Raymond J. Ashton

The Sprague Branch of the Salt Lake City Public Library, built in 1928. Gardner Hall of the University of Utah, designed by Ashton & Evans and built in 1931. The former Salt Lake County Library in Midvale, completed in 1941. The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Salt Lake City Branch, completed in 1959. Raymond J. Ashton (1887–1973) was an American architect in practice in Salt Lake City from 1919 until 1970. From 1943 to 1945 he was president of the American Institute of Architects.

Life and career Raymond Joy Ashton was born January 23, 1887, in Salt Lake City. He was educated in the public schools and at the University of Utah engineering school, from which he graduated in 1909. A Mormon, after his graduation he left for Europe as a missionary of the church serving primarily in Belgium. He returned to the United States in 1912 and worked for his family's building firm in Salt Lake City. In 1916, he moved to Chicago where he worked as a draftsman for several firms as well as attending night school at Atelier Puckey (a member of the Society of Beaux-Arts Architects) and the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts.

When World War I halted nonessential building projects, Raymond joined the architectural department of Armour & Company, designing branch houses throughout the world, and residential work for the Armour family. With the addition of Bernis Eugene Brazier in 1946 the firm became Ashton, Evans & Brazier. The firm became Ashton, Evans, Brazier & Associates in 1962 with the appointment of Frederick Montmorency as partner and Ashton, Brazier, Montmorency & Associates in 1963 after Raymond Evans' death. After Ashton's retirement in 1970 the firm became Brazier, Montmorency, Hayes & Talbot, with Brazier at the head of the firm. Brazier died shortly afterward, after which Montmorency assumed control. The firm is still in business today (2022) as MHTN Architects.

Ashton joined the American Institute of Architects in 1927 as a member of the Utah chapter. Over the next several years he served as chapter secretary, treasurer and president. In 1932 he was elected to the national board of directors, and served three years. In 1940 he was elected a Fellow, the organization's highest membership in honor, and was elected treasurer in 1942. In 1943 he was elected to a single one-year term as president, succeeding Richmond Harold Shreve. His term was extended to two years due to World War II. George Albert Smith house, 1302 E Yale Ave, Salt Lake City, Utah (1913, NRHP 1993) Millard County Courthouse, 50 S Main St, Fillmore, Utah (1920–21) Irving Junior High School additions, 1179 E 2100 S, Salt Lake City, Utah (1926 and 1930, NRHP 1978) Sprague Branch of the Salt Lake City Public Library, 2131 S. Highland Dr., Salt Lake City, Utah (1928, NRHP 2003) Springville High School Mechanical Arts Building, 443 S 200 E, Springville, Utah (1929, NRHP 1993) Crescent Elementary School, 11100 S 230 E, Sandy, Utah (1930, NRHP 2000) Gardner Hall, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah (1930–31) Riverton Elementary School gymnasium, 12830 S Redwood Rd, Riverton, Utah (1930, NRHP 1996) George Thomas Building, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah (1934–35) Nielsen Fieldhouse, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah (1939–40) Salt Lake County Library, 665 W Center St, Midvale, Utah (1940–41, NRHP 1996) Kaysville City Hall, 44 N Main St, Kaysville, Utah (1941–43, NRHP 2019) Rich County Courthouse, 20 S Main St, Randolph, Utah (1941–42) Utah State Prison (former), 14425 Bitterbrush Ln S, Draper, Utah (1950) Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Salt Lake City Branch, 120 S State St, Salt Lake City, Utah (1957–59) Terminal, Salt Lake City International Airport, Salt Lake City, Utah (1961, demolished)