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Show Fugal dug-out house on historical register The Andreas ' Fugal Dug-out House has been recognized as an historical and archeteclurally unique building. The National Register of Historic Places, Washington, D.C., has recently informed Roger Roper, Utah State Historical Society nomination chairman, that last fall's nomination was accepted. The underground home, located at 630 N. 400 East in Pleasant Grove, was built as a temporary shelter in 1869 by Christian Christensen Fugal and his son Andreas. Submerged housing was a common mode of fast, inexpensive shelter for many pioneer families. However, these first shelters were soon abandoned and left to decay as materials and means became available to provide larger wood or stone houses. The Fugals, being f rugal, used the rock-lined, dirt-floor dug-out as the foundation and basement of their soft-rock home. If they had not built over the original single room, it undoubtedly would have gone the way of all other early subterranian Utah houses. Fortunately it was preserved and is the only known residential dug-out in Utah that is still intact and being used. The preservation of this unique 117-year old structure is partly accounted for by continuous family ownership. It is presently owned by Neil Y. Fugal. He purchased it from his cousin Earnest Clayton in 1980. The home is a rallying point for the periodic Fugal clan summer reunions where they can review their acquaintances and their heritage. Other ancestral places flank the "dug-out" such as the Chris Fugal Blacksmith Shop and home on the north, and Niels and Jens Fugal homes on the south. The Historic Preservation Committee of Pleasant Grove presently is working toward the nomination of some of the old lime soft-rock structures that represent a building material used solely in our area. We may soon add other homes to our list of eight that are now on '.' historical registers. 1 |