Riverdale Idaho Ward

 Riverdale is just north of Preston. The chapel there follows the same colonial twins pattern as other chapels in the area--with two wings, a chapel on the right, and a cultural hall on the left.

Unfortunately, this building has been heavily remodeled. The cultural hall is now behind the chapel, and the old cultural hall wing has classrooms and offices. The only part of the building that has kept much of its original feel is the decorations in the lobby.

Mink Creek Ward: Relief Society Room

 This room is now the primary room, but it was the relief society room.

In this room, Harold Helgesen painted 3 pieces. Above the (defunct) fireplace, he painted 2 images: One of a mother, with a popular poem from the time period; the other, a landscape painting of a Norwegian castle. (He had also painted a vase with flowers, but this has since been painted over.)

At the rear of the room is a larger mural of a handcart family entering the Salt Lake Valley. Above his signature, Harold wrote the mural's title: This is the Place!

He apparently also did a mural of a snowy river scene in the Bishop's office. I wasn't able to verify if it's still there. In any case, it's a unique building, and a unique room, with some beautiful paintings.

Mink Creek Ward: Cultural Hall

This cultural hall has some features I've seen from other buildings of this era--the benches along the perimeter, original to the building; a small stage. But Harold Helgesen, who was commissioned to paint the mural in the chapel, also did landscape scenery here, lining both walls. It's very unique!

I'm impressed that there were murals here, and still impressed at how they've been preserved. But this is not all--more murals are to be found in the basement. I'll show those in my next post.