Those Who Have Gone Before: Meadow Ward

This series honors LDS Architecture that is no longer standing. To see all the posts in this series, click here.

In my studies on LDS architecture, I come across countless buildings that are no longer standing that are fairly obscure. I always wish I could find out more about those buildings. The chapel that used to stand in Meadow, Utah, is one of them.

Meadow is a small town in the Pahvant Valley, just south of Fillmore. Named for the creek which runs through town, it is now more well-known for the hot springs and lava tubes found in the fields to its west.

 Currently, the chapel is a typical 1980s standard plan.

Image Source: Google Maps

 However, the chapel that was there before was really quite nice. The plaque that was on the building indicates that it was built in 1884. I'm not sure if that's accurate or not, but it was really a nice chapel.

The inside was nice (if not well photographed), but the real centerpiece was the pulpit.

 Delicate wood carvings depict a handshake surrounded by roses and branches spelling out "Welcome" beneath.

The handshake is a common Christian symbol; it can also be found on the Salt Lake Temple and in a stained glass window in Coalville.However, this carving is very similar to the Meadow welcome sign, probably too close to be a coincidence. It's a lovely little local touch on what was already a beautiful church.

Image Source: Wikipedia

I've really wanted to run by the new Church building in Meadow, just to see if the pulpit (or anything else) was preserved. The exterior is not promising. If anyone has any information on this building, I'd love to know more.

"Those Who've Gone Before": Salt Lake Fourteenth Ward

This series honors LDS Architecture that is no longer standing. To see all the posts in this series, click here.

Built in the 1910s, the Fourteenth Ward chapel in Salt Lake City had some rather plain architecture. However, it had a huge stained glass window that really set it apart.

(Image Source: Church History Library)

As you can see, the chapel itself, while nice, wasn't very ornate.

(Image Source: Church History Library)

 However, at the back of the chapel stood a huge stained glass window that faced the street.

(Image Source: Church History Library)

The chapel was torn down in the 1960s; the Salt Lake Palace was built in its spot. However, the window was saved, and is on display in the Church History Museum.

I should have included something for scale, because this window is quite large--I would guess around 8 feet tall; maybe taller.

This window really made the chapel something unique. It's quite ornate, and I'm glad it's been saved and preserved by the Church.

"Those Who've Gone Before": Salt Lake Twelfth & Thirteenth Ward

This series honors LDS Architecture that is no longer standing. To see all the posts in this series, click here.

I don't have an exact date on when this chapel was built; it was likely around 1910. It had a really lovely design, but the building itself didn't last long--it was razed in the 1940s.

(Image Source: Church History Library)

One of the building's most beautiful features was a stained glass window of Christ teaching the Apostles. It was donated by Mary Ellen Spencer Lonsdale, in honor of her parents, John and Mary Ann Butler Spencer. Fortunately, when the building was razed, the Church saved the window, and now hangs in a prominent location of the Church History Museum.

The window is quite lovely; the horizontal lead lines in the window are thick, giving it a sturdy design. The lead line at the tip of Christ's extended finger bulges upward; the window is clear about the importance of the main subject.

Those Who've Gone Before: Hyrum Third Ward

Sometimes, I come across buildings that were only recently demolished, which makes me wish that I had started this hobby earlier. The Hyrum 3rd Ward is one of those buildings.

(Image Source: Church History Library)

The building was constructed in 1903, but it had extensive additions in the 1950s. It stood at the corner of Center Street and 200 West in Hyrum.

(Image Source: Church History Library)

The building was demolished only recently, in late 2008. A local paper published an article on its pending demolition. The article included some interesting details--local leaders tried to save the building, but much like the old chapel in nearby Paradise, it was the First Presidency that ultimately determined that it was not feasible to restore the building. The balcony had been closed because of structural issues; the heating and cooling systems were out of date. Selling, apparently, was not an option--the Church didn't want to see one of its former chapels wasting away. This, apparently, is a carryover from the 70s, when the Church was disappointed to see that the tabernacles it sold (instead of demolished) would not be kept in the best condition.

It's disappointing that such an amazing building could not be preserved. I particularly liked the windows, the curved rostrum in the chapel, the balcony, and other historic touches throughout the building. This building was a treasure to the Church in Hyrum, but now it's gone.

(Image Source: Church History Library)

(Image Source: Church History Library)

Perhaps it can be best summed up by a local member who included a small note with the photos he sent to the Church Building Department:

(Image Source: Church History Library)

Here it is, Bro. Bowers--Not the latest in modern architecture perhaps--but you'll have to go a long way to get more than we've got on the inside.

"Those Who've Gone Before": Newton Ward Chapel

Built in the late 1940s, the Newton Ward chapel was a curious structure made of yellow brick, but still beautiful in its own right.

(Image Source: Church History Library)

One local member, Everett Thorpe, painted a beautiful mural titled "Suffer the Children." It is 6 feet high and 8 feet wide. It was hung at the front of the chapel.

(Image Source)

The members had to fight to save this painting--twice. When the building was remodeled in the 1970s, the Church's building committee planned to remove it from the chapel, as the policy no longer allowed paintings in the chapel. The members absolutely refused, and it stayed where it was.

There is a Youtube video of a member walking through the building here. At around 9:00, you can see the picture in the chapel.

In 2002, the building was replaced with a standard one. This time, the members were told that there was no place to hang the painting in the building (which seems highly unlikely to me); however, after some discussion, it was hung in the north lobby, where it continues to be admired by the local members.

Thanks goodness the local members cared enough about this painting to do something about it. Now, it can be enjoyed for years to come.

"Those Who've Gone Before": Bloomington Chapel

This series honors LDS Architecture that is no longer standing. To see all the posts in this series, click here.

The old meetinghouse in Bloomington, Idaho stands out beautifully in this photo from the 1960s. By 1981, the use of this chapel had been discontinued, and it no longer stands today. Bloomington members now attend church in a neighboring town.

"Those Who Have Gone Before": Payson Tabernacle

This series honors LDS Architecture that is no longer standing. To see all the posts in this series, click here.

For nearly 70 years, Payson was home to the Nebo Stake Tabernacle before it was demolished in 1980 (although by the 1960s, it had been replaced). This beautiful building had many similarities to the tabernacle in Rexburg.

(Image Source)

(Image Source)

Those Who've Gone Before: Manti North Ward

This series honors LDS Architecture that is no longer standing. To see all the posts in this series, click here.

Light filters into the old Manti North Ward building (located a few blocks north of where the Manti Tabernacle now stands) through a glass dome above the rostrum:

 (Source: Church History Library)

The chapel was every bit as beautiful as the Manti Tabernacle, even though it was built years later (dedicated November 5, 1911). A huge stained glass window with a quatrefoil motif at the top graced the east end.

 (Source: Church History Library)

In later years, the glass dome suffered from vandalism, the east stained glass window was boarded up, and the Church decided to build a new chapel instead of keeping the old one. Many people worked tirelessly to try to save the building, and for a number of years it was used to house the preparations for the Manti Pageant. Eventually, though, the building came down in the 1980s.

 (Source: Church History Library)

I figured that the stained glass window was saved, because for some time, it was in the hands of the Manti Destiny Committee, who planned to dedicated a heritage center (with gardens) that would feature the beautiful window. That was 15 years ago. The heritage gardens were  made and dedicated, but the building was never erected.

I did some poking around to find the location of the window. A helpful blog reader reached out to me and confirmed that the window was in the hands of a local non-profit committee. I reached out to several contacts to try to find the location of the window, and after making some calls around, I spoke with a member from Manti who has been paying a storage fee every month for years for the window. (It's a big window, and takes up a lot of boxes--too much to keep in a garage! This member has literally spent hundreds of dollars on this window!) She graciously sent me pictures of the window, the only color ones I can find:

As you can tell, this window is breathtaking. The member who is paying for its storage, and the non-profit organization, are trying to find a use for it--several possibilities have come in the past, but none of them have materialized. I sincerely hope we can find a way to repair and reassemble this window so that it can be enjoyed in the future by members and non-members alike.

"Those Who've Gone Before": Union Stake Tabernacle Stained Glass

This series honors LDS Architecture that is no longer standing. To see all the posts in this series, click here.

Eastern Oregon had a surprisingly early and strong Mormon influence due to logging activities that extended up here in the late 1800s. This means there are some good buildings in the area (such as the chapel in Union, Oregon). One of the most beautiful was the old tabernacle for the Union Stake in La Grande, Oregon:

(Image Source: Church History Library)

After some back and forth, the tabernacle was demolished in 1977. The beautiful stained glass in the building was disbursed among LDS Chapels in Baker City, Halfway, Enterprise, Elgin, Pendleton, Pilot Rock, and La Grande. All have some stained glass that was salvaged from the tabernacle.

Here, the sun shines brightly through stained glass in the Elgin, Oregon meetinghouse.

This window was placed above the main entry to the chapel. It may not blend in with the original building all that well, but at least it's there!

(Image Source: Church History Library)

Incidentally, I also found this image of the Elgin Building. This must be a classroom or other smaller window, but I wasn't able to find out which one.

(Image Source: Church History Library)

One of my readers sent me these lovely photos of the glass moved to the meetinghouse in Island City (right outside of La Grande):

You'll notice the one above was the rose window on the front of the building, above the two arched windows.

One of the most interesting things about stained glass is how differently it was treated on a case-by-case basis. As far as I know, La Grande's stained glass is the most widely disbursed. While it's nice that now multiple congregations can enjoy them, it does reduce the overall impact to have them spread out.

"Those Who've Gone Before": Ephraim Tabernacle

This series honors LDS Architecture that is no longer standing. To see all the posts in this series, click here.

The Ephraim Tabernacle was built in 1877 and demolished in 1954.  In this photo, an adult man offers the sacrament prayer with his hands raised. The long pipe at the center of the tabernacle was likely connected to a heating stove. The large picture of Joseph Smith conversing with Moroni was painted by C.C.A. Christensen. I don't know where the painting is currently located, or if it was saved at all.

"Those Who've Gone Before": Cedar City Second Ward Stained Glass

This is the first post in a new series titled "Those Who've Gone Before," honoring LDS Architecture that is no longer standing. The series title comes from a talk by President Gordon B. Hinckley:

"It is good to look upon the virtues of those who have gone before, to gain strength for whatever lies ahead. It is good to reflect upon the work of those who labored so hard and gained so little in this world, but out of whose dreams and early plans, so well nurtured, has come a great harvest of which we are the beneficiaries. Their tremendous example can become a compelling motivation for us all, for each of us is a pioneer in his own life, often in his own family, and many of us pioneer daily in trying to establish a gospel foothold in distant parts of the world."

For other posts in this series, click here.

The Cedar City Second Ward was built in 1927 and demolished in 2013. In this photo, light streams through the beautiful stained glass window at the front of the chapel.