Brigham City Third Ward Chapel: Interior

While there are differences--most notably, immediate access to the basement containing classrooms on either sides of the pulpit--this chapel is very similar to the Malad Second Ward (posts on that building coming soon).

Brigham City Third Ward Chapel

 Built in 1912, the Brigham City Third Ward stands at 200 N and 200 W in Brigham City. It's building and chapel plans are similar to the Malad City Second Ward Chapel. It recently celebrated its centennial and houses two wards.

Brigham City Tabernacle

Dedicated in 1890, completely burned in 1896 (except for the walls), and rebuilt by 1897, the Brigham City Tabernacle is an incredible example of pioneer architecture. Sixteen spires frame the main tower. This building was also the first LDS tabernacle to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places, in 1971.

While I did take some interior pictures, they didn't turn out very well. Many others have been able to photograph the interior, though:

(Photograph by J. Steven Conn; Image Source)

The Tabernacle is also open for tours during the summer. Patrons can walk around the interior and watch a short film on the history of the tabernacle. The building is still used for local stake conferences and firesides, as well as other community events--in short, it still serves in its traditional role as a community and Church tabernacle.

Preservation Update: Church sells Kane Memorial Chapel in Pennsylvania

Note: Preservation Updates are a regularly occurring series of posts where I round up recent information on historic LDS buildings and their futures. Depending on the age of the post, there may be newer information available. Click here to see all Preservation Updates.

The reason the history of the chapel in Kane, Pennsylvania is so interesting is that it wasn't built by the Church, yet the Church was invested heavily in its preservation. Since the Church is usually reluctant to engage in preservation anyway, I find it fascinating that they were willing to do so for this chapel.

(Image Source)

Built as a Presbyterian Church in 1878, the Church was dedicated to General Kane, who was friendly to the Mormon Church and advised Brigham Young on how to deal with the U.S. Government. 

After a while the Church was abandoned, and was in poor condition (and considered for demolition) when purchased by the Church in 1970. The Church restored the building and stationed missionaries there to give tours. As recently as 1992, the building was carefully preserved.

(Image Source)

The interior contained beautiful stained glass and a pipe organ, and the congregation faces Jerusalem.

Unfortunately, in February 2013, a water pipe burst and caused $50,000 in water damage. The Kane Preservation Society offered to look after the chapel, and after an agreement was reached, the Church gave the building to the society at the beginning of this month.

***

Recently, I took a trip to Southeastern Utah. I decided to see if there were any historical LDS structures to visit along the way. As I researched, I found pictures of the original chapels that dotted that corridor:

Helper, Utah Ward Meetinghouse (Source: Church History Library)

Wellington, Utah Ward Meetinghouse (Source: Church History Library)

Price, Utah LDS Tabernacle (Source: Church History Library)

None of those buildings--and others I looked up--are standing anymore. As I passed through, I could see the steeples of standard-plan LDS meetinghouses. 

I'm pretty sympathetic to the position of the Church--if they have mission objectives to meet for a worldwide Church, should thousands of dollars be spent to renovate buildings in Helper, Utah? Many chapels become to small (as those in Helper and Wellington did); is the Church under an obligation to keep those? What about those that become structurally deficient?

The Church can't possibly keep all of the meetinghouses and chapels that its members built in its early years. But which ones should it keep? Those are the issues that still cause struggles between modernists and preservationists.

For now, I would like the Church to be more communicative and involve local communities more in its decisions. If it could be honest about its reasons and invite community members to share their ideas on what to do with old buildings, we can have honest communication. And the Church does this much better than it did in the past.

Still, I think its the responsibility of the members of the Church--and not the Church leaders alone--to work to preserve and care for the historic architecture that surrounds them.

St. George Tabernacle: Wall Detail

Located on the west wall.

Manavu Ward: Chapel Entrance

Manavu Ward Chapel: Lobby & Hallway Detail

The cultural hall is on the second floor of the building. The stairs on the left lead to the hall as well as offices; the stairs on the right lead to more offices.

The small niches that are present in the chapel are repeated throughout the hallways of the building.

Idaho Falls Temple: Interior

Note: This is one of a series of posts on the interiors and floor plans of historic temples:
1. St. George Temple (1877)
2. Logan Temple (1884)
3. Manti Temple (1888)
4. Salt Lake Temple (1893)
5. Laie Temple (1919)
6. Cardston Temple (1923) - Post forthcoming
7. Mesa Temple (1927)
8. Idaho Falls Temple (1945)

The Idaho Falls Temple is significant in that it was the last temple truly built for a live endowment. (The Los Angeles Temple also had all four rooms, but from its dedication used a tape recording to facilitate the presentation of the endowment.) Even though the temple now uses film to present the endowment, its unique architecture remains. Pictures of the interior of the temple for this post come from The Idaho Falls Temple: The First LDS Temple in Idaho, by Delbert V. Groberg; I've also added pictures from the Mormon Newsroom's article on the recent renovation and open house.

First, I liked the arrangement of the temple's lobby and chapel (called 'assembly room,' but really the chapel) where patrons gather before a session begins. Patrons enter the lobby from the recommend desk. On either side are corridors leading to the locker rooms; at the front are the doors leading to the chapel. Above these doors are painted the words, "The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him" (Habakkuk 2:20).

Idaho Falls Temple Lobby

The chapel itself has doors on all four walls--patrons enter from the sides and temple workers came in from the back. When it was time to begin, they opened the double doors at the front, revealing a large mural (painted directly on the wall of the temple hall at the base of the stairs) of Jesus teaching His disciples, done by Peter M. Kamp. Patrons then pass the mural on their way up the grand staircase to begin a session.

Idaho Falls Mural and Staircase

Overall, the arrangement of the endowment rooms on this temple is more similar to the floor plan of the Laie or Cardston Temples--the rooms go around the sides of the second floor, and the celestial room is in the center of the building, under the tower. There is only about one stair between each room, so much of it is on the same level. Here is a rough sketch of the temple's second floor:

Patrons come up the grand staircase and immediately enter the creation room. The mural here provids a "birds-eye view" of the world, with patrons seemingly among the clouds. It was done by Harris T. Weberg.

Idaho Falls Creation Room

Idaho Falls Creation Room

It gives us the perspective of the Creator, which is unique to any creation room I've been in.

Idaho Falls Creation Room

Patrons then pass through into the garden room. The mural here was done by Robert L. Shephard.

Garden Room, looking toward the back of the room

Idaho Falls Garden Room

The most striking thing about the garden room are the two trees at the front (representing the two main trees in the Garden of Eden), which are not only painted, but also carved into the wall. This gives them a three-dimensional effect that made them stand out. They are technically bas-reliefs done by (not surprisingly) Torleif Knaphus, a Mormon artist with many well-known works.

Idaho Falls Garden Room

Idaho Falls Garden Room Tree Detail

The next room is the world room, with a mural done by Joseph A.F. Everett.

Idaho Falls World Room - Back (South Wall)

Idaho Falls World Room - Side (East Wall)

Idaho Falls World Room - Side (West Wall)

Idaho Falls World Room

This mural includes a pioneer wagon train crossing the landscape into the Salt Lake Valley, as well a depiction of the miracle of the seagulls. A pioneer couple tills the ground, clearly reminiscent and symbolic of Adam and Eve--the first to work on the earth. These depictions speak to temple patrons of the difficulty of this world, but also the joys and miracles we experience while living here. Heber J. Grant, upon touring this room, responded by "terming the mural as an innovation and expressing enthusiastic approval...satisfaction was given by J. Reuben Clark and other high church officials."

The terrestrial room is next:

Idaho Falls Terrestrial Room

Idaho Falls Temple Stained Glass

Patrons pass through the veil of the temple into the celestial room, which also has murals. These were done by Lee Greene Richards. On the east wall (the view patrons see as they enter), there are paintings representing the eternal rest of those who have lived the gospel of Jesus Christ. The whole room is painted as a landscape, suggesting that the celestial kingdom isn't a building or a place--it's a whole world for the Saints of God to enjoy. According to LDS doctrine, families are united for eternity.

Idaho Falls Celestial Room - East Wall

A couple of sealing rooms are also located off the south side of the celestial room.

Idaho Falls Celestial Room - Southeast Corner; one of the two sealing rooms is visible

On the west wall is a depiction of the vision of John the Beloved, seeing the New Jerusalem descend from the sky, as recorded in the Book of Revelation.

Idaho Falls Celestial Room - West Wall (on the left are two sealing rooms)

In this interpretation, the city in the vision is Temple Square--the outlines of the Salt Lake Temple and Assembly Hall are clearly visible.

The roof of the celestial room opens up into the tower.

The ordinance rooms are not the only ones to have murals; the baptistry also has murals. These were also done by Lee Greene Richards. The main mural (visible here) is The Baptism of Jesus; on the left is The Baptism of Oliver and Joseph, and on the right is The Baptizing of a Convert. Richards also painted quotes from D&C 20:37 and D&C 128:15 over the entrance to the baptistry.

The oxen are quite unique in comparison to other temples--they were done in a very modern, even somewhat abstract, style.

This temple is lovely. It has a variety of styles (true to the time period in which it was built), and it has been lovingly restored. I highly recommend attending this temple if you get the chance.

St. George Tabernacle: Vent Detail

I am actually unsure as to whether this is a vent, houses some portion of the organ, serves a different function, or is merely decorative.

Garland Tabernacle: Window Detail

St. George Tabernacle: False Doorway

This "door" is located behind the pulpit. It is not an actual door, but it's beautifully detailed.

St. George Tabernacle: Clock Tower

Apparently, no one is still quite sure as to how the clock in the St. George Tabernacle arrived there. It stopped working in the 1940s, and wasn't repaired until the early 2000s. 

Preservation Update: Renovation of Blanding Tabernacle, Work on Alpine, Ogden Tabernacles

Note: Preservation Updates are a regularly occurring series of posts where I round up recent information on historic LDS buildings and their futures. Depending on the age of the post, there may be newer information available. Click here to see all Preservation Updates.

Renovation of Blanding Tabernacle

I recently came across an article talking about the renovation of the Blanding Tabernacle. It is also referred to as the Blanding South Chapel, the Grayson Tabernacle, and the San Juan Stake Tabernacle. It was dedicated in 1915. Here are some pictures (this is a little-known tabernacle, so it's hard to find good ones):

Original view of the Tabernacle, shortly after its dedication (Source: Church History Library)

Another view of the tabernacle (Image Source)

A more recent picture of the front (Source: Church History Library)

It is unfortunate that so much stained glass has been removed from the building as it originally was. A better picture of the current building can be found here.

Chapel, looking toward the rostrum  (Source: Church History Library)

Chapel, looking toward the back  (Source: Church History Library)

I like the cry room on the second story in the back. According to the article, the ceiling lost its rounded feature in its 1980 renovation. 

Close-up of the rostrum (Source: Church History Library)

While I'm glad the building is being preserved, it's unfortunate that the original plan to "[take] it back to its original state," including bringing back the domed ceiling in the chapel, was shelved. I do understand that it would probably cost a lot more. They did say there would be surprises, so I'll have to keep checking the news. I hope they restore the original paint job--apparently, the original apricot and turquoise tones were whitewashed in the remodel, too.

Work on Alpine Tabernacle

I've noticed that crews have been doing some work on the base of the Alpine Tabernacle. I haven't seen any news articles on the work, and no interior/major work is being done. It looks like they're mostly inspecting the red brick, so it's not too big of a project.

Changes to Ogden Tabernacle Completed

While hardly pioneer architecture (since it was dedicated in 1953), the Ogden Tabernacle holds the important distinction of being the Church's last tabernacle. I have never visited the tabernacle (I will do so at the open house this month), but was able to see the changes to the interior using Google:

Chapel Interior: Before (unable to post image due to copyright)

Chapel Interior: After (Image Source)

Exterior: Before (Image Source)

Exterior: After (Image Source, courtesy Jeff James)

Needless to say, preserving the original look of the tabernacle was not the Church's goal here. I don't mind the addition of the pipes. I did like the steeple, but I think it looks fine without it. It also looks like stained glass has been added to the front, instead of clear glass. I don't mind that, either.

In short, lots of work has been going on with tabernacles this summer!