- The St. Ann's Retreat, a historic Logan Canyon property once known as Hatch Camp, is for sale.
- The site was at times an inviting retreat for politicians, Hollywood directors and even movie stars.
- Real estate agent Eric Jones hopes for a buyer to restore the buildings into something the community can enjoy.
LOGAN — Up for sale in Logan Canyon is a legendary, wooded property.
Best known as St. Ann's Retreat or 'the Nunnery,' it once had a golden era under a completely different name — Hatch Camp — and the current owner is hoping someone will be able to breathe new life into the historic property with connections to old Hollywood.
"This property has a lot of great bones," said realtor Eric Jones as he toured a KSL-TV crew around the site. "Just walking this property over and over, I've realized this is situated with intention."
Tucked across the Logan River and hidden among the trees, the series of secluded cabins boasts atmosphere and plenty of space.
"All the unique things that surround this property have me in wonder," Jones reflected.
According to family and historical accounts, Floyd and Tenny Odlum and Boyd and Anne Hatch were self-made millionaires with ownership in companies like Hilton, RKO Motion Pictures and Paramount.
They made Hatch Camp their summer escape starting in the 1930s and turned it into a crown jewel.
Featuring a pool and fountain, the site was essentially for high-end "glamping," long before there was such a thing.
"We actually have pictures of the family here," Jones said. "We know exactly where they were sitting next to the fountain."
Histories suggested the mountain's high life for the millionaire families was also at times an inviting retreat for politicians, Hollywood directors and even movie stars like Joan Crawford.
"It's also said that Marilyn Monroe spent some time here and many others that were invited by the Hatch family to come enjoy this space," Jones said. "I kind of imagine that they spent some time here entertaining guests, some of the people they brought on-site. That to me is pretty fun to imagine."
Seasons changed, however, and so did property ownership.
"They donated it to the St. Ann's Catholic Church, and it was used for a summer camp," Jones said. "There's just a lot to it in terms of maintenance, so I think it was kind of overwhelming as a camp for the Catholic Church."
As the site fell into disrepair over the decades, the local lore even spoke of a haunting.
"It was kind of a spooky thing," Jones said. "When the urban legends came out, it was kind of the thing to see if you'd dare to go up to the 'Nunnery' or 'St. Ann's Retreat.'"
Those legends simply haven't helped with the upkeep of the property, which has sustained its share of damage and ominous graffiti.
"We've had some vandals come through and we'd really like for that to stop," Jones said.
Jones himself admits he has never seen a ghost, but he does regularly see glimmers of potential.
"(There is) everything from the hand-spun, hand-painted metal work that lines the top of the rafters to this hardwood floor that's still in really good condition that can be redone and brought back to life," Jones said of the largest building, also known as the Odlum family cabin. "More notably, I look around and I see all these double doors that open up to a covered-in porch that was screened in, and I can just imagine the parties they would have had here after swimming."
Jones said historic pictures of several of the rooms offer a portrait of what might be possible to restore the cabins in the years to come.
"(You) see the beautiful light coming through the windows," Jones said, holding up one of the pictures.
The real estate agent — who owns KW Unite Keller Williams in Logan — believes the future of the cabins is tied to the past, and he said the hope is to find a buyer interested in a public-private partnership with the Forest Service, which owns the land, to renovate and restore the buildings into something the community can enjoy.
He said it all can be had for $699,000, or about the price of a modern, suburban two-story home.
He said interested potential buyers could reach out at 435-764-1740.
"It's a really neat spot," Jones said. "I can only imagine what it would have been like to spend some time here back in the heyday."
