By 1935, recurring flash floods had washed everyone
out of Grafton, Utah, except vandals and an occasional Hollywood
producer. Then this April, those living near the ghost town staged
a fund raiser to repair the combined school and church that dates
from the town’s Mormon settlement 139 years ago. “The buildings are
in advanced stages of deterioration,” says Jack Burns, head of the
Rockville Historic Preservation Commission, “but it’s still
possible to save the town, and it’s definitely worth it.”
Irrigation ditches, orchards, a cemetery and road remnants
contribute to the ghostly atmosphere of the town, which is outside
Zion National Park. The Bureau of Land Management and some of those
who own property in the town would like to buy more land and
conservation easement as part of the restoration effort. To help or
to learn more, write the Grafton Heritage Partnership Project, c/o
the Town of Rockville, Rockville, UT 84763.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Bringing a ghost town to life.
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