My supposedly-polygamous apartment in Salt Lake City

My first apartment in SLC was in a stately home built on 700 East for a polygamous family — or so said the landlord.

The intrigue: Conflicting records swirl around the house, near 100 South.

• Estimated construction dates range from 1871 to 1912, and county property records show a flurry of deed transfers between and within families for decades.

The big picture: Complicated property transactions may signal a history of polygamy , since the practice raised legal questions around inheritance and women's ownership of property .

• But it's hard to know for sure—and puzzling out polygamous genealogy can be so messy that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints created a special tip sheet for family researchers .

ICYMI: How to spot a "polygamy house" apartment

What's inside: If the house indeed served this purpose, I'm pretty sure I got the dwelling of a privileged wife.

• Mine was the only apartment with a built-in gun cabinet.
• I used it as a liquor cabinet, with little shot glasses where the gun barrels went.

Zoom out: Apart from the gun cabinet, my unit was identical to the three others, with big, formal living and dining rooms up front.

• We each got our own carriage stall out back for storage.

Bright spot: The parties! My upstairs neighbors had guests put their food and BYOB contributions in one living room and cleared the other of furniture — except for an improvised DJ stand, for a large dance floor.

• Win-win!