Cedar City First Ward: Cultural Hall & Entryway

The cultural hall is directly under the steeple. Stage lights used to decorate the front.

This is the entryway, with the cultural hall on the left and the chapel on the right.

This staircase goes over the main entrance, providing access to where the chapel balcony used to be located.

Cedar City First Ward: Exterior Details

The clock in this chapel was taken directly over from the tabernacle. In spite of the fact that it's over 100 years old, it continues to keep time, and bells chime every half hour.

The rocks on this portion of the chapel are roughly symmetrical, which is an astounding feat. Notice especially the rocks above the door, which form a type of keystone.

Cedar City First Ward

Dedicated in 1885, the Cedar City Tabernacle used to stand at the corner of Center and Main. It was a beautiful building, even if it looked a bit awkward from the outside.

(Image Source: Church History Library)

Here are some interior photos I was able to find:

(Image Source: Southern Utah University)

(Image Source: Southern Utah University)

In 1932--amidst a bit of controversy--it was torn down. The government had offered to purchase the land to built a post office on the site.

Left without a place to meet, the Cedar City First Ward chapel was built to the east. It is also called the Cedar City Rock Church, for obvious reasons.

(Image Source: Church History Library)

This building still stands today. It just recently finished an extensive restoration project, and tours of the building are offered during the summer. I will be showing pictures of this building over the next few posts.

Liberty Ward: Stained Glass Details

This is the window on the south side of the chapel. It has a beehive and bundle of wheat.

On the north side is a similar window with a scroll and scriptures. Both windows have the alpha and omega symbols, as well as some crosses.

 The largest window, at the back, has a smaller inset of the First Vision. On both sides are beehives. These were actually originally crosses; in the 1950s, the Bishop asked J. Fred Brown, a ward member, to replace the crosses ('Catholic emblems') with Mormon ones. So Brown and his wife replaced the crosses with two beehives; one above a Sego Lily flower, and the other above a wild rose.

The First Vision is beautiful, despite its smaller size. It has the exact same figures as the stained glass depiction that was found in the Adams Ward (now in the Church History Museum; see at bottom). The Adams Ward was built in 1913--five years later--but I believe that these copies were ordered at the same time. Either that, or the Adams Ward bought a replica of this depiction, albeit bigger.

Provo Second Ward

Note: This post is one in a series that focuses on LDS architecture that is not historic, but that departs from standard cookie-cutter plans to become unique and beautiful in a different way. To see all of these posts, click here.

The Provo Second Ward is a perplexing building--it looks like it was kind of thrown together.

It's also pretty clear that there's been additions to the building in the strangest places.

I do like the glass they used in the steeple, though.

The chapel is wider than it is deep. The walkway at the back of the pews has some pillars that probably block views from the overflow into the chapel.

One of my favorite parts of this chapel was a painting in the lobby of the original Provo Second Ward--the building that this chapel replaced.

I haven't seen very many paintings like this before, that are so connected with the building and its members and the local history. I wish it was more common!

Liberty Ward: Chapel Interior

This chapel has three stained glass windows. The largest one is at the back. It includes a small inset of the First Vision.

The other two are on both sides of the stand. I'll have closer pictures of these windows in my next post.

Liberty Ward

Constructed in 1908, the Liberty Ward building has undergone a few changes--mostly the tower entrance.

(Image Source: Church History Library) 

Before, you ascended a grand staircase before entering the chapel (which is on the second floor). Now, you enter the tower and immediately go up a staircase to get to the chapel.

This building has some nice stained glass. I got lots of pictures of the interior coming soon.

Wellsville Tabernacle: Door/Window Detail

Washington D.C. Ward

Built from 1931-1933, the  Washington D.C. Ward chapel is still standing, although it serves a different congregation. This was a landmark chapel, with an angel Moroni on the top. The exterior photos in this post were submitted to me by a blog reader in the area.

A mosaic of the Sermon on the Mount is still over the entrance.

The chapel has some beautiful stained glass that was sold along with the building (unfortunately).

At the top are depictions of the North American, South American, and European continents.

Different floral depictions are along the body of the window, including the sego lily.

A great history of the chapel, along with many more interior windows, are published at this site. That is also where I pulled the images of the windows below. A ward anniversary program described them as follows: "The stained glass windows bring to mind salient points of Church history. The east windows picture the North American Continent, and the Hill Cumorah…and the Rocky Mountains where the Saints established themselves after their long persecutions. The south windows show the South American Continent and an ancient Mayan Temple recalling the early history of the Western Hemisphere as told in the Book of Mormon. The north windows portray the continent of Europe, sailing vessels of the early immigrants, and the barren plains crossed by the Pioneers, symbolic of the gathering of Saints to Zion.”

 It's disappointing that this beautiful landmark was sold, along with its windows. The building is aging and needs a lot of upkeep. If its future is ever threatened, I hope that steps are taken to preserve the building, or at least significant portions of it.

Wellsville Tabernacle

Constructed at the beginning of the twentieth century, the Wellsville Tabernacle still dominates the town's landscape.

The tower used to be taller and more ornate, but because of structural problems, it was reduced. The old one really fit the building better.

(Image Source: Church History Library)

The tabernacle is closed while the Wellsville Foundation seeks to raise $150,000 "to repair overstressed roof girders, reinforce with steel angle members, support the sagging arched sealing framing system in the attic space, and add new wood posts and beams to support the girder trusses." It has been closed for several years, now, but the foundation recently received a portion of tax revenue to aid them in this cause. I hope it reopens soon. It is a stunning building.

 

(Image Source)