Phillips Congregation Church

The Phillips Congregational Church, constructed in 1905 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, occupied a prominent corner at 479 South 700 East near Trolley Square for more than a century. Built of rusticated stone with characteristic round arches, a dominant corner tower, and deeply recessed windows, the structure conveyed the weight, permanence, and craftsmanship typical of the style. Its architectural presence made it a defining visual anchor along 700 East.

The church replaced an earlier 19th-century Congregational meetinghouse on the same site and was closely tied to the expansion of Protestant congregations in Salt Lake City during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Phillips congregation worshiped in the building until 1950, when it dissolved, and members joined other local churches.

After 1950, the building transitioned to a series of commercial uses, adapting to changing neighborhood conditions while retaining much of its exterior character. The adjacent parsonage—now widely recognized as X-Wife’s Place—was eventually separated and sold. Though the church was a contributing property within the Salt Lake City East Side National Historic District and widely acknowledged for both its architectural distinction and its role in the city’s evolving religious landscape, it was never designated as a local landmark.