Arnoldus House, Moroni, Sanpete County

The Arnoldus House is locally significant under Criterion C in the area of Architecture. Constructed c.1892, the house is the only example of the Italianate architectural style in the community of Moroni and one of only a handful in rural Sanpete County in central Utah. The Italianate style was relatively rare in Utah, and especially in smaller rural towns such as Moroni. Other Picturesque and Late Victorian styles, such as Gothic, Victorian Gothic, Victorian Eclectic, and Queen Anne, were much more common throughout Utah and even in Moroni. They represent the “high style” architectural tastes of primarily wealthier residents, who were often involved in the lucrative livestock industry in rural, agricultural-based areas of the state. In Sanpete County the sheep industry was especially prominent. The Arnoldus House features many of the signature features of the Italianate style: two stories in height, low-pitched hip roof, three-part bay window on the façade, paired brackets along the eaves/cornice, brick arches over window and door openings, and a vertical emphasis to the windows. Though the house underwent a number of changes on the interior and exterior, especially in the 1960s-1970s period, the current owners have reversed most of those alterations over the past three decades, returning the house to its original appearance as depicted in two photos from the 1890s. Because the significance is for the architecture of the original house, the period of significance is c.1892, approximately when it was constructed.