White Community Memorial Chapel

Last updated
White Community
Memorial Chapel
White Community Memorial Chapel - Salt Lake City, Utah - 20 July 2024.jpg
White Community Memorial Chapel
Former namesSalt Lake 18th Ward meetinghouse
EtymologyM. Kenneth White
Ada Marie Sparks White
General information
Architectural style semi-Gothic Revival
Address150 East 300 North
Town or city Salt Lake City, Utah
CountryUnited States
Coordinates 40°46′32.21″N111°53′12.65″W / 40.7756139°N 111.8868472°W / 40.7756139; -111.8868472
Year(s) built1880–1882 (original)
1979–1980 (replica)
GroundbreakingJune 12, 1880 (original)
April 23, 1979 (replica)
InauguratedJanuary 14, 1883 (original)
June 27, 1980 (replica)
Design and construction
Architect(s) Obed Taylor (original)
Steven T. Baird (replica)
Website
utahstatecapitol.utah.gov/capitol-event-spaces/white-chapel/

White Community Memorial Chapel is a historic, non-denominational meetinghouse on Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City, Utah. The structure was built from 1979 to 1980 with salvaged elements from the recently demolished Salt Lake 18th Ward meetinghouse, which had been constructed in the early 1880s. The reconstruction was largely funded by the Mahonri Kenneth White and Ada Marie Sparks White Foundation, and the completed meetinghouse was donated to the State of Utah, which administers it as part of the Utah State Capitol complex.

Contents

Current use

The building is available to rent for meetings and events such as memorials and weddings. It is located across the street from the Utah State Capitol and next to another historic structure, the Salt Lake City Council Hall, which was moved to Capitol Hill from the downtown area.

History

Original 18th Ward meetinghouse

The first European-American settlers arrived in what would become Salt Lake City during July 1847. These settlers were Mormon pioneers (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly referred to as the LDS Church), whose congregations were organized in groups called wards. The 18th Ward of was one of the original nineteen wards of Salt Lake City, having been created in February 1849. Initially, the ward was made up of the families of church leaders such as Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball and Newel K. Whitney. Early on, the ward held their religious services in various structures, including the schoolhouse on Young's estate. [1]

By 1880, construction of a permanent ward meetinghouse had been decided upon and a groundbreaking was held on June 12. [2] The meetinghouse was constructed just north of the corner of 2nd Avenue and A Street ( 40°46′19.8″N111°53′1.73″W / 40.772167°N 111.8838139°W / 40.772167; -111.8838139 (Location of original 18th Ward meetinghouse) ), in the Avenues neighborhood of the city. The first religious services were held in the new building on July 23, 1882. The building was designed by Obed Taylor in a semi-Gothic style. The walls were built of brick, the foundation of granite stone, and the tower's height was 76 feet (23 m). The chapel's cost was about $6,500 (equivalent to $205,221in 2023). [2]

A dedication ceremony was held January 14, 1883, with Joseph F. Smith giving the dedication prayer and President John Taylor providing a discourse. [3] The following year, a schoolhouse was built next to the chapel. [1] In 1907, the schoolhouse was replaced by the meetinghouse's connected annex, which included an amusement hall. The annex, officially called "Whitney Hall" after the ward's longtime bishop, Orson F. Whitney, was opened in summer 1908. [4]

Reconstruction

In April 1972, officials from the LDS Church broke ground on a new building that would replace the aging 18th Ward chapel. [5] The location of the old building would become a parking lot for the new structure, and the original chapel would need to be moved or demolished. The Division of State History attempted to save the building onsite by asking the Utah Attorney General, Vernon B. Romney, to investigate the trust set up by Don Carlos Young in 1880 when the property was provided to the ward. The trust required the land be used forever as a meeting place, but Romney determined that the members of the ward, and not the state, were the only ones that could bring a lawsuit over the matter. [6] [7]

While construction moved forward on the new building, there were a number of discussions in the community in regards to how the old chapel could be saved. The church offered the building to Pioneer Trail State Park (currently This Is the Place Heritage Park), but the structure did not fit within the time period of its Old Deseret Village, and the church announced in June 1973 that the chapel would be demolished. [8] Cornerstone, [lower-alpha 1] an organization dedicated to preserving historic Mormon buildings, raised enough funds to have some of the building's elements removed before the chapel was torn down. [11] In June 1973, the meetinghouse was demolished. Its steeple, windows, doors, benches and other reusable items were removed with the hope to include them in a rebuilt version of the chapel, to possibly be built in nearby Memory Grove. [12]

By 1975, plans had solidified on building the replica near the Utah State Capitol, a move the state legislature approved that year. [13] On April 23, 1979, a groundbreaking, officiated by Governor Scott M. Matheson, was held to begin construction of the chapel replica. The chapel's original pulpit was used during the ceremony and the future outline of the structure was painted on the asphalt, with seats for guests arranged as they would be in the completed building. [14] [15] The majority of the reconstruction would be funded by the Mahonri Kenneth White and Ada Marie Sparks White Foundation, supplemented with funds from the Community Memorial Chapel Foundation, with local architect Steven T. Baird in charge. [16] A cornerstone ceremony, performed by the Free and Accepted Masons of Utah, was held October 5, 1979. A box discovered in the original building's cornerstone was reused and new documents added to it, before it was placed in the cornerstone of the replica. [17] [18] [19] [20]

The completed building was dedicated on June 27, 1980, in a ceremony attended by local civil and religious leaders. [21] The dedicatory prayer was given by Royden G. Derrick and G. Homer Durham delivered the address. The steeple, chapel doors, Gothic windows, wooden pulpit, and benches all came from the original building. A reed organ from an old church in nearby West Jordan, Utah was installed in the chapel. [22] At the building's opening, the Honors Library of Living History was hosted in the basement level. The library consisted of a collection of biographical information on prominent Utahns. It also included two reproductions of murals that were on either side of Barratt Hall of the former LDS High School. [23] [22] The tower includes a bell, purchased by the Whites, which was first rung on Easter day, 1980. [24]

Notes

  1. ↑ Cornerstone had been organized in 1971, following the destruction of the historic Summit Stake Tabernacle. [9] [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thomas S. Monson</span> President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (1927–2018)

Thomas Spencer Monson was an American religious leader, author, and the 16th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As president, he was considered by adherents of the religion to be a prophet, seer, and revelator. Monson's early career was as a manager at the Deseret News, a Utah newspaper owned by the LDS Church. He spent most of his life engaged in various church leadership positions and public service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capitol Hill, Salt Lake City</span> Landmark in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Capitol Hill in Salt Lake City gets its name from the Utah State Capitol prominently overlooking downtown, it is a neighborhood in Salt Lake City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buildings and sites of Salt Lake City</span>

Salt Lake City, Utah has many historic and notable sites within its immediate borders. Although the entire Salt Lake City metropolitan area is often referred to as "Salt Lake City", this article is concerned only with the buildings and sites within the official city limits of Salt Lake City.

<i>Deseret News</i> Newspaper published by the LDS Church

The Deseret News is a multi-platform newspaper based in Salt Lake City, published by Deseret News Publishing Company, a subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation, which is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Founded in 1850, it was the first newspaper to be published in Utah. The publication's name is from the geographic area of Deseret identified by Utah's pioneer settlers, and much of the publication's reporting is rooted in that region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ZCMI Center Mall</span> Former shopping mall in Salt Lake City, Utah

The ZCMI Center Mall was a shopping mall in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, that operated from 1975 to 2007, before being demolished to make way for City Creek Center. The mall was developed and owned by Zions Securities Corporation, a for-profit entity owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The mall was located kitty-corner from the church's Temple Square.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Marshall Islands</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Marshall Islands refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Marshall Islands. As of 2022, there were 6,832 members in 13 congregations, making it the second largest body of LDS Church members in Micronesia, behind Kiribati. The Marshall Islands has the second most LDS Church members per capita in Micronesia, and the fourth most members per capita of any independent country in the world, behind Tonga, Samoa, and Kiribati.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murray LDS Second Ward Meetinghouse</span> Historic church in Utah, United States

Built in 1909, the Murray LDS Second Ward Meetinghouse is a historic building in Murray, Utah, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. The building is significant for its association with the history and development of Murray between 1909 and 1950.

The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Salt Lake City Branch is one of four branches of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. The branch opened in 1918 and is located in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. As of 2024, the branch provides outreach, cash operations, police services, supervision, and credit for financial institutions in Utah, southern Idaho, eastern Nevada, eastern Oregon, and western Wyoming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Council House (Salt Lake City)</span> Public/Government in Utah, United States

The Council House, often called the State House, was the first public building in Utah; being constructed in 1849–50. The building stood in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, on the corner of Main Street and South Temple Street. On June 21, 1883 the building was destroyed when a neighboring wagon depot caught fire and several barrels of gunpowder exploded, spreading the fire to the Council House.

Richard Karl August Kletting was an influential architect in Utah. He designed many well-known buildings, including the Utah State Capitol, the Enos Wall Mansion, the original Salt Palace, and the original Saltair Resort Pavilion. His design for the Utah State Capitol was chosen over 40 competing designs. A number of his buildings survive and are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places including many in University of Utah Circle and in the Salt Lake City Warehouse District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torleif S. Knaphus</span> American sculptor

Torleif Severin Knaphus was a Norwegian-born artist and sculptor in Utah, primarily known for sculptures for and about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fifth Ward Meetinghouse</span> Historic building in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.

The Fifth Ward Meetinghouse is a historic structure in Salt Lake City, Utah. The 1910 building was designed by architects Cannon & Fetzer and remodeled in 1937; it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. There was a historic marker on the building. It was also an official Salt Lake City Landmark site. The building was constructed to be and functioned as meetinghouse for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints until 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obed Taylor</span> American architect, based in Utah

Obed Taylor was an architect who designed many notable buildings in early Utah that survive on the National Register of Historic Places.

Hyrum Conrad Pope was a German-born architect with important architectural works throughout the western United States and Canada. Pope was born in Fürth, Bavaria and immigrated to the United States as a teenager. He went to school at the Art Institute of Chicago where he was influenced in the Prairie School architectural style. In 1910, he opened an architectural firm with Harold W. Burton in Salt Lake City, Utah. Pope designed a variety of places of worship for many faiths, civic buildings and homes, some of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Harold William Burton was an early 20th-century architect with architectural works throughout the western United States and Canada. Burton was one of the most prolific architects of chapels, meetinghouses, tabernacles and temples for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1910 he opened an architectural firm with Hyrum Pope in Salt Lake City, Utah. They particularly appreciated Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School architectural style. As young architects, Pope & Burton won design competitions for two of their better-known works, the Cardston Alberta and Laie Hawaii temples of the LDS Church. Burton moved to Los Angeles, California in 1927 to set up another office in the firm with Pope. After Pope unexpectedly died in 1939, Burton established a new firm with his son Douglas W. Burton. Together they continued to design many buildings, including some for the church, and in 1955 Harold Burton became the chief supervising architect for the LDS Church. One of his final works was the Oakland California Temple. Aside from places of worship, Burton designed civic buildings and homes. Many of his works exist today, some of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Georgius Young Cannon was a 20th-century architect in the American West who operated principally out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Cannon trained at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), graduating in 1918. He then joined the army and later returned to Utah to intern with the architectural firm Ware & Treganza and Cannon & Fetzer. He served two missions to Germany for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Ramm Hansen was an early to mid-20th-century Norwegian-born, American architect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Granite Stake Tabernacle</span> Historic building in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.

The Granite Stake Tabernacle is a tabernacle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Sugar House District of Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It has historic significance to the area and was listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orem Utah Temple</span> Latter-day Saint temple in the United States

The Orem Utah Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in Orem, Utah. The intent to build the temple was 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 Orem, the sixth in Utah County, and the 28th in the state of Utah.

References

  1. 1 2 Jenson, Andrew (1941). "Salt Lake City 18th Ward". Encyclopedic History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake City: Deseret News Publishing Company. pp. 752–753. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "The Eighteenth Ward Chapel". Deseret Evening News . Salt Lake City. July 22, 1882. p. 3. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Dedication Services". Deseret Evening News . Salt Lake City. January 15, 1883. p. 3. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Whitney Hall House Warming". Deseret Evening News . Salt Lake City. June 13, 1908. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  5. ↑ "President Breaks Ground". Church News . Salt Lake City. April 22, 1972. p. 11. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  6. ↑ "State Moves to Save LDS Chapel". The Salt Lake Tribune . Salt Lake City. April 1, 1971. p. B5. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Romney Lists Procedures To Protect Chapel Trust". The Salt Lake Tribune . Salt Lake City. September 3, 1971. p. 6B. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  8. ↑ "LDS Church Plans to Demolish Historic Building on Avenues". The Salt Lake Tribune . Salt Lake City. June 2, 1973. p. 8C. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  9. ↑ "Group Seeking Rescue of LDS Buildings". The Salt Lake Tribune . Salt Lake City. November 30, 1971. p. 15. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Group Likes Old Churches". Deseret News . Salt Lake City. November 8, 1971. p. 4B. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Group Gains Fund To Save Building". The Salt Lake Tribune . Salt Lake City. June 11, 1973. p. 2C. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Crew Dismantling Old LDS Chapel". The Salt Lake Tribune . Salt Lake City. June 14, 1973. p. C1. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Action on Old Chapel Legislature's Job". The Salt Lake Tribune . Salt Lake City. March 12, 1975. p. 4C. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Rites mark new start for 18th Ward chapel". Deseret News . Salt Lake City. April 24, 1979. p. 10A. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Chapel Rebuilding Starts With Rites". The Salt Lake Tribune . Salt Lake City. April 24, 1979. p. A7. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  16. ↑ "18th Ward fund donors will be honored". Deseret News . Salt Lake City. March 27, 1979. p. A7. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Cornerstone Rite Friday". The Salt Lake Tribune . Salt Lake City. October 1, 1979. p. 6B. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Cornerstone Rites Laud Chapel". The Salt Lake Tribune . Salt Lake City. October 6, 1979. p. D1. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Historic rites set for S.L. chapel". Deseret News . Salt Lake City. October 2, 1979. p. 14A. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Memorabilia placed in chapel stone". Deseret News . Salt Lake City. October 6, 1979. p. A11. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Laity and Clergy Gather at Chapel Dedication". The Salt Lake Tribune . Salt Lake City. June 28, 1980. p. B1. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  22. 1 2 Finch, Mary (June 27, 1980). "Historic S.L. chapel dedicated". Deseret News . Salt Lake City. pp. B1, B6. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  23. ↑ "J. Spencer Cornwall to be honored". Deseret News. Salt Lake City. April 25, 1980. p. 12C. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  24. ↑ "A new bell rings Sunday". Deseret News . Salt Lake City. April 5, 1980. p. B3. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.