On alternating school days since the fall, Wasatch High School students have been building a home. There’s a morning crew and an afternoon crew.
The homebuilding program started in 1975 and has continued off and on since then. A house has been completed in each of the last five school years, with support from alum and Wasatch County local Joe Witt.
This year, Witt took on a more significant role, guiding students throughout the process of framing the house — which included putting up and waterproofing walls, creating roof trusses and pouring the foundation — as well as installing electrical and plumbing.
Senior Brady Shea, who worked on designing the house and is now helping build it, said Witt was a great teacher.
“He gave a bunch of great advice. When we would have downtime, he would come in, he'd kind of say, like, this is some examples of how he did this, and this is what not to do,” he said. “He really wanted us to do our best work on this house.”
That advice includes keeping a clean jobsite — no soda cans or stray nails on the ground, and no muddy shoes on unfinished floors. It’s something he was known for as a respected Summit and Wasatch County custom home builder.
Senior Diego Solorio said Witt motivated him to keep working on the house and pursuing a career in architecture. Witt had become an influential mentor for him.
“He really stood up for us, trying to make our futures better, starting our careers. He was just a really big inspiration for me,” Solorio said.
Witt was killed in an avalanche while snowmobiling outside of Midway on Feb. 18. News of his sudden death spread quickly and hit the community hard. Some students took time off from the class.
Marc Barcomb, a fellow contractor who worked with Joe Witt Construction many times over the last 20 years, said the news of Witt’s death was gut-wrenching. Barcomb said he was working with the homebuilding class in a smaller capacity, but is now taking on more in honor of Witt.
“It was important to Joe to help the youth and give what he's learned almost as a small, micro apprenticeship,” Barcomb said.
He said working with the homebuilding students was the highlight of Witt’s day; the students made construction fun again. Originally slated for a more behind-the-scenes role, Witt attended more and more classes as the year progressed because he loved being involved with the kids.
“This was very important to him, and it actually brought him joy. It gave him a purpose,” Barcomb said. “It was a break to do something different and give back and feel like we had some value in what we were doing.”
First-time Wasatch High homebuilding teacher Canyon Prusso said it was important to Witt to know the students' names and goals so he could better help them achieve their career dreams. Prusso said Witt was also a huge help in getting the program off the ground this year.
“The legacy Joe left for us is just the momentum that he built for us, the true excitement that he instilled in these kids,” he said. “It's been running as a class, and it's been doing fine, but I think Joe just ratcheted it up another 100%.”
On the jobsite near the Heber Valley Railroad, evidence of Witt’s support is everywhere; the tools and trailer he lent to the program remain there.
Another reminder of Witt is a transom window cut above the front door, where the builder wanted to install stained glass. Prusso said the students altered the design of an adjacent window so its top lines up with the transom.
The plan was later scrapped due to the cost of stained glass, but now, Prusso said the district will pay for the installation to honor Witt. Wasatch High interior design students created a mountain design for the stained glass piece.
“It's really cool that this house will have that special feature,” Prusso said. “It'll be the only one, but it'll be like Joe’s piece.”
The homebuilding class is still set to finish the house by the end of the school year. It will then be sold at cost to a Wasatch County School District employee.
Witt’s siblings have also set up the Joe Witt Future Builders Scholarship Legacy fund to honor their brother. The scholarship will be awarded to Wasatch County students pursuing post-high school education involving building and the trades.
Over $50,000 in community donations has been raised so far.
