Commission denies request to remove 19th‑century doors from Beehive House east entrance

The Historic Landmark Commission on the February meeting voted 5‑2 to deny a major alteration application from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints seeking to remove an extant pair of late‑19th‑century entry doors from the east facade of the Beehive House and replace them with a replica of a different 19th‑century door (case PLNHLC20240‑00764).

Noah Elmore of Planning presented the staff analysis and recommended denial, saying the pair of oak entry doors are original to the John W. Young (Victorian) era and carry character‑defining materials and workmanship. Staff cited City policy favoring repair over replacement, standards that discourage creating a false sense of history, and several local standards that staff found the proposal did not meet. Elmore summarized the building’s sequence of alterations: built in 1855 by Brigham Young; remodeled with Victorian additions in the John W. Young era (late 19th century); owned by the LDS Church after 1890s; used as a boarding…