Smuin Dance Hall

Driving Directions

Address: (Abbington Manor) 215 N Center St. Lehi, UT

• Designed and Built By Monroe Wilson in 1913

• Opened on Halloween

• Used by the high school for basketball games and gym classes until the high school created a gym

• Housed at least 4 prominent bands, creating a dancing hub for Utah and Salt Lake County

On Halloween night of 1913, Lehi citizens had a new place to dance, as the Smuin Dancing Academy held its grand opening. James and Joseph Smuin were a part of the Smuin Brother’s Band. The Smuin Family decided to build a dance Academy on 200 North and Center. It was known as the “finest dance hall in Utah” and could accommodate large crowds of up to 1,000 people. The building was huge for the day at forty-feet wide and ninety-two feet long, and to make things even better for dancing, the building had a spring floor. Lehi residents flocked to the new dancing facility, as did people from Utah and Salt Lake counties because the inter-urban train depot was only a block away.

In the early days of Lehi, dancing was an important part of community life and recreation and Lehi had several bands including The Broadbent, Stoney Orchestra, The Kirkham Brothers, The Carter Family, The Seven Piece Smuin Brothers Orchestra, and The Bud Hutching’s Orchestra. Later, when the new high school was built on the southeast corner of the intersection, it was built without a gym, so the Smuin family gave the school permission to use the dance hall for basketball games, gym classes, and other activities until the high school gym was built. It is currently referred to as Abbington Manor, a retirement facility.