Salt Lake 25th Ward Exterior
Amusement hall (to the left of the entry) was built first, in 1902. Chapel (to the right of the entry) added later. This building was donated by the LDS church in 1988 to the Salvation Army. Thomas S Monson handed the building keys over in a ceremony on the 19th of June.
438 S 900 W
Salt Lake City, UT
Cornerstone laid 24 Jul 1902
Donated 1988
Now Salvation Army
Click for Map Location of Building
LDS ARCHITECTURE 
You said elsewhere that one reason old buildings–especially old tabernacles–were sold off is that they were too big. This one doesn’t look too big…. Any idea what was wrong with it, how it worked OK for almost 90 years and then had to be abandoned?
It really is remarkable how ready the church is to abandon its meeting houses. I’m trying to understand the church’s thinking, and would appreciate your insights.
May 6, 2011 at 7:33 am
I would say the main reason so many have been sold off is because of the moving population. As LDS members left the core of Salt Lake for outlying suburbs, the Church decided that rather than have the members travel into the city for church services, that new buildings would be built close to where the members lived. As a result, there were a large number of abandoned buildings with very few members living near them, so many of them were sold.
May 7, 2011 at 2:59 pm
Makes sense. Though I know that wasn’t the rationale for selling off churches in the 1970s in the area where I grew up–they just weren’t hip enough.
May 7, 2011 at 3:31 pm
What a nice chapel. I believe the cultural hall and chapel was added on around 1926. Many of my family members were relieved that church leaders sold it because there were plans on a possible demolition of this building.
September 4, 2016 at 9:39 pm