The Architecture of Polygamy
Posted by: joshuah in Thomas Carter, Utah, Winterthur Portfolio, nineteenth century polygamous housing
“John W. Taylor once remarked, “Salt Lake City is a curious place. It’s the only town I know where a man can get off the streetcar, head in any direction he chooses, and end up at home.” So begins Thomas Carter’s fascinating article on nineteenth century polygamous housing in Utah.(1)
“I came across Carter’s essay in a publication called Winterthur Portfolio which is ”an interdisciplinary journal committed to fostering knowledge of the American past by publishing articles on the arts in America and the historical context within which they developed.” He explores several issues including both separate and cohabitational living arrangements, the idea of spatial equality among polygamous wives and the gendering of space within multi-family dwellings. Most importantly, it underscores the idea that houses play in telling us the story of polygamy. They reveal how family space was organized and defined and illustrate how homes can be gendered spaces that work differently for men and women.
“The architecture of polygamy was in many ways an invention, as it required builders to proceed into new areas of housing design. Even knowledgeable craftsmen lacked experience in building residences for more than one wife. Just as “living the principle” varied between families, it is difficult to make generalized statements about the design of multi-family dwellings.”
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