During the Indian uprisings in 1853, Brigham Young instructed the settlers to build a fort wall around ten blocks, including this block, where Thomas Dunn, the first presiding elder, had erected a six room adobe home in 1851. In 1854, a band of Indians staged a war dance around the house. They were finally pacified and peace restored. The fort wall was never completed, as work was abandoned when Indian trouble subsided. After 1952, the city used the home for offices and council meetings.