This Old House

Published in the Utah Statesman January 30, 2009

On 250 W. Center Street sits a 102-year-old home rich with Logan and Aggie history. Today it is owned by S. Eugene and Christie Needham, but the historic mansion that was originally built by David Eccles has housed his family, the USU football team, a USU fraternity and a sorority over its lifetime.

The home currently features 13 bedrooms, a small ballroom, loft, study, chandelier-filled dining room and many quirky nooks and crannies. But as different groups have occupied the home over the years, the dynamics of the layout have been altered.

According to the Utah Historic Encyclopedia, a prominent Utah businessman, David Eccles, first built the home for his second plural wife, Ellen Stoddard, and their nine children in 1907. Scott Needham, senior in computer science, grew up in the home with his seven brothers and three sisters. He said Eccles was not pleased with how extravagantly the home had been built.

“He was very disappointed they had spent this much money on it,” he said. “He felt it was excessive.”

The encyclopedia said Eccles passed away in 1912, not long after the home was built, and his family continued to reside there. Needham said the family sold the home to Utah State University in 1948 and it started out housing the USU football team. He said the university named the home “Kerr Hall.”

“The reason (the house) worked so well (for the university) is because there used to be a street car that went all the way up to campus, so it worked just fine,” Needham said.

After the football team, a fraternity and then a sorority occupied the home.

“(The home) could have easily fit 20 people,” Needham said. “The third floor was originally a ballroom ... but when the university took it over they built rooms. There used to be eight rooms up there.”

Before they even put up walls for bedrooms, Needham said the university never actually used the ballroom.

“It was more of a playroom,” he said. “The kids played basketball up there. They had hoops.”

Needham said other fraternities and sororities were also housed on Center Street at the time. When his parents purchased the home from the university in in 1970, he said the historic home had become quite beat up from housing college students.

“At the time it was very under appreciated in value. It sold for the price of a normal home,” he said.

Needham said his family spent quite a bit of money restoring the home to reflect more of its historic value. However, he said there are still remnants of the home’s ‘wild college days’, particularly the bathrooms.

“There are multiple showers in the basement,” he said. “Not a lot of people get community showers in their house.”

Another quirky feature of the old home is the swimming pool-shaped room in the basement, now used for storage. At first one might think it is simply a uniquely designed room, but Needham said his basement used to have a swimming pool.

“My parents didn’t believe this for many years until they had people convincingly tell them that there was actually a swimming pool down here for a while,” he said.

The home is now filled with distinct and interesting artwork created by S. Eugene Needham, who also owns S.E. Needham Jewelers, The Book Table and Books of Yesterday on Main Street Needham said the artwork contributes to the home’s unique feel.

“People always comment on the paintings,” he said. “Every room has a little different feel.” Needham said the old, large house used to terrify him as a small child.

“When I was young I was convinced this house was haunted, but no longer. I can go anywhere in this house anytime time of day, alone. I didn’t used to be able to do that. I was terrified,” he said.

Today the house has quieted down significantly, as most of Needham’s siblings have grown up and have families of their own. Now, however, their children are taking advantage of the fun, old house.

“We’ve got about 20 nieces and nephews, and this place gets used by them,” he said.

Needham said the house continues to get used by college students as he invites friends over for dance parties and summer parties in the backyard.

Two years ago when the house turned 100, Needham said his family hosted a big party to celebrate.

“It was pretty cool,” he said. “We had some of the original Eccles that actually lived here come – it was fun.”

–karlie.brand@aggiemail.usu.edu