Newell J. and Eliza Knight constructed this home c. 1909. Mr. Knight was prominent in the establishment of the Garden City Canning Co., one of the major canning companies in the area. He and his father homesteaded 160 acres on the Provo Bench and were one of the first four families to settle in that district. The Knights lived in the home until 1916 when they moved to Idaho.
Thomas and Anna Walters purchased the house in 1916 and raised their family there. They were involved in the early agricultural/fruit-growing industry that helped the Provo Bench thrive during the first half of the 1900's.
In 1926, Joseph and Ethel Davis Finch purchased the home and farmland. The Finches moved to Orem from Goshen were Joseph had worked as a coal miner. They moved to Orem so that they could breathe the pure, fresh air and work with nature in planting and harvesting their fruits and vegetables. The home served a dual role as a residence and as Mr. Finch's office while he served as an Orem City judge and justice of the peace as well as an L.D.S. bishop for several years. The Finches lived in the home until 1974 when Mrs. Finch died.
The type and style of this house indicate the success of these families in the fruit-growing business. The contrast between the humble, classically austere residences of the earlier settlers on the bench and the later Victorian residences is apparent in the extravagant use of architectural details. This is a good example of the Victorian-houses that were popular from 1885 to 1915.
The house itself has received a major addition to the rear, but the interior structure of the original building retains much of its historic integrity. The interior now houses a home decor and gift shop, Planted Earth.
This home has been placed on the National Register of Historic Sites.
(Orem Historic Homes and Sites of Interest. Orem, UT: Historic Preservation Advisory Commission, 2009.) Used with permission.
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