Local News
Historic Northampton House reopens its doors
Brynn Carnesecca | Lehi Free Press
Many have seen the beautiful building that is the Northampton House. Elegant stained glass, a spacious interior and exquisite exterior grounds have served as the backdrop for many weddings and events throughout the decades. In recent years, the space required many repairs to keep its doors open. On July 10, the Northampton House reopened its historic doors to the city.
The Northampton House was constructed in 1903 for the American Fork 3rd Ward Meetinghouse. In 1938, expansions and upgrades were added to the space to accommodate for larger social events and ever-growing needs. After serving as a daycare for a brief period, the Northampton House was purchased by Brent Hawker to be converted into a full-time event center.
As explained in a brochure, “The Northampton House is now home to thousands of memories, with hundreds of people happy to claim this stunning venue as a part of their story. Our venue is still blossoming in the heart of Utah County, now finding its way into the hearts of each resident.”
For a few years, the Northampton House has been closed for events and weddings. It remained closed until entrepreneur Daniel Driggs decided to bring back the space.
“I own a catering company, Crisp Catering, and we’ve owned that for about three years. I’ve been in the wedding industry for six years and we have done tons of events at the Northampton House. I love this place as a caterer,” Driggs shared. “Then I started seeing what this place could be and the potential it had. When the past owner said that they were selling, it was an immediate ‘Yes!’ I want to be a part of this, and it’s the new home to Crisp Catering.”
When renovating, it was essential to keep the charm and history behind the iconic building. Driggs was dedicated to each element of the space.
“This building historically has all the bones,” Driggs said. “It has everything you could want for an event space or reception center. This was a venue in the past, but we gave it the facelift it deserved. It hadn’t been updated since 2001, and so bringing in new chandeliers, paintings, and art from Utah artists and the Mormon trail really gave it that life and homage to what this is and the history behind it.”
The renovation is more than just a business venture—the Northampton House is special to many residents who have used the space.
“There is a long history of love for this building. That is pretty apparent in how it’s come up in city councils, in the American Fork Chamber of Commerce, and how the mayor shows up for grand openings,” Driggs expressed. “The community already loves this building. In the multiple times people have tried to knock it down, everyone has come to support, keeping this amazing historical building. We hope to give life to those sacrifices of keeping this building alive and giving back to the community as best we can.”
The grand opening of the venue included a bounce house, DJ, free drinks, samples of cakes and tours of the building. The community is ecstatic to have one of American Fork’s only wedding and event venues back and here to stay. For more information or to book the venue, visit www.northamptonhouse.com or follow @thenorthamptonhouse on Instagram.
