Preservation Update: Logan Tabernacle Rededicated

 On Sunday, August 26, the Logan Tabernacle was rededicated. It has been closed mostly since 2020, first with the pandemic, and then a renovation that started in 2021. The tabernacle was completed in 1891, and the pipe organ was installed in 1908.

Here's a view of the interior before and after:

Overall, it preserved the tabernacle incredibly well. This renovation removed the baptismal font in the basement; the basement is now all meeting rooms. Restrooms were enlarged and modernized. The organ and piano now face out toward the audience. Benches are more spread out and now padded. A lot of the HVAC and electrical systems were updated.

As part of the seismic upgrade, the tower was changed on the inside, and the balcony seating directly underneath the tower was replaced with a wall and structural items. Everett Thorpe's paining of Cache Valley pioneers, which hung in the lobby, was moved to this new area on the balcony. Before:

After:

I think the painting gets much better visibility here than it did before in the small lobby: 

It's much easier to appreciate now.

They also found another painting of Thorpe's in the tabernacle, restored it, and have it on display downstairs.