HURRICANE — The building was once one of the most formidable shelters in Southern Utah, although the tenants likely thought of that as a nuisance.

Among some of the first buildings to feature a steel reinforced concrete foundation, Hurricane Valley residents wishing to preserve an old jailhouse say the building should be stable enough to move down the road.

Lee Beatty, representing both the Hurricane Historical Society and Hurricane Valley Sons of Utah Pioneers, sought funding for two historical monuments in a recent City Council meeting.

The first, a monument to be erected at the site of recently demolished buildings and a house near the corner of 100 W. and State Street. The monument would be constructed for future generations to remember those who first inhabited the properties.

“We’d like to honor the homes, families and commercial entities that were involved in that block,” Beatty told the Hurricane City Council on Sept. 21. “And I think the best way to do that is with a small monument.”

Beatty told the council of the town founders and businesses that once occupied buildings that were recently demolished for future downtown redevelopment plans.

More recently, Tom’s Clip Joint was run by former Hurricane Mayor Tom Hirschi for 40 years. His son, Michael, ran a small engine repair shop, Lightning Archery, from 2008-2018 in one of the other demolished businesses.

“The Halls had a cafe initially on the east side of that,” Beatty said. “And then it was a Sweets Cafe and then Leland’s Cafe, then it was a Sears catalog store prior to the Hirschi small appliance, or small engine repair.”

The reminiscing wasn’t over as Beatty also requested Hurricane’s civic leaders for partial funding to restore an old jail and move it to a new home approximately one block away.

The building, estimated to be built in the 1920s, currently sits on private property in the backyard of a house near the intersection of 200 N. and 200 East.

Beatty told the council the property owners currently lease the house to renters and would not be opposed to donating the jail for a possible museum attraction. Roughly 12 feet long and 16 feet wide, most buildings during that era were constructed of mainly rock, brick, wood and mortar.

“All concrete, 6-inch concrete walls, 6-inch concrete reinforced roof — solid concrete.” he said. “It probably weighs about 40 tons.”

Over the years, previous owners of the home in front of the jail added a carport to the structure and used the building as storage. But the barred windows and a thick, steel padlocked door give away the building architect’s original intent.

“And we just want to move it about 100 yards,” Beatty said during the proposal. “We’re going to move it down the driveway, across the lane and set it in that wayside park.”

The intended location is a small park owned and maintained by the city that currently has walking paths connecting to State Street, seating benches, landscaping and an information kiosk for tourists.

A Provo-based business estimated it would cost roughly $30,000-40,000 to move the jailhouse. Hurricane City Councilman Kevin Thomas told Beatty in his opinion, a jail would not be a very interesting tourist attraction.

Councilman David Sanders told those in attendance, with a mischievous grin, that his ancestors likely spent time in the building.

After the meeting, Hurricane Police Chief Lynn Excell told St. George News that he likes the tourist attraction idea.

“I’d imagine it was like the old St. George rock jail, which is a great tourist attraction in that city’s downtown area,” Excell said. “No heating, no cooling — nothing for entertainment. In those days they did not watch the prisoners all day. They would lock a man in a cell and not come back until they were bringing supplies or another prisoner.”

At the end of the discussion, the council granted Beatty and the preservation entities permission to seek multiple bids for both projects to gain a better understanding of the costs required.

Hurricane City Manager Kaden DeMille warned that since budgets have already been approved for the current year, the projects could take more than one year before city funds could be donated towards the cause.

Beatty agreed stating he would gather more information and possible donations — in the form of monetary, donated supplies or labor — from Hurricane Valley residents to spearhead the two projects.

At the site of the jailhouse, Beatty told St. George News of a time during America’s Prohibition, in the 1930s, when local law enforcement dumped out barrels of confiscated wine near the spot he was standing.

“This is a piece of history that needs to be saved,” Beatty said.

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