With the population
increase, several wartime government housing projects were built in
Layton. One of these, Verdeland Park, was dismantled during the 1950s
and eventually became a spacious public complex which includes Layton
High School, the Layton branch of the Davis County Library, the Heritage
Museum, new city offices, and an attractive city park, including a wave
pool.
As is the case
with many cities, Layton no longer has a single downtown business district.
Small stores and shopping centers dot the city, with the Layton Hills
Mall being the largest. Smith's Food and Drug Center, Inc., with regional
offices, dough and dairy plants, and automated distribution warehouse,
is the largest employer in Layton City.
While Mormons are still most numerous, greater religious diversity is now found in
Layton. Early settlers were members of the original Kaysville Ward until
1889 and 1895 when separate wards were organized to the north. There
are seven Latter-day Saint stakes in the Layton area today. St. Jude's
Episcopal church and school was established in Layton in 1885; however,
the school was discontinued in 1896 and the church in 1916. In 1948
the St. Rose of Lima Catholic church was dedicated and is firmly established
in the community. A number of other denominations including four branches
of the Baptist Church, the First Assembly of God, Buddhists, Lutherans,
the Church of the Nazarene, and an interdenominational community church are also represented in Layton.
See: Daughters
of Utah Pioneers, East of Antelope Island (1969); Kaysville-Layton Historical
Society, Layton, Utah: Historic Viewpoints (1985).
Janice P. Dawson