Other Research

I apologize for a small break in posts on the blog, as I've been busy with a new job, new calling, and other obligations. I appreciate the outreach from readers wanting to know if I'm still working on the blog! I am working on new posts, but in the meantime, I've compiled some other articles and papers I've written on architecture in the past. Feel free to give them a read!

10 Stunning Examples of Stained Glass Windows in LDS Meetinghouses - LDS Living

The Evolution of Sacred Space: The Changing Environment of the Endowment - BYU Religious Symposium, 2014

The Preservation and Destruction of LDS Tabernacles - BYU Religious Symposium, 2015

Stained Glass in Latter-day Saint Chapels - Pioneer Magazine, Vol. 66, No. 2 (2019), page 35

Copperton Ward

 Copperton is a small town located at the mouth of Bingham Canyon, close to the Kennecott Copper Mine. In fact, the town was started by the Utah Copper Company as a city for its employees. The town's chapel was completed in the late 1940s.

The original design was pretty attractive, with the low steeple. I'm not sure the new steeples that have replaced it match as well.

(Image Source: Church History Library)

(Image Source: Church History Library)

The chapel and cultural hall are perpendicular to the rest of the building. The main entrance is at the corner of these two segments. While I've seen this floor plan before (like in the recently documented Lake Shore Ward), the carvings around the main entrance and chapel are unique.

It's reminiscent of an art deco style, and some moon stones are carved into the pillars as well.

Manila Ward (American Fork)

The Manila neighborhood was an unincorporated area of settlers on the benches east of American Fork. (The ward was named after the Battle of Manila, in the then-occurring Spanish-American war). It is now part of the American Fork city limits, but the ward built its original meetinghouse here beginning in 1891, finishing in 1897.

It's a simple structure, but it was well-built, and was used by the Church continuously until 2007 (with multiple additions and renovations, of course). In 2010 it was purchased and converted into a wedding and reception center.

Logan Institute

This post was originally published in July 2016. Given the recent vacation of the original building, I have updated and expanded this post.

 

The Church's seminary program began in 1912, but the institute program--the concept of having a gathering space and teaching classes near colleges and universities--came in the 1920s. Culturally, America was facing a reckoning at this time about what should be taught in public schools (including concepts such as evolution), and trends of the time seemed to indicate a decreased dependency on religious studies in the public education system. In 1926, the University of Idaho opened the first Institute of Religion, thanks in part to a local family that pushed to have an LDS student center near campus. Its building was completed in 1928. (That building was razed many years ago.)

The Logan Institute was the second to be built, in 1928-29. It was dedicated in March 1929. Originally, the building was largely a chapel with stained glass windows lining its side, along with offices and 3 classrooms in the basement. (The stained glass window on the south end of the chapel has always been in the attic, out of sight from the chapel itself, although it matched the main windows.)

(Image Source: Logan Institute of Religion)

The podium was originally on the north end of the chapel, but they immediately knew the building was too small.

(Image Source: Logan Institute of Religion)

(Image Source: Logan Institute of Religion)

 

Here is a view of the original chapel, with its pulpit on the north end:

(Image Source: Logan Institute of Religion)

The building was remodeled in 1938; they changed the projection booth (they had originally planned being able to show pictures on the chapel wall) to an organ loft, flipped the podium to the south end, built a ballroom on the north end, and added a curtain so that it could be used for overflow.

 

In 1959 there was a major remodel. The stained glass windows in the chapel were replaced with clear glass--likely due to needed upkeep in the windows and a move toward modernism that was occurring in religious architecture. The building was greatly expanded at this time, adding a second chapel on the east end (that largely matched the first from the exterior). The building also had additions in 1990 and 1994.

(Image Source: Church History Library)

Below is the original stained glass on the old chapel; beneath that is the glass on the newer chapel. I have heard that the original stained glass will be saved and somehow used in the new building or elsewhere.

Preservation Update: Logan Institute Vacated

After 93 years of use, the Logan Institute Building--the oldest standing institute building in the Church--has been vacated and will soon be demolished and replaced. The Church has donated much of its pews and other furniture to local groups and churches; the original stained glass window in the chapel attic will be preserved.

 

I'm updating the post on the Logan Institute with more original photos and floor plans and will post that next week. 

***

The historic Portland Stake Tabernacle was put up for sale last summer, but it has still not been sold--mostly because of the complications of it being a historic landmark. Another Church spokesman said that it's not for sale at this time.

 

However, I don't think any of the plans have changed surrounding this building. The fact is that the number of congregations in this area have shrunk significantly, and the Church simply doesn't have use for the building.

***

The LDS Church isn't the only one impacted by shrinking membership in some areas. The Salt Lake City's First Congregational Church is selling their building, and the Church is purchasing their stained glass window for use in a temple.

(Image Source)

The Church's use of historic stained glass windows from other churches is just one indication of how, currently, the LDS Church is one of the leading churches in terms of the use and preservation of art--and maybe even architecture. This may sound hard to believe among some preservationist groups, but I think very few Churches have the financial and administrative support to do as much preservation--and commissioning of new art--as the Church is currently doing. I find this to be a great trend, and I'm excited to see where the Church goes with this in the future.

Lehi 3rd Ward

The Lehi 3rd Ward's original rectangular block meetinghouse was built in 1894. The foundation came from the nearby Lake Mountains, and the building itself is mostly Victorian Gothic with arched windows and brick corbeling. The foyer on the building's west entrnace was added in 1936.

 

 In 1917, a cross-wing addition was built onto the back.

 

The building was sold in 1953. Subsequent owners have taken great care to restore the building, since it had deteriorated over much of the late 20th century. It is now owned by a local store, Jami Ray Vintage. Here is the interior looking west while they were still preparing the building:

(Image Source)

And here is what it looks like now, looking east:

(Image Source)

South Royalton (VT) Ward

This guest article was written by Ryan Hallstrom. He's from Upstate New York and is an editor at McGoff Media. He enjoys writing about religion, the history of ritual, and sacred architecture.

The Church’s Joseph Smith Birthplace historic site is tucked away in the small community of South Royalton, Vermont. While remote, the Church has taken painstaking effort to make this pilgrimage destination both grand and cozy. Besides the monumental 38.5-foot-tall granite obelisk dedicated “sacred to the memory of Joseph Smith,” there is a boulevard lined by stately maple trees, some planted by the first leader of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association, Junius Wells, in 1906 (source).  Near the entrance to the site is an impressive meetinghouse perched on a hill.

A local member told me that she thought that the chapel was built in the 1960s. That makes sense architecturally and because that’s when the nearby visitor’s center was built as part of the 1961 redesigns (source).

Let’s look at the back of the building first. This is the side you’d see from the parking lot. On your left is the wing that houses the family history center and the Primary room.

In the center (the part with the columns) are foyers and the Relief Society room, and on the right side is the gym (ok, “cultural hall”), the modern chapel, classrooms, and another foyer.

 There is a pair of staircases leading down to the back entrance.

 

The tall steeple is impressive, even from this angle.

 

Directly across from the parking lot is a small historic cemetery. While it’s not a graveyard (this Church building isn’t that old), and the proximity is almost certainly a coincidence, to me at least, it helps the meetinghouse feel more historical than it actually is.

The family history center entrance has a small porch, two round porthole windows, and a little cupola on top.

Moving around to the front side of the building, there’s a bay window and, noticeably, a boarded-up window. A senior missionary I spoke to seemed embarrassed by the broken window. I think it’s something that will eventually be fixed.

 

Broken window aside, it seems clear to me that the front of the building was built to be impressive.

First off, there is a circular driveway, which I imagine doesn’t get much use since it’s easier to get to the parking lot behind the building using the main road.

Leading up from the circular drive is a grand staircase flanked by small cement newel posts that look kind of like pawns from a chess set. The stone-floored porch is supported by six Doric columns. On the left side of the building are three dormer windows.

The front doors are recessed a bit and are topped with a broken pediment with an elevated urn at the apex.

Entering in through the front door (the door on the side with the circular driveway) is a small foyer with a barrel-vaulted ceiling and two recessed benches built into the wall.

Then, directly through another set of doors is the Relief Society room. While I’m not sure, I think that this room was originally the chapel, given its central location. Hanging in this meetinghouse are several unique pieces of art, including a commemorative plate in this room.

Behind the Relief Society room, there’s a small foyer. It appears that this is where most people enter the building from the parking lot.

 

Down the hall, towards the family history center, the Primary room has a porthole window and a large bay window.

 

Going back past the Relief Society room, you’ll see another port window, pass some classrooms and the gym, and come to another foyer just outside the chapel.

Down the hall, I found this interesting print(?) hanging on the wall in one of the classrooms.

 

Finally, we reach the chapel. This room appears to be created from more of a standardized design than much of the rest of the building. (Another reason that leads me to believe that the RS room was originally the chapel.

 

The historic South Royalton ward building on the grounds of the Joseph Smith Birthplace memorial is an interesting specimen of mid-twentieth century Church architecture. While it has obviously had updates and additions over the years, I think that it is an excellent example of how adding just a few elements from classical architectural can make a meetinghouse feel more inviting for Latter-day Saints and others interested in learning more about the gospel of Jesus Christ.