Sorensen Home Museum

The home of Peter and Martina Sorensen has always been a gathering place for Draper residents.

The Sorensens, who were some of the first pioneers in Draper, used to host social gatherings, church meetings and, occasionally, LDS Church leaders in their home.

Today, the house continues to attract visitors as the Sorensen Home Museum.

After a nine-month renovation and being moved down the block from its original location, the house serves as a portrait of what life in the 1890s was like. It includes a renovated parlor, kitchen and candy store plus dozens of artifacts from the time period. Decorations are designed to bring to mind how it might have looked when Martina Sorensen lived there.

An early pioneer home

Martina Thompson Sorensen immigrated to the United States from Denmark with her family. Her parents were converts to the LDS Church and sought to join other Saints living in the Salt Lake Valley. The Thompsons crossed the Plains in 1861 when Martina was only 2 years old. They lived in the Bear River area for a while and eventually moved to Draper.

Martina met her husband, Peter Sorensen, another LDS convert from Denmark, after moving to the city, and the two were married in 1880. By 1882, they moved into a one-bedroom adobe house. As their family grew, more rooms were eventually added on until the home reached its present size. With the Sorensens' large yard, their home became a popular place to hold gatherings. Its proximity to the train station was a draw for visiting general authorities.

Peter Sorensen was killed in a tragic accident in 1914, and Martina was left to support her family. After her son Reuben returned from serving in World War I, he promised to take care of his mother. He and his wife, Ivy, along with their children, all lived in the home with Martina until she died in 1954.

Velora Whetman, one of Reuben's daughters, said she was happy to see the home preserved.

"I just never dreamed it would happen," she said. "It was vacant for a while. It was burned and kind of destroyed a little bit. I ... thought it was old and dilapidated, but they've made it really beautiful."

Renovation and restoration