Preservation Update: Progress on Manti Tabernacle, Provo City Center Temple

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.
 
I was able to present in a symposium at Brigham Young University last week about LDS Tabernacles. The paper has been accepted for publication; however, I am going to see if I can write up a series on this blog following tabernacles from their construction and seeing the reasons for the destruction or preservation of these buildings. Hopefully I can begin the series in the next couple of weeks. In the mean time...

I had the opportunity to visit the Manti Tabernacle last week to see how the renovation was going.

The most interesting thing is the current state of the steeple. The steeple has been white as long as I can remember.

This either means that the exposure of wood is part of the renovation process, and will shortly be covered, or that it will stay. After all, some of the earlier pictures of the tabernacle show a darker steeple:

(Image Source: Church History Library)

I have no idea what will happen, but it sounds like the Church is taking very good care of this tabernacle--and good thing, too. It's a beautiful building.

In any case, the tabernacle is scheduled to be done this summer, so we'll have to keep an eye on what happens.

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The Provo Tabernacle, now the Provo City Center Temple, is coming along very well, and the majority of the exterior work has been completed:

(Image Source)

A good blog that follows the progress of this tabernacle is the New Temple in Provo blog. There's a lot to see between the towers, windows, and other work being performed. The temple should be completed by the end of this year or into the beginning of next year.