Sunday, December 4, 2022

South Cottonwood Ward

 The South Cottonwood Ward, in Murray, is one of the oldest continuously operating wards of the Church. It was organized on February 16, 1849, incorporating most of the southeast portion of the Salt Lake Valley. The original building of the ward stuck around a long time too--it was built in 1856. Obviously it had a number of renovations and additions--a north wing in 1870, a south wing in 1944, and a cultural hall in 1969--but it wasn't demolished until 1992!

The new chapel was built on the same site and dedicated in 1995. In the new chapel they included some artifacts, like adobe bricks, beams and wooden nails from the original structure. The original chapel also had a large painting of Mihaly Muncasky's Christ Before Pilate, reproduced in 1890 by Jacob Bohn. It now hangs in the lobby with a small plaque giving details on it.


This was a popular painting to reproduce--Dan Weggeland reproduced it for the Salt Lake Temple annex a few years later. Jacob Bohn was a well-known artist at the time, and painted several works for local chapels and pioneer temples. Several temples still have his original artwork hanging there--the Logan Temple has his painting Christ Leaving the Praetorium in its office; and each pioneer temple still has some of his work.

In fact, just a few blocks away from the South Cottonwood Ward is another ward that was gifted this same reproduction. That one still hangs in the (modern) chapel.

A close inspection reveals some differences in the reproductions--the South Cottonwood version has more detailed murals on the walls of the building.


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