Story Feature: Open House

Jed and Fran Platt are true Heritage Makers. Their recently published Heritage Makers Storybook, titled “Open House,” is a treasury of family culture and tradition and will no doubt be cherished by family members, relatives and friends far and wide.

“I lived in a hundred story house,” Jed writes on page one. “Crafted of cement slabs and cork, sliding glass windows and doors, plywood and poster board, ‘The House’ grew to the farthest reaches of the yard. It was held together with silver duct tape, repurposed nails, lengths of green rope, my father’s determination and my mother’s prayers.” 

The subsequent 99 pages contain a delightful (and unvarnished) anthology of family history as it related to their quirky, but beloved home. Each family member recounts his or her favorite memories and the book is richly punctuated with family photos. When the house was finally sold in 2008, Jed had the foresight to complete a photo inventory of the house including all the various rooms and the familiar details – the textures, the colors, the fixtures, the carpeting, the flooring, the wall coverings – everything. No one thinks to document their past in this way, but Jed’s images certainly add dimension and flavor to the project. 

While Jed was responsible for gathering photos and stories, Fran put the book together in Studio. They published in time to distribute the books on Christmas, and you can tell from this photo they commanded immediate and profound attention.

For the outsider, it’s impossible to spend time reading this Storybook without gaining an appreciation for the Platt family’s sense of humor, resourcefulness, values, unique traditions and their love and devotion to each other.

In short, it is a prime example of why Heritage Makers was founded. The house at 2264 South 2000 East in Salt Lake City has lots and lots of stories; it just needed someone to tell them.