Federal Heights
Federal Heights
Federal Heights is one of the more prestigious and affluent communities in the Salt Lake Valley. Its fascinating and colorful history still lingers as one travels over its hilly terrain on streets with names like Federal Way, Fort Douglas, Military Way and Arlington.
The land in Federal Heights is adjacent to the old Fort Douglas which in its day, back in the late 1800’s, was used to protect the overland mail from attacks from unfriendly Indians. As the threat of violence increased Federal troops were transferred out for action against the Confederacy in the Civil War, however, a military presence remained at Fort Douglas in the Utah Territory. In 1869 at Promontory Point, the joining of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads into the Transcontinental Railroad made the Fort location an all the more important point of interest. Germans living in the United States during World War I were interned at Fort Douglas.
Until 1940 Fort Douglas was the home of the 38th Infantry. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor it became an Army Air Field when the 9th Service Command Headquarters from the Presidio in San Francisco was moved to Fort Douglas due to concern of Japanese attack. Over the years following WWII much of the land was slowly divested and became what is now the University of Utah. The Fort officially closed in 1991.
The elegant and stately Federal Heights neighborhood, with many homes dating back to the early 1900’s, was established over the years as the officers of the fort built their homes in the adjacent area. Homes in Federal Heights have recently sold for $499,000 for about 3600 square feet and ranging up to a 9000 square foot Mediterranean mansion listed for $5,000,000.
