A Brief History of the Giovengo Farmstead

3846 South 5600 West – The Giovengo Farmstead

Built in 1917, the bungalow at 3846 South 5600 West was the heart of the Giovengo family’s farmstead—an early 20th-century homestead that grew into one of the largest landholdings in the Hunter area. Onofrio and Libiria Giovengo, Italian immigrants from Genoa, settled here in 1915, building not only a home but a working farm with barns, sheds, granaries, and even railroad cars repurposed for agricultural use. Surrounded by mature shade trees and busy outbuildings, the property reflected the resourcefulness and hard work of the family who raised crops, livestock, and seven children on this land.

For decades, the Giovengo farm was a landmark on 5600 West, a reminder of the rural roots of Salt Lake County’s west side. But as the valley grew, so did the demand for land. The family’s property—once the largest in the area—was eventually purchased to make way for the University of Utah Hospital’s west campus and the Mountain View Corridor highway.

Today, the bungalow, barns, and windbreak trees are gone, replaced by pavement and progress. Yet the story of the Giovengo farm lives on, tied to the transformation of the west bench from quiet farmland to a hub of transportation, healthcare, and development.

The railcar

Circ 2025