History of the Blake Farmhouse

Mark Hurst

The historic Wallace and Isadore Larson Blake home on Manzanita Road in Bloomington is not only a beautiful landmark in our community, the home also has a rich history of a family whose roots are deep in the stories of St. George’s earliest settlers.

Wally Blake, the son of Fredrick and Eliza Barnett Blake, was born in St. George on January 31, 1880. His parents came by ship from England and walked across the plains to settle Salt Lake City. In 1861 Wally’s family was called to help settle St. George.

In the early 1870's, Lars Larson, a stone mason, and his son, Lars James Larson, of Norway, were sent to St. George to work building the St. George Temple. Young Lars and Isadore Andrus married in 1879 and lived in Bloomington. Their daughter Isadore, born May 4, 1884, was named after her mother.

Wallace Blake and young Isadore grew up in St. George and married on October 24, 1901. They lived with the Larson family for five years and then in 1908, Wally built the stone house that still stands on its original site on Manzanita Road.

The old church building across the river at Price City was torn down and the rock from that building, laid by Dode Worthen, was a true work of art. The black rock foundation is eighteen inches thick. Brig Carpenter did the carpentry work in the home, and the rest of the building was a family and community effort. It only cost ten dollars to shingle the house. Wally and Isadore lived on the homestead working hard, rearing their family and knowing the joys and trials of pioneer life until they traded their home and moved closer to St. George. The home was abandoned in the early 1930’s by the new owners and gradually fell into disrepair.

In the summer of 1975, Matthew Simmons, an investment banker and entrepreneur, traveled through St. George with his wife Ellen, and came upon the dilapidated old rock house on Manzanita Road. They fell in love with the abandoned old house and began a seven-year project to restore it to its original glory. On June 30, 1982, they spent their first night in the restored home, sleeping on the floor, because the mattresses they bought didn’t fit the antique beds they bought! It was later granted both Utah State and National Historic markers. It remains in the Simmons family, and Jeff and Connie Morby, friends and associates of the Simmons family, oversee the home and its use.