Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple | ||||
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Number | 152 | |||
Dedication | September 18, 2016, by Henry B. Eyring [1] | |||
Site | 1.6 acres (0.65 ha) | |||
Floor area | 61,466 sq ft (5,710.4 m2) | |||
Height | 208.2 ft (63.5 m) | |||
• News & images | ||||
Church chronology | ||||
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Additional information | ||||
Announced | October 4, 2008, by Thomas S. Monson [2] | |||
Groundbreaking | September 17, 2011, by Henry B. Eyring | |||
Open house | Friday, August 5, 2016-Saturday, September 3, 2016 | |||
Current president | Bradley Searight Mains | |||
Location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |||
Geographic coordinates | 39°57′32.17″N75°10′5.07″W / 39.9589361°N 75.1680750°W | |||
Exterior finish | Granite | |||
Baptistries | 1 | |||
Ordinance rooms | 2 (two-stage progressive) | |||
Sealing rooms | 4 | |||
Clothing rental | Yes | |||
Notes | Announced at the 178th Semiannual General Conference. [2] | |||
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The Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in the Logan Square neighborhood of Philadelphia. Completed in 2016, the intent to construct the temple was announced on October 4, 2008, during the church's general conference by LDS Church president Thomas S. Monson. [3] The temple is the church's first in the state of Pennsylvania, and the first temple between Washington, D.C., and New York City. [4]
Following the October 2008 announcement of plans to build a temple in Philadelphia, on November 19, 2009, the LDS Church announced it would be on Vine Street in downtown Philadelphia, directly northeast of Logan Circle. [5] [6] [7] This location places the temple near the Parkway Central Library, Family Court Building, and the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, head church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia. [8]
Local community leaders were present for groundbreaking ceremonies on September 17, 2011, Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the church's First Presidency, presiding. [9] [10] [11] [12] By July 2012, no significant work had begun on the temple as a contractor had not been found to remove the existing parking lot and start the below ground excavation for the two-level parking garage. [13] In November 2012, the Philadelphia Art Commission granted final approval for the temple design, despite some members feeling the building was too similar to other buildings in the vicinity in its appearance. [14] Most of the parking lot on the temple site had been removed by February 2013, and by May 2 that year, the underground digging for the building of the temple had been completed. The building was framed to its full height by August 2014. [15]
The church commissioned a contemporary temple from Perkins&Will but chose a neoclassical design from architect of record FFKR, with Perkins+Will designing the temple's interior, plaza, garage, landscape, and a services building. Roger Jackson of FFKR said that his company studied notable Philadelphia buildings when designing the temple, such as Christ Church's tower, Independence Hall's interior, and Franklin Institute. [8]
The exterior is light gray Deer Island granite—unlike the pre-cast concrete of most temples—to match nearby buildings, as does the Corinthian order detailing. Forty-four Japanese maple trees are at the base of the temple. Its interior uses Georgian style to represent the early history of the United States and LDS Church. [8]
City and church officials announced in February 2014 that a meetinghouse and a 32-story residential building would be built on a lot adjacent to the temple site, at 1601 Vine Street. The residential structure and meetinghouse were designed by Paul L. Whalen of RAMSA. The meetinghouse serves approximately 1,000 of the 25,000 Latter-day Saints in the Philadelphia area and includes a Family History Center. The residential building includes 258 apartments and 13 townhouses, along with retail space, and be subject to regular, applicable taxes. [4]
A public open house was held from August 10 through September 9, 2016, excluding Sundays. According to the church, approximately 140,000 visitors attended the open house. [1] A youth cultural celebration, which recognized the heritage of the region through song, dance, and narration, was held on September 17. [16] [17] Like the groundbreaking in 2011, the cultural celebration occurred on the anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. The temple was formally dedicated by Eyring on September 18, 2016. [1] [18]
In 2016, Inga Saffron, architecture critic for The Philadelphia Inquirer , called the temple "the most radical work of architecture built in Philadelphia in a half-century ... because it dares to be so out of step with today's design sensibilities and our bottom-line culture." Estimating its cost at more than $100 million, she wrote that the temple was "the real classical deal" and "a bold incursion into the hierarchical fabric of Philadelphia". Saffron praised the interior woodwork as "exceptional" and approved of the exterior replicating the nearby Family Court building, "the last truly satisfying neoclassical design". She criticized the decision to put the front door on 17th Street, stating that the temple "turns its back on Logan Square. It occupies this important civic space without being a real participant". Saffron also disliked the design of the LDS chapel next door, describing the Robert A. M. Stern-designed building as "strange ... a squashed cupcake with a giant candle stuck on top", with a "baffling" drainage ditch on Vine Street. [19]
Jeffrey S. Markovitz of Hidden City Philadelphia agreed that the temple "respects the neoclassical monuments of the Logan Square neighborhood", stating that it "is simultaneously new and appears to have been there all along". He concluded that Benjamin Franklin Parkway gained "an august edifice [that] joins a list of the city's most noteworthy architectural monuments". [20] Curbed described the temple as the "most unexpected surprise" of Philadelphia architecture that year. [21] Architect Jackson claimed that in 2016 a tour guide told a friend that the temple was "'one of the old buildings' ... That was not our intent, but it was a side benefit". [8]
In 2016, the temple won The Institute of Classical Architecture and Art Philadelphia chapter's Trumbauer Award: Excellence in Contemporary Classicism. [22] In 2017, it won the Excellence in Craftsmanship award from the General Building Contractors Association. [23]
The Idaho Falls Idaho Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The intent to build the temple was announced on March 3, 1937, by church president Heber J. Grant during the church's general conference. It is the church's tenth constructed and eighth operating temple, the first built in Idaho, and the first built with a modern single-spire design.
The Oklahoma City Oklahoma Temple is the 95th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It serves stakes in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Kansas.
Below is a chronological list of temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with sortable columns. In the LDS Church, a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord and considered by church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time, and then each is dedicated as a "House of the Lord," after which only members with a current temple recommend are permitted to enter. Thus, they are not churches or meetinghouses, but rather specialized places of worship. The LDS Church has 335 temples in various phases, which includes 188 dedicated temples, 52 under construction, and 95 others announced. Within temples, members of the LDS Church make covenants, receive instructions, and perform rituals and ordinances. Additionally, members consider the temple a place to commune with God, seek God's aid, understand God's will, and receive personal revelation.
The Cebu City Philippines Temple is the 133rd operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in Lahug in Cebu City, it is the second LDS temple in the Philippines.
The Gilbert Arizona Temple at 3301 South Greenfield Road at the corner of East Pecos Road in Gilbert, Arizona, is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The design of the temple was overseen by Gregory B. Lambright of Architekton. Groundbreaking took place in 2010 and the temple was dedicated in 2014.
The Rome Italy Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Rome, Italy. The temple serves church members in Italy, as well as Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Albania, and parts of Romania. Thomas S. Monson, the LDS Church's president, initially announced the temple in 2008, a groundbreaking took place in 2010, and the temple opened after its dedication in 2019.
The Kansas City Missouri Temple is the 137th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the first to be built in the Greater Kansas City area. Previous attempts at building a temple in the area failed in Independence in 1833 and Far West in 1838, after church founder Joseph Smith had selected and dedicated locations for their construction. A temple was completed in Independence in 1994 by the Community of Christ, which is not affiliated with the LDS Church.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Utah. Utah has more church members than any other U.S. state or country. The LDS Church is also the largest denomination in Utah.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Delaware refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Delaware. As of 2022, the LDS Church reported 5,613 members in 12 congregations.
The Payson Utah Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Payson, Utah. The temple is located on the southernmost edge of Utah's Wasatch Front, and is the 15th dedicated temple in the state.
The Indianapolis Indiana Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at the southwest corner of West 116th Street and Spring Mill Road in Carmel, Indiana, north of Indianapolis. It is the first temple constructed in Indiana. The Indianapolis Indiana Temple is similar in design to The Gila Valley Arizona Temple, a single-level temple with an end spire and approximately 34,000 square feet.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Pennsylvania refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Pennsylvania. Joseph and Emma Smith lived in Northern Pennsylvania near the Susquehanna River just prior to the organization of the Church of Christ. Much of the translation of the Book of Mormon and revelation of the priesthood occurred here during that time.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a presence in the state of Indiana since 1831. The official church membership as a percentage of general population was 0.68% in 2018. According to the 2014 Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life survey, roughly 1% of Hoosiers self-identify themselves most closely with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The LDS Church is the 13th largest denomination in Indiana.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Jersey refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in New Jersey.
The Saratoga Springs Utah Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Saratoga Springs, Utah.
The Layton Utah Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under construction in Layton, Utah. The intent to construct the temple was announced by church president Russell M. Nelson on April 1, 2018, during the 188th annual general conference. The Layton Utah Temple was announced concurrently with 6 other temples. At the time, the number of total operating or announced temples was 189. When completed, it will be the 19th temple in Utah and the second temple in Davis County.
The Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The intent to construct the temple was announced by church president Thomas S. Monson on 1 October 2011.
The Richmond Virginia Temple is the 177th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Glenn Allen, Virginia, a suburb of Richmond. The Richmond Temple is the church's first temple in the state of Virginia.
The Taylorsville Utah Temple is a temple awaiting dedication of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Taylorsville, Utah. Plans to construct the temple were announced on October 5, 2019 by church president Russell M. Nelson, during the church's general conference. The temple is the first in the city of Taylorsville, the fifth in Salt Lake County, and the twenty-third in the state of Utah.