Desmond & Pamela Killen House, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County

The Desmond and Pamela Killen House, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, was built in 1968. The house is locally significant under Criterion C in the area of Architecture, as one of the first unique prefabricated home designs offered by Research Homes, Inc., in various locations across the United States. The house was advertised as model “TWT-56,” a high-end, contemporary pre-fabrication design. The model utilized Research Homes Inc.’s innovative construction style, built in Utah and popularized in Maryland and Virginia, where new communities, aligned with the “New Town Movement,” were being built. The house is also locally significant under Criterion C, Work of a Master, for its association with architect Ronald L. Molen. Ron Molen was notable for his contemporary-style architecture, which became popular for its use of space and family-first designs. Molen gained national attention when his work gained traction in “New Town Movement” communities in Maryland and Virginia. Molen was also an award-winning architect who won the Horizon Homes International Award in 1965. The award acknowledged a uniquely designed home for creative family living, built with Research Homes in the Westshire Development in West Valley, Utah.