Hatch's Cabin to maintain registry for historic landmark

Hatch’s Camp — also known as St. Ann’s Retreat and the Nunnery — was acquired by Matt Nielsen in fall of 2015, and he plans on maintaining its status on the National Register of Historic Places.

In order to do that, certain criteria must be met, but Lieutenant Brian Locke with the Cache County Sheriff’s Office thinks it may be a challenge for Nielsen. Young adults in the community often ventured up to the camp for thrills, especially in the summer months, Locke said.

“It’s because of all the stories people keep telling of the place — you know, the local legends,” Locke said.

Local legends include stories of pregnant nuns and dead babies, but the only story some have been able to confirm is that in 1997, dozens of teens were held hostage by several shotgun-wielding watchmen in the empty swimming pool at the camp.

“Vandalism was the biggest problem we were dealing with up there,” Locke said. “People would go in the buildings and break things and mess things up.”

Many of the cabins’ walls have writing etched in them. Broken glass is strewn about the floors of some of the buildings. Some of the walls have gaping holes in them. While it will take some effort to fix the buildings up, there are some benefits to keeping it on the National Register of Historic Places. For instance, if the property is listed on the registry, that qualifies the owner to receive tax credits for the investment and work they put into the property. Preservation specialist Chris Hansen from the Utah State Historical Society said there is some flexibility with this.

“You’re not required to restore it back to what it was, but you can retain its historic features,” Hansen said. “If they’re too damaged to restore, you can repair them. If they’re too damaged to repair, then you can replace it with an in-kind replacement, meaning it matches the look and feel of the property.”

As Nielsen works to restore and repair the property, Locke said he hopes the trespassing and vandalism die down, but it’s Nielsen’s job to report any issues he has.

“I would hope that people would just respect the new owners and not go in the buildings,” he said.