is a testament to intentional community planning efforts that shaped suburban living in the postwar era.

The 1947 development plan was ambitious, laying out a ten-year vision that included high-density senior living, duplex rental units, a shopping center, churches, schools, and parks. Additionally, the planners embraced the newly proposed I-15 freeway system, integrating it into the neighborhood’s layout.

Departing from Salt Lake City’s traditional grid, Rose Park’s streets were famously replatted into curvilinear roads. These roads were designed to evoke the shape of the neighborhood's namesake flower, breaking up the monotony of the simple housing designs. Each street was named after a popular rose variety of the era, adding to the neighborhood’s unique charm.

Landscape architecture was a fundamental part of Rose Park’s initial development. Each street was assigned a tree variety to create a canopy, which has largely survived and now represents one of the densest tree covers on Salt Lake City’s westside. This thoughtful design has made Rose Park not just a place to live but a vibrant, cohesive community.

Rose Park is a symbol of postwar suburban development, reflecting historical and architectural significance in Salt Lake City.