A History of LDS Tabernacles: Part 9 - The Future of Tabernacles

Note: This is the final post in a series on the history of the preservation and destruction of LDS Tabernacles. To see a full list of the posts in this series, click here.

For a Google Map that lists all of the tabernacles and their locations, click here.

Today, there are 39 tabernacles (of the original 77 on Richard Jackson's list) that are still standing. The Church owns 26 of them. Are these tabernacles safe? Will they still be standing in 20, 50, or 100 years?

Stained glass in the Garland Tabernacle (Image Source)

In another post, I discussed the Church's list of protected structures. 20 tabernacles are on that list (although that likely includes Provo, and perhaps Vernal, which are now temples). See that post for more information.

Definitely, then, some tabernacles are unprotected. Some may be torn down--most likely, the smaller, less grand, and (in the eyes of administration) less significant structures that  dot the landscape. The tabernacle in Snowflake may not have much to offer against the tabernacle in Kaysville, but does that mean it will be torn down? Only time will tell.

Paintings on the walls of the Manti Tabernacle

Certainly, the fire that burned down the Provo Tabernacle in 2010 is a reminder that any of our buildings can be claimed by a disaster. It has been encouraging to see the Church's response, as it has lovingly rebuilt the structure as a temple, even though it is much more expensive to do that than built a whole new structure.

Chapel in the Granite Stake Tabernacle

Other tabernacles' futures remain uncertain. The tabernacle in Wellsville is still closed as the Wellsville Foundation heroically struggles to raise the money needed to repair the roof and re-open the building. The tabernacle in Smithfield recently underwent a comprehensive study determining the future use of the building. The report concluded that it would likely cost over a million dollars to renovate the structure, regardless of the future use. Since it is owned by the city, the city council will have to decide the building's fate.

Even when their future is uncertain, tabernacles continue to stand across the Mormon corridor, symbols of the faith, works, and struggles found in Mormonism's history. Groups meet for religious and cultural events; they continue to gather into the buildings. Light continues to stream in through the stained glass windows in Kaysville's tabernacle; tourists continue to admire the woodwork in Paris, Idaho's tabernacle; the sounds of the organ in Salt Lake's tabernacle are broadcast to the nation every week in Music & the Spoken Word.

Light shines in through the stained glass of the Kaysville Tabernacle

I feel blessed to visit so many of these buildings. And as I ascend the spiral staircases in St. George, admire the bas-relief in Manti, or play the organ in Brigham City, I am reminded of the poem that was written by pioneers who built the St. George tabernacle and tucked underneath the sandstone steps, only to be found 75 years later:

...We have labored long
For many a year,
This noble structure
For to rear;

And thus we’ve often
Lacked for bread,
“You’ve nobly worked”;
By all was said....

So now kind friends
We say farewell,
This house and steps
Our works do tell,

God will preserve
And bless his own
With life eternal
And a crown.

Spiral staircase in the St. George Tabernacle

Poem written by Charles L. Walker; see Michael N. Landon, "“A Shrine to the Whole Church”: The History of the St. George Tabernacle," Mormon Historical Studies 12, issue 1 (Mar 2011), 125.

A History of LDS Tabernacles: Part 8 - Renovations & Preservations

Note: This is a series on the history of the preservation and destruction of LDS Tabernacles. To see a full list of the posts in this series, click here.

For a Google Map that lists all of the tabernacles and their locations, click here.

In the 1980s, the Brigham City Tabernacle had dominated the city's skyline for nearly a century. But the building was old, and had become as obsolete as most other tabernacles. It had no classrooms, offices, or gyms; it was a simple chapel. Its many steeples, arched windows, and beautiful brickwork had survived fires, earthquakes, and weather damage; would it survive in a Church that didn't seem to need it anymore?

In contrast to the past, the answer from the Church was an emphatic 'Yes.' On May 11, 1985, the Church announced the tabernacle would be sensitively restored, a project that would cost nearly a million dollars and close the building for a few years. Craftsmen grained and marbled the woodwork in the same manual style of the pioneers. All mechanical systems were sensitively updated, the building was brought up to seismic code, and damaged plaster and paint were carefully redone. When the tabernacle re-opened, it won an award from the Utah Heritage Foundation for its sensitive renovation. These events were almost unimaginable a decade earlier.

The tabernacle continues to stand, dominating the skyline along with its neighbor, the Brigham City Temple.

(Image Source)

The Church had not decided to preserve all of its old buildings. It was still a push-and-pull debate. However, it was clearly committed to preserving its best architectural structures, and it showed it from 1980 onward. The Provo Tabernacle was sensitively restored in 1983 and 1997--natural wood was restored and paint from later renovations was removed.

The Assembly Hall on Temple Square was carefully renovated in 1997, using original building techniques that the pioneers had used. The St. George Tabernacle, in 1993, underwent a huge project that repaired and preserved the building, brought back copies of the original chandeliers, and preserved much of the original glass. Logan's tabernacle was renovated in 1985, removing pine that earlier renovations had placed over original floors. Even tabernacles in far-flung areas--Afton, WY (1983), Loa (1983), Randolph (1984)--received renovations.

Wall details in the St. George Tabernacle that were carefully restored.

Perhaps the greatest sign of committment came in the 2005 renovation of the Paris, Idaho tabernacle. If the Church needed a good business reason to tear down a tabernacle, it had plenty of them in Paris. The tabernacle is in a small city; it required several upgrades to bring it up to code; it only had a chapel, and couldn't serve as a regular meetinghouse. Nonetheless, it was carefully and lovingly renovated, at the cost of over $1 million. If the cry in the 1970s was "Save the tabernacles," the response now was that the tabernacles were safe.

(Image Source)

That's not to say that no tabernacles came down. In the early 1980s, especially, several tabernacles in Idaho (Twin Falls, Franklin, St. Anthony) still came down. Other tabernacles have burned down (Thacher, Arizona [1981]; and Provo [2010]). And some renovations have still altered parts of tabernacles--Salt Lake lost its original benches when it was renovated in 2007; Ogden lost its steeple in 2010. But by and large, the period of destruction was over. It could be argued that was because many tabernacles were no longer standing; very few remained. Still, it's obvious that there was a shift in the attitude of Church administration.

And that shift has allowed members to enjoy these beautiful buildings that were so important to members back then. Or, as one man said when the Paris, Idaho Tabernacle was being renovated:

"[The tabernacle] was a matter of great importance to them. The workmanship, it's just second to none...[they] expressed their testimony in their work." (Mark Thiessen, "LDS Church to revamp 'show stopper' in Idaho, August 28, 2004).

Stained glass in Paris, Idaho Tabernacle. (Image Source)

Next: Part 9 - The Future of Tabernacles

A History of LDS Tabernacles: Part 7 - Sold!

Note: This is a series on the history of the preservation and destruction of LDS Tabernacles. To see a full list of the posts in this series, click here.

For a Google Map that lists all of the tabernacles and their locations, click here.

In 2002, it appeared that the future of the Blackfoot Tabernacle was again in doubt. The building had been sold in 1980 and used as the county offices, but the county noted that the building had become "a white elephant--more expensive than beneficial" ("Ex-Blackfoot tabernacle goes on auction block", Deseret News, April 22, 2002).

Across the street sat the Hawker-Hill-Sandberg funeral home. The owner, Perry Hawker, decided to try purchasing the property, and was able to do so for $100,000 (even though the commissioners had asked for a minimum bid of $150,000). Over the next year, it was remodeled to serve as a funeral home, while they did their best to preserve the historical appearance. The tabernacle continues to serve as a funeral home today, retaining its spot on the National Register.

The Hawker Funeral Home continues to serve the Blackfoot community.

Tabernacle have been sold to a variety of owners. You can die and be transported to the former tabernacle in Blackfoot--or, if you want to live in a tabernacle, you can live in a condo at the former tabernacle in Lethbridge, Canada.

Three tabernacles are owned by the city--those in Smithfield, Heber, and Rexburg. Each serves a different purpose. The one in Heber acts as city offices. The one in Rexburg is a community center. The one in Smithfield is a recreation center, although the city is currently studying what the building's future will be.

The tabernacle in Parowan, owned by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, is a museum; artifacts, quilts, and portraits are crammed into every aisle.

The Parowan Tabernacle as a museum. For more photos, select "Parowan Tabernacle" on the right of the blog.

Other groups use tabernacles, too. The tabernacle in Oakland is used by the Evergreen Missionary Baptist Church. On the opposite side of the country, the tabernacle in Jacksonville, Florida serves as the headquarters for the Junior League of Jacksonville, a women's organization. And in Ely, Nevada, the tabernacle serves as a fine arts center, home of their community choir.

In these tabernacles that were sold, you see the same determination to save the building that you see in the stories of Heber and Bountiful. In Wellsville, a non-profit group owns the tabernacle, which is currently closed, as they are trying to raise $150,000 to repair the roof. The building has been closed for a couple of years, now; the group has raised over one-third of the funds needed. The title of their campaign? "Save the Wellsville Tabernacle."

The Wellsville Tabernacle continues to dominate the city's landscape, even when it's closed.

More tabernacle may be sold in the future. However, the majority remaining in Church possession are cared for quite well. The Church had a period of destruction. It had a period of sales. Now, it has a period of restoration.

Next: Part 8 - Renovations and Preservations

A History of LDS Tabernacles: Part 6 - "Save the Tabernacle"

Note: This is a series on the history of the preservation and destruction of LDS Tabernacles. To see a full list of the posts in this series, click here.

For a Google Map that lists all of the tabernacles and their locations, click here.

The Vernal Tabernacle, replaced by a ward chapel on the adjacent block, was in danger. At least, that's what many Vernal residents felt as they observed the events of Coalville that led to the razing of that tabernacle. The citizens were determined that their beloved building would not experience the same fate.

Their response was to form a committee titled, "Save the Tabernacle"--an interesting title, so the tabernacle was not, at that time, under any specific threat of being demolished. Nonetheless, the committee met often--raising funds, passed around petitions, scheduled the building as often as possible (to prove its usefulness), and, in sum, "hoped and prayed [that] their efforts would prove sufficient to save [their] building" (Irving and Barton, "From Tabernacle to Temple: The Story of the Vernal Utah Temple," 28).

In 1983, the building's water and heat were shut off, seemingly dooming the building to deterioration. The constant brainstorming intitiated by the committee, however, led them to propose converting the tabernacle into a building a year later, in 1984. While the proposal was rejected, a decade later, it was brought up again, reviewed, and accepted. The "Save the Tabernacle" committee had indirectly saved the tabernacle, nearly two decades later.

The Vernal Tabernacle, now standing as a temple.

The stories related to those who went to great lengths to save the tabernacle is even more impressive in view of the difficulties surrounding such efforts that we discussed in our last post. But Vernal was far from the only community that saved their tabernacle.

The first such incident actually occurred in Heber. After the vote to demolish the tabernacle was unanimously passed (because, one person fumed, one could not vote against the proposal without seeming apostate), Ruth Furr, a local member, and several other members (mostly women) joined forces to save the tabernacle. They ran into different kinds of opposition as they continued to raise awareness and support for the tabernacle's preservation. On one occasion, the Stake President criticized them for questioning his decision, noting that their group was oftened referred to as the "petticoat priesthood" (Ruth Furr Papers).

One incident in particular illustrates the endurance of these activities. Ruth was informed that, in order for negotiations regarding the possibility of the tabernacle's preservation to continue, she would need to obtain signatures of 10 local businessman that would pledge $50 a year for 10 years--by that evening. Undaunted, she set out with a friend, going door-to-door, and obtained the signatures. Upon returning in the evening, she was told they actually needed 15 pledges, not 10. They immediately set out again, and by 11 PM, and obtained the needed pledges. Such a feat is impressive.

The activists weren't afraid to pull out all the stops to gain support. On one occasion, they held an event in the tabernacle, encouraging all in attendance to donate. The printed program contained a poem titled "The Tabernacle Speaks," which read, in part:

Old friend, old pine,
Keening with your needled arms outspread
Against the sky,
Weep for me…

I sheltered birds: swallows with inverted wings
Sliced the air about my head
And pasted mud to my railings.
Mice on desperate errands
Scurried at my feet,
And a lonely cat
Nursed her litter near my heart.

…Now your once-slender shadow
Bulges about your feet,
And I am old.
My steps sag under the shoes of generations,
My ceiling is worn with amens,
My hinges ache.

At conference-time
The faithful press the walls
And shift their weight on weary feet
And strain to hear above the restless wailing
Of a child.

Old friend, old pine,
Protesting vainly in the stubborn wind,
Weep for me.
I have served with love,
Yet they wait with sharpened axes.

And I long to live, bridging the future
With the past (Orma Wellengren, "The Tabernacle Speaks").

The Heber Tabernacle, now standing as city offices.

Fortunately, their efforts were successful. The Heber Tabernacle was sold to the city; after some years, it was remodeled to house the city offices. It stands there today, a testament to the efforts of Ruth Furr and those who worked with her.

After the incident of Coalville, and with a growing number of demolitions taking place, opposition was forming. Vernal citizens created their committee; residents of Rexburg, worried that their tabernacle "might soon join its predecessors in the scrap pile," wrote to the Church, asking that their tabernacle be preserved as a memorial (Louis J. Clements, "Rexburg Tabernacle History"). Their tabernacle was given to the city in 1978.

But nowhere was the opposition as evident as in 1975, when it was announced that the Bountiful Tabernacle was going to be demolished. Opposition erupted: angry editorials were published in the newspaper, the mayor considered making the area a historic district, and local senior citizens proposed using the funds they had raised to build a senior center be diverted to buy the tabernacle. The State Legislature passed a resolution asking for the building to be preserved. The Church was swamped with letters and requests that the building be saved.

The interior of the Bountiful Tabernacle in the 1970s. The Church Building department had argued that it was all but impossible to save the tabernacle, because its foundation was so high off the ground.

The result? A week later, it was announced that the building was to be preserved. (And, incidentally, the 'structural difficulties' that the Church building department had claimed made a renovation unfeasible seemed to melt away.) Heber was saved by a core group of citizens; Bountiful was saved by members and non-members across the state. There was a new group of LDS preservationists, and their motto was the same as in Heber and Vernal: save the tabernacle; save the tabernacle.

Next: Part 7 - Sold!

A History of LDS Tabernacles: Part 5 - Who's to Blame?

Note: This is a series on the history of the preservation and destruction of LDS Tabernacles. To see a full list of the posts in this series, click here.

For a Google Map that lists all of the tabernacles and their locations, click here.

Today's post looks at the personal involvement of various Church leaders in the destruction of tabernacles. This is not intended to be a criticism of the Church, its leaders, or its policy; this is simply an open study of this period of history.

David Fitzen was probably elated as he hung up the phone with President Harold B. Lee, a member of the Church's First Presidency in 1971. David was one of several preservationists that was actively working to save the Coalville Tabernacle. He had unexpectedly been put through to President Lee when he called Church headquarters, and he asked President Lee about the possibility of purchasing the building, since the Church was unwilling to remodel it or continue to use it. President Lee had told him to submit a formal proposal. Wasting no time, David had the proposal hand-delivered to the First Presidency's secretary that afternoon.

When he called the next day to follow up, President Lee told him that the First Presidency could not sell the tabernacle; only the local leaders could do that. The events were summed up thus: "However true this may have been, it did little to erase the impression of disingenuousness on the part of church leadership. The suspicions of the preservationists that they were being given double talk was measurably increased" (John Haggerty, "Historic Preservation in Utah," 71-72).

This example is one of many that illustrate the confusion that accompanied dealing with the Church when tabernacles came down. The Church has a complex organizational structure; there are different channels and levels that could have taken responsibility for the destruction of tabernacles. In reality, every layer played its own part, and the combination of layers may have made it harder to stop the destruction. Let's take a look at these different levels, and the parts they played in the destruction of tabernacles.

The Coalville Tabernacle is razed.

The First Presidency & Quorum of the Twelve

It is unrealistic to depict the top leaders of the Church as anything more than marginally involved in the destruction of so many tabernacles. It would also be false to insist they had no input. Sources indicate that they met with preservationists, discussed issues, and had influences on the decisions made in Heber, Coalville, Bountiful, as well as many other areas.

Joseph Fielding Smith's biography noted that they were shocked at the amount of controversy occurring around the Coalville Tabernacle, but refused to get involved because of a new decentralization policy (Francis M. Gibbons, "Joseph Fielding Smith: Gospel Scholar, Prophet of God," 478). If this is accurate, we can certainly say that they struggled to adhere to that policy. They were obviously involved in Coalville; they were the ones that ended up saving the tabernacle in Bountiful (which will be discussed in our next post).

Of course, like all Church leaders, personal opinions could have played a role in some cases. Ruth Furr recalled meeting with President Hugh B. Brown to discuss the Heber Tabernacle. He referred to them as a rebellious group; she responded by saying that if it weren't for groups such as their's, there a United States of America, nor a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Ruth Furr papers).

The interior of the Heber Tabernacle in the 1960s.

General Authorities

The levels of involvement of other General Authorities varied depending on each situation; however, they almost invariably encouraged members to support their local leaders, even if their own opinions were different. For example, when the Summit Stake (headquarters in Coalville) had a stake conference in the middle of the controversy over the tabernacle, the visiting General Authority told the members "not to alienate themselves from the Gospel for love of a building," and not to "set their course against the leaders of the Church" (Haggarty, 62). Statements such as these mixed architectural concerns into spiritual matters, and affected how members did or did not act.

Local Leaders

The local leaders technically were the ones who could make the final decision about their tabernacle. I say "technically," because their options were usually limited by the Church Building Department, who gave them a "replace or nothing" type of deal. They could either continue on in an inadequate building, or they could tear the tabernacle down and get a new chapel.

A good example of this is found in Coalville: the local stake president initially tried to find ways to save the building. After numerous discussions with the Church Building Department, he was firmly convinced that razing the tabernacle was the only viable option--despite what anyone else said.

And, of course, personal opinions and experiences would affect the outcome, too. The stake presidents in Coalville and Heber strongly felt that their decision to raze their tabernacle was inspired, and a spiritual revelation. Indeed, the Coalville president wrote that the suggestion to sell the tabernacle was “the temptation of Satan…I knew exactly what I should do…The spirit told me that very clearly" (Reed Brown, President Reed Brown relating experiences in connection with the razing of the old Coalville Tabernacle and the building of a new Stake Center building," 10-11). This would affect how the local members could react.

Local Members

Shortly after the Coalville Tabernacle came down, one article concluded that only local members working together could save their tabernacle. This does appear to have a great affect, but the persuasions of local leaders had a tendency to reduce the activities of local members who wanted to save their tabernacle. Ruth Furr frustratedly wrote that “the approach the stakes take often is that they have…been led and inspired and ask for sustaining" (Ruth Furr papers). Or, in other words, the question put to the congregation was not, "Who's in favor of replacing the tabernacle?"; it was, "Who will support the Stake Presidency in their decision to replace the tabernacle?" That's a very different question!

People who campaigned to save the tabernacles were usually in the minority. They were putting themselves out there and were prone to criticism. It wasn't easy.

An article that covered the criticism of the razing of the Coalville Tabernacle.

Church Building Department

Perhaps the part of the Church that had the most influence on the tabernacles was this department, which oversaw all building projects. As would be expected for this department, the focus seemed to fall more toward frugality and efficiency than historical sensitivity. However, the committee, as noted above, advised everyone from local leaders to General Authorities with their recommendations to (more often than not) replace tabernacles. Edward Geary lamented that “[The Coalville Stake President] and the General Authorities were betrayed by the Building Committee. The people they most naturally relied upon for guidance gave them bad advice" (Geary, "The Last Days of the Coalville Tabernacle," 44).

Thus, no one person or group could be blamed for the fall of tabernacle. Everyone was at fault. Everyone played a part. It appeared that a tabernacle could be saved only with tremendous effort that most communities simply could not live up to. However, as the number of razings increased, the opposition continued to grow. Eventually, communities were resisting the destruction in ways that were unseen in decades before.

Next: Part 6 - "Save the Tabernacle"

A History of LDS Tabernacles: Part 4 - "Tear Down & Start Over"

Note: This is a series on the history of the preservation and destruction of LDS Tabernacles. To see a full list of the posts in this series, click here.

For a Google Map that lists all of the tabernacles and their locations, click here.

Built at the turn of the century, the old tabernacle in Lehi stood near the center of town, its 112-foot tower sticking above the business and homes. But it was now 1963, and it looked like the tabernacle was again under threat of being replaced.

The tabernacle had first been sold in 1920 after the local Church authorities determined that it was simply too expensive to keep up. The building was purchased by the Alpine School District, continued to deteriorate, and was purchased back by the Church (it cost $500 to buy the building back, but over $40,000 for necessary repairs).

But now, years later, the tabernacle was again considered too expensive to maintain. So, in 1962, even after concerned members advocated other options, it came crashing down and was replaced. A local member wrote a short poem about the building:

"It stood silent as a sentinel
’twas a beacon in the sky
That old building now had been torn down
And I’ll forever wonder why.”

Lehi Tabernacle (Image Source: Church History Library)

The Lehi Tabernacle was only one of many that came tumbling down during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Some concerned Church leaders wrote to another ward that was considering the future of its own tabernacle, warning them that the current philosophy of the Church was to "tear down and start over, and never to preserve."

The following tabernacles, as far as I can tell, were intentionally demolished during this period of Church history (others were destroyed in this time period, but those were all by accident, whether by fire, earthquake, or other causes). Each one has its own story; each one was deeply loved by the local community.

Ephraim          1954
Cardston, AB      1954
Atlanta, GA      1954
Grace, ID          1960
Mesa, AZ          1961
Lehi              1962
Ogden (Original) 1971
Coalville          1971
Willard              1974
La Grande, OR    1977
Rigby, ID          1980
Payson                1980

The records show that there were very few cases where local members didn't put up some resistance. Residents in Ephraim were told that their tabernacle was structurally deficient; still, a local newspaper was quick to point out that the first round of dynamite only dislodged one stone from the tower. In Cardston, a member wrote an editorial criticizing their tabernacle's upcoming demolition, arguing, “Why should we abandon it and tear it down? A few thousand dollars well spent would put the building in first class condition.…Our tabernacle is not expendable."

Ephraim Tabernacle (Image Source: Church History Library)

The story was same in other places. Church leaders in La Grande wrote letters to the Church Building Committee, asking that their tabernacle be preserved as a historical site (none of their letters were answered). One woman in Payson stood on the steps of the tabernacle to delay the wrecking crew from bringing down the building (she was convinced to leave by a local leader). A high school student in Rigby, Idaho, wrote a poem to describe her feelings on the loss of their tabernacle:

I passed by the scene of destruction today,
And I wondered what the people would say
Who built up so tall to stand
A monument to God and Land.

I wonder what their eyes would say
As the bulldozer clawed their labor away?
Only to leave the lone white star
That now stands sadly and leads no where.

Would the pioneers’ voices cry and shout
As the tawny orange-yellow flame broke out
To singe the stones and blacken the sky?
Would they yell in a giant chorus, “Why?”

Would those for whom life was a daily struggle
Condone as right this smouldering rubble?
Or do I hear a voice in the timber’s glow
Calling, “Change is not always progress, you know?”

I wonder?
I wonder?

Rigby Tabernacle (Image Source: Church History Library)

Undoubtedly, the most controversial razing occurred in Coalville, where preservation groups focused their efforts on preserving the town's spired building that contained so much local history. The Stake President, initially in favor of preservation, eventually became convinced that the tabernacle's replacement was the only correct decision. Preservationist groups held protests, raised funds to try and save the building, and even were able to stall the demolition with a court order. All of those efforts were futile, and in 1971, the building came down. The large stained glass windows were moved to the new building built on the same site, a reminder of what once was.

Coalville Tabernacle (Image Source: Church History Library)

If Coalville wasn't a terrible sign for the preservationists, the demolition of the original pioneer tabernacle in Ogden (only a few months later) was. Stake leaders (perhaps hoping to avoid the publicity of Coalville) met privately, concluded that the tabernacle should be razed, and did not announce the decision until demolition was underway. One local member complained, “Local Church members were given no opportunity whatsoever to vote or otherwise express their will in the matter. The decision was made by the stake presidents…at a closed meeting."

The demolitions of these decades were marked by one notable holdout, in Heber City. This case will be studied later in the series. Still, even as Heber stood, tabernacles in other areas were coming down in greater numbers than ever before. What were the reasons for the demolitions? And, perhaps more commonly asked, "Who was to blame?"

Next: Part 5 - Who's to Blame?

A History of LDS Tabernacles: Part 3 - The End of an Era

Note: This is a series on the history of the preservation and destruction of LDS Tabernacles. To see a full list of the posts in this series, click here.

For a Google Map that lists all of the tabernacles and their locations, click here.

The Cedar City Tabernacle had stood at the center of the city since 1885, housing conferences and other Church activities. But in 1932, it was proposed that the tabernacle and its plot of land be sold to make way for a post office. Many members weren't happy, and the decision was accompanied by major dissent and protest. After all, why tear the tabernacle down? It was sturdy, it fulfilled its purpose, and it had not been replaced. (Indeed, when the tabernacle was ultimately razed in 1932, the Cedar City First Ward had to built a new chapel down the street, which still stands today.) None of this mattered, and the opposition ultimately failed. The tabernacle came down; a post office came up.

Ideally, a large majority of historic structures--religious or not--would be preserved for future generations. But practically, this is nearly impossible to achieve. Buildings decay and crumble; they are too small or too large; and most of all, they are expensive to maintain. All of these problems applied to LDS Tabernacles, particularly as the years passed by and they continued to age.

Perhaps one of the greatest obstacles was that tabernacles were not built to house modern Church auxiliaries and programs. Tabernacles were just large chapels--there were no (or very few) classrooms, no cultural halls, and no offices. This means that tabernacles needed to be renovated or receive additions in order to continue working--and that's expensive.

One example occurred in 1923, the members in Manti realized that their tabernacle had to be renovated. The building had no classrooms or offices; they had gotten by with curtains that divided the chapel into smaller spaces. So the chapel was completely remodeled, allowing classrooms and offices to be built on the ground floor. The members, aware of the building's history and attached to what it stood for, said that they felt “the [renovation] as painfully as if their own limbs were being severed."

Another example occurred in 1941, when the Coalville Tabernacle was entirely too small for the members who used it. The members were still too attached for the building for it to come down, however--one memoir states that at the meeting where it was proposed, members were standing and shouting in opposition, and "confusion reigned." The tabernacle was saved; a second floor was added, cutting the tall ceiling of the chapel below in half.

The ceiling in this photo originally belonged to the Coalville Tabernacle's chapel, not the cultural hall.

In the 1920s, six tabernacles were extensively renovated; by the 1950s, ten were being remodeled. But the renovation trend was dying; demolitions were rising: in the 1920s, three tabernacles were razed; in the 1950s, six came down.

Why not continue to remodel? For one thing, the Church was beginning to struggle financially by the end of the 1950s--not because of a lack of income, but because of growing, unmanageable spending, mostly toward BYU and new Church buildings. Indeed, the Church found itself in deficit spending. In many cases, it would be cheaper to tear down a tabernacle and build a new building than to preserve it.

And so, by the 1950s, the era of renovations was largely done, taken over by an era of replacement.

But that's not the only era that ended. The building of tabernacles sharply dropped off after the 1920s--only 5 tabernacles were built in the 1930s. One was built in the 1940s. In 1953, the tabernacle in Ogden, standing on the same block as their pioneer tabernacle, was built and dedicated. It would be the last true tabernacle ever built by the Church. The era of tabernacles had ended, and for the next few years, it would seem like no tabernacle was safe.

Next: Part 4 - "Tear Down & Start Over"

A History of LDS Tabernacles: Part 2 - Early & Accidental Demolitions

Note: This is a series on the history of the preservation and destruction of LDS Tabernacles. To see a full list of the posts in this series, click here.

For a Google Map that lists all of the tabernacles and their locations, click here.

The razing of LDS tabernacles is nothing new; they've been torn down since the early days of the church.  Of course, when we think of LDS Tabernacles, we picture the soaring pipes of the tabernacle in Salt Lake, the beautiful spiral staircases of the tabernacle in St. George, or the colorful stained glass of the tabernacle in Logan. However, many early tabernacles weren't particularly ornate or elaborate; they were simpler structures, reflecting the poverty of the Saints that built them (and also reflecting the broader use of the term 'tabernacle' in the early days of the Church). This probably contributed to the fact that so many of them were torn down without much protest.

For example, the first tabernacle built in Utah was located where the Assembly Hall now stands. It was a simple adobe structure--and it quickly became too small, hence the construction of the newer, now-famous tabernacle to its north, and eventually the Assembly Hall, which took its place.

 

(Image Source)

Other tabernacles were also simple. The tabernacle in Springville was rather plain and small. The first tabernacle built in Provo was also too small by the time it was completed. That is not to say that these structures were ugly--they were plain, but they had their own beauty.

 

(Snowville, AZ Tabernacle; Image Source: Richard Jackson, Places of Worship)

 

 (Original Provo Tabernacle; Image Source)

Still, as the Church grew in wealth and size, these tabernacles often became inadequate, and so they were often replaced. At least 8 locations had one tabernacle replace another; in some locations, both tabernacles stood for a period of time. These included Salt Lake, Ogden, Provo, Kaysville, Richfield, and other cities.

Not all tabernacles were replaced because they were too small or simple. The Granite Stake Tabernacle was a beautiful building, but it was torn down and replaced with a new tabernacle that is just as beautiful (although in different ways).

(Original Granite Stake Tabernacle; Image Source)

(New Granite Stake Tabernacle; Image Source)

It seems that, because most of the tabernacles were simple (and, at the time, not particularly historical) and often replaced with other elaborate buildings, there wasn't very much protest to their being destroyed. One historian noted that when the original Provo Tabernacle was torn down, "no opposition to the plan was advanced...the modern-day movement to preserve significant pioneer-day structure apparently had not surfaced at that time" (La Verl Christensen, Provo's Two Tabernacles).

It appears the buildings were more expendable at that period of time. For example, the tabernacle in Parowan was abandoned in the early twentieth century; not only was it left empty, but members would tear wood off from the building to use for fuel. Not until the tabernacle was purchased by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers organization was it preserved.

 

(The Parowan Tabernacle sits abandoned and abused; Image Source: Church History Library)

Even if tabernacles weren't expendable, many came down because of natural calamities. The tabernacle in Richmond came down in an earthquake. Many tabernacles burned down: the combination of wood structures and rudimentary heating methods led to many fires. The buildings in Paris, Logan, and Provo (prior to 2010) all experienced fires that were put out before the building burned down (in the case of Logan, the flames were batted out with a heavy carpet from the Relief Society). Tabernacles in Snowflake (AZ) and Brigham City were rebuilt after they burned down. Other tabernacles--in Payson, Moroni, Thatcher (AZ), or Oakley (ID), among others--were never rebuilt after they burned down.

 (The tabernacle in Thatcher, AZ, burned down in 1981; Image Source: Church History Library)

 (Image of bench from original tabernacle; Image Source: Church History Library)

And, in spite of the building skills of the pioneers, some tabernacles were unsafe or had structural problems. The stake records for the Sevier stake (in Richfield) noted that the first tabernacle there was abandoned because, at the last meeting there, "a large piece of ceiling…fell, causing considerable fright and nearly creating a panic among the audience" (Richard Jackson, Places of Worship).

Still, as the Church entered the twentieth century, renovations would become increasingly common. Renovation after renovation, it seemed, was the best way to save a tabernacle.

Next: Part 3 - The End of an Era