Twenty-ninth Ward (Salt Lake): Stained Glass Detail

 The front of the 29th Ward had three beautiful stained glass windows: two smaller transom windows over the main entrances, and one large one between the two. These were at the back of the chapel, but since they were on the south side, they provided beautiful colored light to the members of the ward.

(Image Source: Church History Library)

(Image Source: Church History Library)

By the early 1950s, the doors and their transom windows had been removed; instead, one main door was placed between the two.

Of course, now, all of the windows are gone. The large window was removed in a 1960 renovation; several of the pieces of glass were loose, and ward members felt that "repair would be too costly." A large frosted window was put in its place; predictably enough, this allowed too much light to enter and created a glare on the congregation. So it was covered with curtains.

It's disappointing that the stained glass was removed and that steps were not taken to preserve it. The current location of the windows is unknown; they may have been discarded, or someone may have taken possession of them, loose pieces notwithstanding. However, an artist did a painting of the window before it was removed:

It was a beautiful window.

Twenty-ninth Ward (Salt Lake)

Construction started on the 29th ward chapel in 1902. It was a beautiful structure, located in the Fairpark Community west of the city.

(Image Source: Church History Library)

The building is still standing, but it's in very poor condition. It was sold in the early 1980s and served in a few different capacities for a while, but it is now abandoned. Local councils have met to discuss the possibility of rezoning the area, so that that chapel could be remodeled to hold residences or even businesses, but nothing has been finalized yet.

The chapel's interior was lovely, and a beautiful example of what LDS architecture could achieve. Three stained glass windows were installed at the front of the building, donated by the ward's bishop. (We'll take a closer look at those windows in a future post.) The chapel itself had a small gallery overlooking the main seating area. In its early years, cherubs were painted on the ceiling, giving this chapel its own version of a traditional fresco. 

(Image Source: Church History Library)

(Image Source)

Of course, the interior is now in far worse condition. The windows, paintings, and furniture are all gone. In fact, when I visited the building, you could hear mice inside of it.

I hope this building will be preserved in some fashion; it is once one of the Church's most beautiful chapels.