$18,500 grant breathes new life into Park City’s historic Thaynes Hoist House

The Historic Preservation Board took a tour of the Thaynes and Silver King Mine District Sites to approve funding for one and recommendation for National Register for the other. Photo: Park City Municipal

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Park City’s Historic Preservation Board has taken significant steps to preserve two historic mine sites, approving funding for one and recommending national recognition for another.

The board toured the Thaynes and Silver King Coalition Mine Sites with the Friends of Ski Mountain Mining History before making their decisions.

“Last night, the Historic Preservation Board not only approved an $18,500 Historic District Grant for the removal of the collapsed roof on the Thaynes Hoist House but unanimously forwarded a positive recommendation to the State Historic Preservation Office for the listing of the Silver King Coalition Mine District to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places,” the Park City Government stated.

The Thaynes Mine Site, designated as a Significant Historic Site on Park City’s Historic Sites Inventory, dates back to the Mining Decline & Emergence of Recreation Industry Era (1931-1962). The site’s history includes a brief period in the 1960s when it served as an unconventional ski transport, taking skiers from the Spiro Tunnel to the Thaynes shaft to ride 1,750 feet up on the Thaynes Hoist from underground rail cars to access the slopes.

Restoration plans for the Thaynes Hoist House include removing the collapsed roof materials, completing asbestos removal, and stabilizing the original 1937 walls this fall. Engineering evaluations and further rehabilitation are scheduled for 2025 and 2026.