Kamas Main Street Corridor

History

The Kamas Main Street Corridor is gradually losing its historic identity. Numerous historic buildings have already disappeared; only about ten historic homes and thirteen commercial buildings remain between 100 South and 100 North. Several have been altered, diminishing their original architectural form and style.

The oldest surviving building in Kamas is the 1871 Rock House at 30 South Main Street. Built by pioneer Benjamin Thomas Mitchell, this stone structure was initially part of a local fort and later became a key community hub. It functioned as a tithing storehouse from the 1870s through the early 1900s and doubled as a meeting house until a new one was built in 1901. From the 1950s until around 2000, it even served as the Kamas City Building and jail. Over time, the Rock House has been obscured by several additions, including a 1930s pyramid-style roof and a modern expansion—changes that could potentially be reversed to restore its historic appearance.

Another early and significant commercial building is located at 80 South Main Street, now home to Summit County Pizza Co. From approximately 1893 until she died in 1938, Lucy Alice Woolstenhulme Williams operated a boarding house and hotel here. She prepared three meals a day for guests, hand-washed all the linens weekly, and managed the full scope of the business. A significant, non-historic addition was later added to the south side, dramatically altering the look of the original hotel.

Numerous residences were also built along Main Street and the nearby side streets. Only nine historic homes, dating from the 1890s through the 1940s, now remain between 100 South and 100 North.

The first half of the 20th century, especially the 1900s to the 1950s, marked the emergence of a more defined commercial corridor, particularly on the north side of Center Street. Today, eight commercial buildings from that era survive there, though they vary in condition and historical integrity, while five more stand on the south side.

Two newer structures, one distinctive two-story building with a gambrel-style A-frame roof, were built in the 1970s, blurring the line between residential and commercial architecture.

Just twenty-three historic buildings remain along the Main Street corridor. Many are in poor condition and need repair. Several commercial properties are currently for sale, and without any local protections, such as demolition controls or historic designations, these buildings are at risk.

Driving north on Main Street in Kamas, you will see:
96 S Main – Private home – 1930 Minimal Traditional
95 S Main – Bolt Ranch Store – 1929 Spanish Revival commercial
85 S Main – Engel & Volkers office – 1972 Gambrel-roofed A-frame
80 S Main – Summit County Pizza Co. – 1893 Folk Victorian – has large non-historic addition
55 S Main – Private home – 1907 Folk Victorian
50 S Main – Private home – 1893 Victorian Crosswing
40 S Main – Private home – 1935 Minimal Traditional
35 S Main – Mirror Lake Diner – 1950 Streamline Moderne – altered from original style
30 S Main – Private home – 1871 Rock House to 1930 Pyramid house
10 S Main – Fire Station – 1930 Vernacular
5 S Main – Private home/business – 1972 Side-gabled Contemporary
1 N Main – Service Station – 1950 Googie Style
2 N Main – Service Station – 1950 Googie Style – altered beyond recognition
25 N Main – Private home/business – 1930 Minimal Traditional
30 N Main – Theater – 1946 muted Art Deco
40 N Main – Commercial building – 1918 Vernacular commercial
45 N Main – Commercial building – 1935 Minimal Traditional commercial
54 N Main – Commercial building – 1904-1924 Modern commercial
55 N Main – Commercial building – 1950 Mid-century Modern commercial
60 N Main – Private home – 1942 Tudor Revival
65 N Main – Private home – 1893 Victorian Queen Anne
79 N Main – Private home – 1927 Vernacular
85 N Main – Small Business – 1930 Minimal Traditional