Historic Hansen House 

The Hansen House was built around 1862 by Hans A. Hansen, a Danish immigrant, who came to the United States in 1853 with his first wife Ane, after they were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint. They had been married in Denmark on December 12 1845.  His parents are Hans Pedersen and Ane Hemmingsdatter.

While Hans established himself within the community of Ephraim, he lived in this home with first wife Ane/Anne Catrine Anderson and their children.  They have three children listed on Family Search.  They are: Anne, 27 April 1846 (Died as a child), James Hans, 4 May 1848, and Anna Marie, 18 December 1862. 

Hans was an important figure in the local church and served as a witness when the important Black Hawk Peace meeting was held under a nearby Juniper tree on his property, in August 1868.  

When Hans and his family got ready to travel west to the pioneer colony in Utah, they knew they wouldn’t be able to bring much due to the difficulties of bringing personal belongings across the plains. Of the few things he could bring, Hans decided on a can of green paint which he had brought all the way from Denmark. Because he used this green paint, which would have been expensive at the time, on the door of his home, Hans earned the nickname Hans “Rich” Hansen.

This home was one of the first big houses built outside of Fort Ephraim. It was built in a style called “Vernacular English”, which was considered “traditionally American”. The design consisted of a central passageway plan. The interior spiral staircase was made of pine, but painted to resemble oak, and consists of three sections joined together. The exterior is made of adobe, a rough, mud brick, which was carefully plastered and then scored off to resemble stone.

In March 1991, the home was purchased by Ephraim City, as an addition to Ephraim’s “Pioneer Park”, which includes several other buildings. And in 2020, the Hansen House, along with the other three buildings, were upgraded dramatically. The Hansen House was remodeled, with the back addition being torn down, and the existing structure reinforced. Today, it stands as a symbol of Hans Hansen’s willingness to assimilate into American society and culture, despite his Danish background.