Salt Lake City is moving to grant official landmark status to the Gilgal Sculpture Garden, a unique three-acre site hidden in the East Central City neighborhood. This garden, which served as a backyard for its creator Thomas Child, contains a collection of religious sculptures and engraved stones that Child produced between 1945 and 1963.
The city council considers this location an important piece of cultural history. Because it is the only site in the state categorized as a visionary art environment, planners want to ensure its long-term preservation. A landmark designation would mandate city review for any proposed changes, preventing demolition and ensuring the garden remains intact for future visitors.
Thomas Child, a local masonry contractor and religious leader, spent years securing boulders and using industrial tools to carve his vision. His work remains open to the public today thanks to the efforts of the Friends of Gilgal Garden, a group that purchased the property in 2000 to prevent private development. This group has successfully lobbied for protections to safeguard the site from future urban encroachment.
Local authorities will present the request to the Historic Landmark Commission this week. This process marks a step toward securing the garden's future as a protected municipal site. While the city currently manages the park with no plans for alteration, this official status adds a layer of protection that limits what future administrations can do with the space.