Made possible by:
The Juanita Brooks Historical Preservation Society
George Brooks
George Brooks was one of the earliest pioneers in Southern Utah, and established himself as a master stone mason. He was given the task of the most intricate carving on the St. George Tabernacle, and at the end of each day, he'd take smaller stones up the hill to build his home on Mount Hope, completing it in 1878. This home currently stands today.
Juanita Brooks
Juanita Leavitt Pulsipher Brooks was an American historian and author, specializing in the American West and Mormon history. Her most notable contribution was her book related to the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
The House and future Museum
The original two-room rock house was built by George Brooks, Sr. in 1877-1878 using stone chips and irregular rocks from the cleanup of the Tabernacle and Temple yards where he worked as a stone mason. An adobe kitchen was added on the north side in 1887.
The Honey Locust tree in front was planted as a sapling in 1879 honoring the birth of George's first son, George Jr. That tree is still on the property and is thought to be the oldest planted tree in St. George. It is on the National Register.
The eminent historian, Juanita Brooks, married George Sr.'s second son, William, in 1933. They moved into this home about 1944. This is where she did much of her writing and where they raised their family.
The 2-story bedrooms were added in 1949, and they converted the root cellar into a bedroom for the boys and added on a bathroom. A new kitchen and living room were added in 1954. The original root cellar / boys room under the rock house was expanded to a full basement.
Will and Juanita's son Karl and his wife Carla moved into the house in 1970, where they raised their family until Juanita moved back in, until she moved into St. George Care Center due to he decline with Alzheimers.
The property was purchased by Carla Fox in 1991, where she operated the Quicksand & Cactus Bed and Breakfast, named after Juanita Brooks' autobiography.
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Thirty years later, the home is now returning to the Brooks Family.
