About
Welcome to the LDS architecture blog. Here you will find the good, bad and otherwise in LDS architecture. My belief is that the greatest architectural legacy of the LDS Church is in the Meetinghouse designs. With the exception of a couple wonderful publications, very little research has been done to document our Meetinghouse heritage. Especially when compared to the Temples. Hence, my interest and research will focus on the Meetinghouses of the Church, although I reserve the right to also post on Temples, Tabernacles, Institutes and other building types as necessary.
The initial effort will be to document buildings and sites that are currently still in use. Obviously this will not be a comprehensive effort, but at my discretion will highlight those buildings I deem to be significant or representative of good work. Suggestions are always welcome. Other efforts will include those buildings no longer in use, or demolished, as well as documenting typical building types and styles as part of the current Standard Plan program for Meetinghouses, Temples, and Institutes.
Where possible, I will be documenting not just a static point in time of each building, but the history of the building and site through time. The original design; the additions and remodels; the demolitions. This life-cycle story telling will be a reminder of our past and hopefully a guide towards an even better architectural future.
LDS ARCHITECTURE 
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Oh, yes yes yes yes!!! I have been long looking for something that could help me satisfy my interest in LDS architecture. I couldn’t even find much about it in the library up at BYU-Idaho.
I would suggest taking a look at the old Randolph Chapel in Randolph, Utah, or the tabernacles in Garland, Wellsville and Smithfield, Utah, the Malad City, Montpelier and Paris tabernacles in Idaho or the Star Valley tabernacle in Afton, Wyoming. Not all of them are in church use but as far as I know they’re still standing and maintained, whether by the church or the host city.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Rich_jj/Sandbox/Tabernacles_of_The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints
This link has a list of possible tabernacles to research. As you can see there is some definite confusion over historic dates and current statuses, although it might be a good place to start.
I hope this helped and wish you the best of luck. 🙂
March 16, 2011 at 1:16 am
Thanks Bryce – it’s nice to find someone also interested in these beautiful buildings. I didn’t realize the Smithfield tabernacle was still standing. I’ll have to definitely plan a trip up there. The challenge with these is getting inside of them. I’ve had some success, but just have to be persistent. Did you compile that page of tabernacles? It’s got a lot of great info.
March 17, 2011 at 8:01 am
Nope, i didn’t compile it, although I too found it useful. I wasn’t even aware of the existence of many of those tabernacles, and some of them are in my home area! So it was a bit of a history lesson for me. 🙂
March 19, 2011 at 12:22 pm
I think that the idea of this blog is great. As an Art History undergrad with a passion for architecture, I really wanted to create a coffee table book with great photographs of lds meetinghouses. You might want to look into Paul Anderson’s book on the topic. He is a curator at the BYU Museum of Art and worked for a number of years on the book.
Let me know if I can help.
My own personal favorite building is the Belmont chapel in Massachusetts. It sort of reminds me of a Peter Eisenman building in that I always felt acutely aware of my body traveling through space.
March 24, 2011 at 10:53 pm
Thanks, Gavin – I wasn’t aware Paul had a book on meetinghouses – I’ll have to check it out. I have read several of his essays on meetinghouse designs, though. Are you referring to the chapel on Ledgewood Place in Belmont? I looked it up on the meetinghouse locator, but don’t have any info on this particular building. If you have any pictures of this chapel, or can provide a plan sketch of the layout, I would definitely be interested. Thanks again for stopping by.
March 27, 2011 at 11:21 am
Not particularly architecturally significant, but certainly one of the most unique meetinghouses that I’ve visited (and I consider myself relatively well travelled) was in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. Two square manufactured log buildings connected by a corridor. Reminds me a bit of a roadside rest stop in the Canadian rocky mountain national parks. You can see it using “Street View” in Google Maps (109 Wickstrom RD, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Y1A 3H6, Canada). Unlike most LDS chapels that are typically rectangles extending from the pulpit. The pulpit of the Whitehorse Chapel is in the corner of one of the two square buildings and the pews are laid out in essentially a quarter circle radiating out from the pulpit (so the first row of pews closest to the pulpit is the smallest row and the furthest row is the longest row – that make sense). The other square building has a half size/half court cultural hall with a few classrooms located directly off it around the perimeter. It was a number of years when I was there, but I seem to recall that there was a platform/stage on one end of the cultural hall that was basically a robust hot tub cover – underneath it was just that, a fibreglass hot tub that served as their baptismal font.
March 24, 2011 at 11:33 pm
Wonderful, William! I have actually heard about this chapel, but not much. I greatly appreciate your description. I probably will never make it up there, but plan to do something to highlight this very unique and interesting building. I believe the main chapel square was built first and the other one added several years later. Thanks again.
March 27, 2011 at 11:26 am
Thank you for your web page and the interesting pictures.
I was always intriqued as a teenager in Provo by the separate Relief Society buildings next to some of the old Chapels (such as the old Fifth Ward chapel).
You need to have some one from Los Angeles do some pictures of the Westwood Chapel near the LA Temple. It is built around an open interior courtyard. My father was a Building Supervisor for the Church and one of his first jobs in 1959 was remodeling the Westwood Chapel. I got to visit and attend their Christmas Program, which was fabulous.
April 29, 2011 at 11:35 pm
I have heard of this building in LA but haven’t made it there yet. There are so many great LDS buildings in SoCal that I am hoping to get down there this Fall. Any idea if the RS building by the Provo 5th ward is still there? Sounds like I need to take another trip down to Provo as well.
April 30, 2011 at 9:33 am
The Provo 5th Ward Relief Society hall was still standing in the late 1970s/early 1980s. At that time it was used by the ward’s boy scouts. Somewhere I have an exterior photo taken when I first found it. By 1985, when I moved into the neighborhood, the Relief Society hall was gone. The property is now a driveway to the parking for an apartment complex.
August 13, 2012 at 3:04 pm
I was one of your young eleven year old Scouts in the Manavu Ward in Provo. Nice to see your name when I was browsing. That chapel is also an interesting one.
June 20, 2016 at 4:37 pm
I am excited to find this blog! I enjoy seeing the unique meetinghouses and other buildings the Church has built. I don’t really know much about architecture, so I don’t know what constitutes significant, but I have taken some photos of a few “unique” buildings in the southern part of Utah county. Let me know if you want to take a look at any of them.
May 11, 2011 at 7:35 pm
Somehow I missed your comment, Sarah. Sorry about that. I would love to see the photos you have! Thanks very much for the offer. I’ll send you my email address.
June 22, 2011 at 11:35 pm
Still loving what you are doing — thanks!
Have you spent much time in the greater LA area looking for these gems? The La Cañada ward building, for example, has some great features, including stained glass and a Primary Room set up as a chapel of its own.
May 24, 2011 at 4:12 am
Thanks john – I haven’t made it to SoCal yet, but am hoping to this fall. I will be sure to add that building to my growing list. From what I have gathered so far, there are a LOT of great LDS buildings down there. It may take more than a single trip…
May 31, 2011 at 5:12 pm
We will be in LA area next week and would like to attend the La Canada building. Is the stained glass window still there, and can you tell me which building it is?
January 14, 2017 at 2:03 pm
I was delighted to find this site. When I move to Utah number of years ago, I found so many of the LDS Chapels look like they came of an assembly line, but as I travel around Utah mostly in eastern and central area I have found some great buildings. My favorite is in Spring City, build in 1902. Next time I am there I will get some picture for you.
June 1, 2011 at 8:58 pm
Thanks, Dean. I haven’t made it to Spring City yet, but there appear to be several meetinghouses in Sanpete county that are worth looking at – lots of great little towns. Any pictures you are able to contribute would be wonderful and greatly appreciated.
June 2, 2011 at 10:26 pm
I’ve got some pictures of the interior of a historic chapel on Ashton Avenue in Salt Lake City between 7th and 8th East. Shoot me an email and I’ll forward them to you.
June 18, 2011 at 10:51 pm
Wonderful – thanks Michael.
June 21, 2011 at 7:23 pm
Would love to see some great pictures of the old Nineteenth Ward building on Fifth North and between 200 West and Quince Street (now home of the Salt Lake Acting Company). The building still has the original dome on top and an extensive addition to the north. But it also has a great small separate Relief Society building (now painted white, but marked with a plaque) directly to the west. The SLAC uses it for a dressing and prop room now. Also, the Salt Lake Valley Branch for the Deaf building is on 800 East and 500 South (now Seventh-day Adventist) that was completed in 1948. It has some marvelous architectural features inside as well; I have original photos of the construction, interiors, and dedication of this building.
June 20, 2011 at 11:21 pm
I’ve got pictures of the 19th ward and RS building already and will post them shortly. But I’m unfamiliar with the other building you mentioned. I’ll add it to my list to go and visit. Thanks!
June 21, 2011 at 7:41 pm
Thanks for the wonderful blog, which I found while searching for information on an old Salt Lake City meetinghouse that my great grandfather, a carpenter, helped build in the early 20th century. (He also worked on the University of Utah campus.) The church was located on or near the LDS Hospital campus and was called, I believe, the Ensign Ward. Anyway, even though I didn’t find what I was looking for, I had a pleasant diversion here looking at some marvelous photos. Thanks!
p.s. I’d love to see someone submit pictures of Portland, Oregon’s old (well, pre-1970) LDS churches, some of which I remember from my childhood as being quite lovely.
June 21, 2011 at 11:06 am
Thank you for stopping by, SLK. I agree that there are several very nice buildings in Portland. Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures at the moment even though I used to live there, but hope to take a trip soon and post them. Oh, and here is a link to the Ensign Ward chapel you are referring to. It was located on 9th Avenue and D Street – a beautiful prairie style building that, sadly, is not standing anymore.
June 21, 2011 at 7:51 pm
Wow, you’re right, a nice Prairie-style building. I’m sorry it’s gone. Thanks so much for the link!
June 22, 2011 at 3:36 pm
You’re welcome. I agree with you that losing the building is a huge loss. It appears to have been quite spectacular.
June 26, 2011 at 6:50 am
Portland’s Old Rock Church on 30th and Harrison is a marvel; it still has old hitching post iron rings in the curb out front to tie up your horse (if you’re game enough to ride a horse to church through metropolitan Portland.) The building was constructed in the 1930s, I think, with some later additions in the 1960s. The chapel is spectacular.
June 22, 2011 at 9:45 am
See if you can’t contact the author of this blog http://www.maryspixels.com/ for pics of that chapel on SE 30th and Harrison. I believe she still is in that Colonial Heights ward, she is a good photographer, her inlaws have lived in that ward forever, and I think her son was kicking around an eagle project of documenting the building’s history a few years back.
January 30, 2012 at 3:41 pm
Thanks Nicole – I will contact her.
March 30, 2012 at 1:31 pm
since the retaining wall is still there, that has to be the northeast corner of 9th Ave & D St. That magnificent chapel has been replaced by very un-special condos. The other three corners of that intersection are all part of a hospital complex, and the southwest corner of 9th Ave and E is a park, so a church would have been a good fit for the neighborhood.
I’d supply a photo of what the corner looks like now, but it would make you weep.
June 27, 2011 at 9:08 pm
I had a look, using Google Street View. Sad. After checking my grandfather’s memoirs I found that his father was construction foreman on the project. They lived on G Street between 9th and 10th.
July 13, 2011 at 11:28 am
At least Mormons aren’t the only ones anxious to destroy their most remarkable churches, but it’s sad that LDS leaders’ collective aesthetic sense is comparable to that of a ruthless Soviet dictator known for his deceit, his brutality and the ugliness of the society he created. (p.s. I’ve even been to Saint Basil’s, and it is indeed jaw-droppingly…. something.)
July 13, 2011 at 10:27 am
Check out the Nibley Park Ward in Salt Lake on Warnock Ave. 600 E. It is a gem as well. Also the Garden Park (Gilmer Park) Ward. It has beautiful grounds (people take professional wedding photos there because of the gorgeous pond and Egyptian columns in a stone alcove) located at 1150 E. Yale Ave in Salt Lake City). I would really love to put together a book with full color photos of many of these beautiful historic chapels. Don’t forget their pipe organs too! They are extremely historic and, being an organist, I know many of those pipe organs were carefully made (unlike cookie-cutter organs in many chapels) and have very rich, full tone, and they have a real personality about them. If only those walls could speak. Keep up the good work!
August 1, 2011 at 11:10 pm
Thanks, Nathan. My plan is to publish a book. And thanks for the suggestions. The Nibley Park ward is on my list but I haven’t been there yet. And I have been to the grounds of the Garden Park ward, but haven’t been inside yet.
August 8, 2011 at 12:40 pm
This is a terrific website. I’ve been waiting for a site like this for a very long time. I used to stop by Paul Anderson’s office when I was at BYU just to shoot the breeze about LDS archetecture. I love the pictures and descriptions you have posted. I especially love seeing the chapels and buildings still in use by the church. I have a suggestion as well. The Oahu (Honolulu) Tabernacle is a beautiful building with historic significance and unique archetecture (and it is still in use). It’s not as easy to get to as some of the other buildings, but it’s very cool nonetheless.
August 3, 2011 at 10:21 pm
Thanks for the kind words, Ryan. My interest in LDS meetinghouses started with a class I took from Paul while at BYU. I have been to the Hawaii Tabernacle, but many years ago while on a mission, so I don’t have any good photos of it. I’ll have to plan a trip back one of these years.
August 8, 2011 at 12:44 pm
This site is cool. You might also take a look at the Kentlands Ward building in the DC area. (It was built to look like a small neighborhood protestant church – just a few years ago- in order to fit the design requirements of the neighborhood.)
Also – Manavu Chapel on 6th north (around 6th east) in Provo – is unique and very old and still in use. The Chapel has sloped seating, there is a really old cry room – with a glass window into the chapel. The Gym is upstairs.
September 16, 2011 at 1:52 pm
Thanks for the great suggestions, Allen. I actually recently made it to the Kentlands building but unfortunately was unable to get inside. It is the best example of a New Urbanist chapel that I have seen.
September 16, 2011 at 6:31 pm
If you get the chance, may I recommend the Alhambra, Riverside, and Burbank chapels in Los Angeles?
September 16, 2011 at 11:38 pm
I am not sure of how to email you or anything, however, I am a student at BYU-Idaho and have some pictures of some of the buildings in the area. If you are interested I could email them to you. I have been very interested in the architecture of buildings that compelled the saints to offer large sacrifices and thereby etch their figurative signature into it. I love that you have acknoweldged this and this website is a blessing to me as I have been trying to find others equally interested. Thanks
September 22, 2011 at 1:37 pm
I would love to receive any of the photos you are willing to share, Eliyahu. Thank you for your willingness to help with this project. Feel free to send them to me at ldsmeetinghouse@gmail.com.
September 23, 2011 at 11:13 am
I see you were in Central Phoenix and took photos of the old chapel which is now the Arizona Puppet Theatre, there is another chapel that I like very much – the Ashland Building on Ashland and 3rd street (roughly) – the ceiling in the chapel is very cool and the exterior is quite unique also. I’m not sure when it was built – but to me it looks like a bit of an art deco style.
November 3, 2011 at 9:57 pm
Is this the one you mean? Also one of my favorites. I’ve posted a couple pics of it, but have many more.
November 14, 2011 at 6:28 am
Last year I was taking organ lessons and my teacher asked if our church had any historically significant meetinghouses with prominent organs. He only knew of the Tabernacle’s and the conference center. This is a great website that shows we have more than just the cookie cutter buildings.
You definitely need to do a trip to the east coast. There’s the Fayette Ward’s building in NY, the church building in Kane, PA and as mentioned above the Belmont building in MA. While in MA, you could even stop by the Methuen Memorial Music Hall and see their organ which inspired the Tabernacle’s organ’s design.
I’m sure there are more historical LDS meetinghouses in the east but I can’t think of any right now.
Question – have you been to see the meetinghouse in Salt Lake on the corner of P Street & 4th Avenue?
November 16, 2011 at 9:59 am
Yes, there are more organs in our older buildings than I realized as well – many more than I’ve posted yet even. Thanks so much for the building suggestions. I will add them to my list of buildings to visit next time I am back east. I have been to the building on P and 4th and have pictures, but haven’t yet posted any. It’s quite a nice building and I love that it’s right next to the cemetery. The name of the ward has slipped my mind, but I’ll post on it shortly.
November 23, 2011 at 10:32 am
Hey… you might look at the building in El Paso, TX… I have some pictures of the outside, but wasn’t there when it was open.. very nice
November 29, 2011 at 6:39 pm
You’re right – it’s a beautiful building that I had no idea existed. Thanks for the heads up. If you are willing to share your pictures, you can email them to me at ldsmeetinghouse@gmail.com.
December 2, 2011 at 9:47 am
I thought I would pass this along. The lead architect (Keith Wilcox) of the Washington DC Temple and many other church buildings passed away. His influence on Ogden is immense.
http://www.meaningfulfunerals.net/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=1341515&fh_id=13348
December 20, 2011 at 6:33 pm
Thanks for the heads up Aaron. I need to find some time now to do a post on his meetinghouses.
December 29, 2011 at 9:25 pm
Wonderful work. I wonder if you would mind dropping me a line at admin -at – bycommonconsent.com? I have a couple of questions for you.
December 21, 2011 at 9:37 pm
Thanks for all your work on this wonderful website.
I am researching material on two very similar buildings: The Provo 1st Ward Building in Provo, Utah, and the Raymond 2nd and 3rd Ward Building in Alberta, Canada. Pope and Burton were the architects for the Provo Building and F.B. Rolfson was the architect for the Raymond building. The original Raymond building blueprints are still available in the Raymond Town Library. I am interested in dates, articles, and of course photographs of the two buildings for comparison.
It appears at this point that Rolfson liked what he saw in Provo, and designed a similar building in Raymond. If you or anyone browsing this website can offer me suggestions or help concerning this project please contact me at snave@shaw.ca. I made my first visit to the Provo building last Sunday, and met some older members of the ward who answered questions and showed me some of the building interior. I grew up in Raymond, Alberta, and attended the Raymond building until about 1966, after my mission. Our wedding reception was in the cultural hall of this building, and so I have many fond memories of church functions there.
These are two classic, outstanding examples of church architecture in the 1920’s and ’30’s. There are no other buildings in the church with the same floor plan of which I am aware. Thanks for any help you can give me.
January 10, 2012 at 12:42 pm
Regarding the Provo 1st Ward building, I have been told that Pope and Burton’s three-wing design was used also for a chapel in Arizona. When the Arizona chapel was “decommissioned” the Provo 1st Ward bishop bought the 1960’s pipe organ which had been installed there, and had it installed in the Provo 1st Ward chapel. If anyone has any information about that Arizona chapel, I’d be very interested.
December 28, 2015 at 11:55 pm
I continue to enjoy this blog. I visited my old SLC ward over the weekend and snapped some pictures.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3264069603296.159548.1313932257&type=1&l=c7bab49f42
February 1, 2012 at 12:12 am
Wonderful. Thanks for the link Michael. Could you post or send me the address of the building?
March 30, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Does anyone know if the Church has a standardized naming convention for meetinghouses? Similar to how they do for temples? I know that technically the buildings should be referred to as “Meetinghouses” versus “Chapel” (the chapel being only one of the spaces within a meetinghouse). Newer meetinghouses seem to be named for either the town/city, neighbourhood or street that it is located (e.g. Royal Oak Meetinghouse, 17th Avenue Meetinghouse, etc…). Older meetinghouses are often referred by their original ward(s) (e.g. Bow Valley Ward Meetinghouse, etc…) even if other wards now meet there or the name sake ward no longer meets there. I assume the Church keeps great records about all the buildings they own; I wonder how these are filed (e.g. by name or simply be address). And what about Stake Centres? Are they properly referred to as Stake Centres in public relations speak, or as meetinghouse (that simply contain stake offices).
March 26, 2012 at 12:28 pm
I don’t know if you’re looking for suggestions, but I have to put in a plug for the Fort Lowell Building in Tucson, AZ. I grew up in Tucson and was always envious of the pretty Fort Lowell Building, since we went to church in a standard-issue brick LDS meetinghouse. The building was built in 1927 and there’s a bit about it in this article: http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/60341/Tucsons-pioneer-legacy-They-came-and-existed-and-they-farmed.html. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures to share, but the exterior is lovely.
June 13, 2012 at 3:08 pm
I love the Fort Lowell chapel too, Kellyim. My grandparents moved in that ward in the 30s as newlyweds and attended it their entire married life; they helped build the swimming pool. (My grandfather, OK Post, owned the feedstore on the corner of Ft Lowell and Dodge; when someone else bought it, they kept the “OK” but not the “Post” in its name.) I have in my apartment one of the tiny wooden chairs my grandmother had built for the primary when she was in the presidency; when someone eventually threw them out, she salvaged a few.
The last time I was there was for my mother’s funeral in 2010. It wasn’t the ward she attended at the time, but we really wanted to have the funeral there, because it was the chapel where she was blessed and baptized, and it seemed right to say good-bye to her there too, and she LOVED that building. I have quite a few pictures of it and have offered them to Brother LDS Architecture more than once. Perhaps your testimonial will help persuade him that they’re worth accepting.
June 30, 2012 at 11:23 am
Wow! This is a great project you are doing. I will be spending hours perusing it and watching it develop. I’ve already linked it to my Facebook. Thank you for your contribution!
June 16, 2012 at 9:17 am
I’m happy to have found your site! I was looking up information about the LA/Hollywood stake center…what a treasure! I love looking at these other buildings as well.
There are a couple that I know of. . . I’m sure people have mentioned them to you. . . The tudor-style chapel in Las Vegas at 9th and Clark, which is now used as a family history center and seminary building, and the first chapel in DC, which is now owned by the Unification Church (The Moonies). Here’s a few pictures/info I found online: http://dcfossils.org/index.php/gallery12/
November 11, 2012 at 6:47 pm
There is historical significance in many international meetinghouses, Temples and complexes. In New Zealand, Edward O Anderson designed the historically protected buildings – The Church College of New Zealand, and the New Zealand Temple in the early 1950’s. They were both built in close proximity to each other in Temple View, Hamilton. These buildings are important to New Zealand because of the great Labour Missionary Programme. Members of the church throughout the nation sacrificed to contribute money, food, and manpower for many years to have these structures completed. The Church College closed in 2009 and the church intends to demolish it in the coming years. The architectural significance of the school has meant that restrictive covenants have been placed on its demolision by the local council and Environment Court.
November 13, 2012 at 1:09 pm
I’ve attended the same LDS meetinghouse for about 20 years and today when I drove past it, I noticed something I never had before: it’s cruciform (I’ll include a google satellite image so you can see).
http://maps.google.com/?ll=35.920545,-84.040744&spn=0.00107,0.001064&t=h°=90&z=20
This got me thinking because Mormons don’t usually use crosses, and now I’m curious. Are LDS meetinghouses often cruciform and we just don’t notice it, or was this an anomaly? Is there any standardization to Mormon meetinghouses, and if so have the standards changed over the years? Incidentally, this building is located in Knoxville, TN, and was built by the church (not purchased) sometime in the 1960s-1970s range.
December 31, 2012 at 4:57 pm
“About LDS ARCHITECTURE” was a good post.
If only there was way more websites such as this amazing one in the actual
online world. Nonetheless, thanks a lot for your personal precious time, Lavonne
January 23, 2013 at 1:48 am
Great site. Passionately wonderful topic. Great work. Thank you.
You might also enjoy – http://architecturalsolution.com/arch/potential-of-architecture/
30 years of asking “How can this_______ be designed [better]?” A devout Mormon architect finds answers, all the way to WWJD.
March 9, 2013 at 10:39 pm
This site is amazing! Thanks so much.
I was recently in the Hollywood Stake Center as my parents were serving there as missionaries. I was not able to get a picture of the stained glass window, and was wondering if I might be able to print your picture?
Let me know, thanks.
March 15, 2013 at 11:37 pm
Great website! You might be interested in the chapel in Clarkston, Utah. It was built in 1919 and has a really neat semi-circle balcony.
March 24, 2013 at 7:53 pm
I am among kindred spirits here.
Thank you.
April 9, 2013 at 10:18 am
I do believe all the ideas you’ve introduced to your post. They are really convincing and will certainly work. Nonetheless, the posts are very brief for beginners. May just you please lengthen them a little from subsequent time? Thanks for the post.
May 16, 2013 at 4:08 pm
Why so long since a new post?
October 10, 2013 at 4:03 am
Great Blog. I’ve been doing a little research on my end on LDS churches in WA State. Thought you might enjoy seeing a bio I wrote for Clifford Dobsen; whom designed several LDS church around the Seattle area. See: http://www.docomomo-wewa.org/architects_detail.php?id=128
October 31, 2013 at 2:57 pm
I appreciate your on line site! Amazing and useful posts and so original! I am following yours now. %KW%
Madison http://forums.csaim.com/index.php?action=profile;u=5721
December 9, 2013 at 4:57 pm
I noticed that the old Leamington, Utah chapel isn’t featured yet. It’s a beautiful building that has been converted into the town hall. There’s several wonderful churches in nearby Eureka, Utah as well, but I’m not sure if their LDS or otherwise.
April 27, 2014 at 10:00 pm
I hope you can start posting again soon! Until you do, I’ve started an amateur blog that is similar to yours at ldspioneerarchitecture.blogspot.com. Thanks for the inspiration!
June 1, 2014 at 10:18 pm
You should see the building in Springfield MA. Very unique. The chapel inside is interesting too.
Look at the google street view
376 Maple St
Springfield, MA 01105
December 9, 2014 at 12:27 pm
I stumbled across your site trying to get information on the new custom-designed LDS Chapel currently being built for the Washington DC Capitol Hill Ward. I found your site informative and totally fascinating! If you are interested in Institute of Religion buildings, I suggest the LDS Institute at the University of Wyoming, in Laramie, WY (my alma mater). It is still in use, and I believe is one of the first Institutes build by the Church. I would also recommend the Star Valley Tabernacle in Afton, WY, although, it has been extensively remodeled and expanded over the years.
May 11, 2015 at 8:15 am
I second the motion on the Institute in Laramie and the Tabernacle in Afton. Of course I am from Star Valley and attended the Univ. of Wyo. so I could be biased 🙂 While in Afton, drive the 15 miles south and look at the Thayne Stake Center’s primary room painting of the Savior as the Good Shepherd. It used to the be the front of the chapel behind the podium before the building was remodeled and added to in the 1980 era.
Several Star Valley chapels had beautiful paintings like these. Not sure how many survive other than Thayne’s.
Do you accept pictures of other buildings in other areas with a written history or do you want to document your own photographs?
I have a few pictures of the one of the first chapels in Magnolia in central Alabama (well in that state period) built at the turn of the last century.
It truly looks like a pioneer building. It was built by my ancestors who are buried behind it.
October 21, 2015 at 7:38 pm
An interesting meetinghouse that is original is the Alhambra Ward meetinghouse. Here’s a link to that info.: http://ldsliving.com/story/35116-celebration-set-for-historic-alhambra-ward-in-californias-san-gabriel-valley.
Additionally the Pasadena Stake Center is unique in design for the 1950’s era, being led by then Pasadena Stake President Howard W. Hunter.
May 28, 2015 at 4:12 pm
You may be interested in the Richfield Tabernacle. Our company is currently doing some masonry restoration on this old building.
September 25, 2015 at 9:43 am
Any suggestions where we can find more information about the Richfield Tabernacle?
September 25, 2015 at 11:55 am
Thank you! I live in Phoenix, AZ and have been a fan of architecture for most of my life. Unfortunately Phoenix is not the best place to see great LDS church architecture for the most part. I grew up attending church in the Phoenix 8th and 16th Ward building which was designed by Martin Ray Young. He was the first architect to establish his firm in Mesa, AZ. His collection is now housed at Arizona State University https://lib.asu.edu/design/collections/mryoung A few years ago I was able to visit the collection and examine the original plans for the building I grew up in which was built in in the late 1950’s. It featured ceiling to shoulder height windows in the chapel and cultural hall, a steeple with sky blue glazing which was lit at night and a great courtyard in the center of the classroom wing. He was, for many years, the go to architect for church building in Arizona, Southern Utah and Southern California.
The collection is wonderful and Young even kept the revised plans that the church would send and give him directions to change this or that. One example is that Salt Lake gave a comment that “we have already see this steeple and roof line on (insert name of chapel), we want something original”. It was refreshing to see in our contemporary world of economically/efficiently built meeting houses. There have been three major renovations/additions over the years to this building. Unfortunately most of the interior of the building was renovated in the mid 80’s and nearly all of the style was removed from the building and replaced with bland design.
Martin Young really should be included in the blog and I would be happy to acquire photos for you.
October 20, 2015 at 11:47 am
Thank you so much for your work on this blog. I’ve always found the older buildings so inspiring and the newer, cookie-cutter ones–not so much. I attended “the Y” in the 90s and was always dismayed to see the Provo tabernacle abandoned and falling into disrepair. This is our heritage! These buildings were built by the sacrafices of our pioneering ancestors! It’s a travesty that we’re not willing to spend a few dollars to restore rather than demolish and rebuild.
Love the work you’re doing here. I would also like to see more stained glass (if possible).
December 27, 2015 at 3:08 pm
Although BYU President Ernest L. Wilkinson reportedly favored demolition of the Provo Tabernacle in the 1960s to provide downtown parking, I have personal knowledge that the tabernacle continued to be regularly maintained and used until it was gutted by fire, December 17, 2010.
The tabernacle was used for stake conferences, other church meetings, and many musical and other community events, including BYU Law School graduations as late as 2008. It was a rare week that went by without at least one event in the tabernacle.
There were several renovation projects over the last 30 years, including a major project which was extensive enough that the building was rededicated by President Ezra Taft Benson in 1986. Wood work was stripped of white paint and refinished to near-original state. Heating and cooling systems were updated again after that, and the pipe organ underwent an extensive multi-year renovation in the 1990s.
Regrettably, the fire alarm system was problematic, and that, coupled with a series of human misjudgments, resulted in the disastrous fire. (See a summary of the fire department investigation, reported at http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/sltrib/home/51538974-76/fire-building-tabernacle-alarm.html.csp.)
As pleased as I am at the Church’s decision to build a temple inside (and beneath) the remaining walls, we will never again have a building in Provo which served the needs that the Utah Stake Tabernacle did so well.
December 27, 2015 at 9:45 pm
Am I going crazy here? I remember the tabernacle being completely surrounded by a tall, chainlink fence. I also remember broken windows. Could this have been during a temporary renovation? I’m really regretting that I didn’t hop the fence and check it out before it burned!
December 28, 2015 at 9:50 pm
Sorry. I’m an idiot. I was thinking of the old Brigham Young Academy building-not the Provo Tabernacle.
December 28, 2015 at 10:15 pm
One of my favorite chapels is the Logan First Ward, Logan, Utah. It is unassuming outside; but the chapel has a tall pioneer mural, great woodwork and small cry-room/classrooms all along one side. Most of the rest of the building is a later addition.
April 23, 2016 at 12:17 am
Anyone have photos of the Wailuku, Hawaii chapel which was dedicated in 1926 and demolished in 1962? Trying to create a 3d computer model of it so architectural drawings would be ideal. Have some grainy newspaper photos which leave much to be desired for detail.
April 29, 2016 at 2:05 pm
Thank you so much for the information about the Las Vegas Ward chapel and it’s rich history. I wish the history of more chapels was here. Thank you!
January 24, 2017 at 3:51 pm
There is a fascinating building in Las Vegas, now used for seminary and the Las Vegas genealogical library. Would you have an interest in researching more about the building? I can provide photos if needed. The address is 509 south 9th street. The website is http://www.lvfamilysearchlibrary.org
October 30, 2018 at 9:54 am
Not sure if this blog is still being maintained, but you may want to check out the old Eureka (Utah) meetinghouse. The current owner restored it in the 1980s as a gathering place for his family and maintained a lot of original elements, including the baptismal font and lectern. He’s currently looking for a buyer.
September 1, 2019 at 2:11 pm
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June 21, 2020 at 6:56 pm
I would love to see some Canadian content, your work is so good I wish I could get your InSite into some buildings in Raymond and of course the Cardston Temple.
October 22, 2022 at 10:04 pm