Tabernacle to Temple special section Daily Herald Provo, UT

Tabernacle

The Past, Present & Future

of Provo’s City Center

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TabernacleJuly 21, 2013July the Twenty-First, Two-Thousand & Thirteen

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Introduction from Michele

Use your smartphone or tablet to scan or go toheraldextra.com/tabernacletotemple

“For me this building, with its stained-

glass windows, sandstone Gothic arches, hexagon towers and arcadia-like

landscape is as close as Utah gets to a jeweled reliquary, or saintly shrine, not

because it holds the remains of those revered for their nearness to God but

even better. This edifice represented the finest and most precious aspirations

of a whole community,” said Brad Westwood, manager of acquisitions for

the LDS Church History Department. The original Meeting House and

Tabernacle were at the center of this bustling city and a place where citizens,

officials, entertainers, politicians, and even great world leaders gathered.

As this beloved relic of another time went up in flames early on the

morning of December 17, 2010, the hearts of an entire community ached.

But through the smoke and flames of this tragedy came the announcement

from LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson in October 2011 that

the Tabernacle would become Utah’s 16th temple and those “precious

aspirations” were once again flourishing throughout this community.

A harmonious melding of ideas from city, church and business leaders

created plans for a new town center that would bring back the cherished

historical building we all love, enriched with walkways, gardens and even

a fountain. Rising from the ashes would be something even more striking

which would once again be a center for gatherings, weddings and families.

We hope you enjoy this special gallery of photographs, information and

community reaction that, as Provo’s source of news and information for

more than 140 years (since 1872), we feel elated to record and reveal.

Since 1898 the spires of the

historic Tabernacle have stood

as a testament to Provo’s rich

history and heritage.

Executive Editor . . . . . . Michele BatesEditor . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jennifer DurrantCover and Layout . . . . . Lisa KaneWriter . . . . . . . . . . . . . Genelle PugmirePhotography . . . . . . . . . Mark Johnston. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spenser Heaps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Roh

The Daily Herald is excited to share with our readers

this story of history, loss and promise. Go online to

HeraldExtra.com/TabernacleToTemple for expanded

photo galleries, video, articles and additional

community reactions and memories.

Letter from the Editor

-Michele Bates


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The Old Meeting House, to the north of the Tabernacle, was

completed in 1861. Following completion of the Provo Tabernacle

in 1898, the two buildings stood side by side for roughly two

decades, until the Meeting House was ordered to be torn down in

1918. Prior to the new temple construction, crews excavating the

site found small relics and the stone foundation. Larger stones

were saved and now provide seating for people at the renovated

Pioneer Park splash pad and other parks throughout the city.

he elaborate central tower and cupola of the Tabernacle were removed from the building in 1917

because the weight of the structure had caused the roof to sag. A replica of the central tower will be

on the new Provo City Center Temple. From ground level to the top of the middle spire is 127 feet.

That spire will hold the Angel Moroni.

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ver its 112 years, the Provo

Tabernacle has hosted world-

class entertainers, symphonies,

ensembles, soloists and other artists

as well as politicians. United States President

William H. Taft spoke at the Provo Tabernacle

on Sept. 24, 1909, to an audience of about

3,000 listeners. The Tabernacle was decked

out in red, white and blue bunting, just as it has

been on numerous Fourth of July celebrations.

Other national and international notables

include opera singer Helen Traubel. violinist

Jascha Heifetz, singer Paul Robson, pianist

Bela Bartok, French organist Marcel DuPre,

and children’s book author Tasha Tudor.

Local stars include Robert Peterson, George

Dyer, Michael Ballam, Kurt Bestor and

Michael McLean.

As a young couple in 1938, Provo residents

Monroe and Shirley Paxman, both 93, heard

Sergei Rachmoninoff play at the Tabernacle

following a stint at Carnegie Hall.

Carma de Jong Anderson remembers, “I’ve

lived in that Tabernacle, I remember as

a 4-year-old girl sitting on the benches

watching my parents perform.”

he Tabernacle’s 1907 organ was built by the

Austin Organ Company of Massachusetts and was

augmented over several decades. Some of its original

pipes were preserved with the organ that replaced it

in the 1990s. A new pipe organ will be installed in the

new temple.

The

OPresident Taft 1909


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1920s

rom LDS Stake Conferences and firesides, the

Tabernacle was used mostly for LDS Church meetings. In

1886 and 1887, LDS General Conference was held at the

Provo Tabernacle, even though construction had not been

completed. The conferences were moved from Salt Lake

City out of concern for the safety of church leaders, many

of whom were being sought by law enforcement officials on

account of anti-polygamy laws.

The area around the Tabernacle (now University Avenue and Center Street) has been a gathering place for activities and social events including parades like the one depicted in this photo, circa 1920s.

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Orange flames

and a plume of gray

smoke poured out of a

gaping hole in the roof

of Provo’s Tabernacle

early Friday

morning,

Dec. 17, 2010.

In what officials

described as likely

a complete loss, the

historic building was

gutted by the blaze

that began sometime

overnight. By Friday

afternoon what had

once been a Utah

landmark and city icon

was little more than a

charred shell belching

ash onto mourning

onlookers.

0


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ire officials said that

alarms notified them of a

blaze in the historic building

at 2:43 a.m. By 4:30 a.m.

crews were still struggling

to contain the blaze. Deputy

Chief Gary Jolley said the fire

department initially hoped

to salvage the building, but

added that it posed a unique

challenge because of its size

and the large wooden timbers

used to support its roof. By 6

a.m. most of the Tabernacle’s

roof had collapsed, pulling

down the brick gables on the

sides of the building.

F ire

The new temple will improve the surrounding area. This central Provo area

has never been that shiny (I can say this because I’ve lived here 19 years),

and having the temple here will really increase the value of the area.

-Amber Jane Sorensen

It’s going to be beautiful! My dad re-roofed the Tabernacle in the ’80’s

so I’m happy to see so much time and effort going into restoring this

historic, beautiful building!-Britney Lowe Quarnberg

I remember how fast the news spread around the globe. I work for Nu

Skin in The Netherlands and we wondered what would happen to this

beautiful building. So you can imagine how happy I was when I heard

that it would be saved!-Frans Utt

I’ve always considered it one the most beautiful buildings in Provo,

or even in the state. I think we all thought we were going to lose the

building at that point. I’m glad they decided to save the exterior.

-Autumn Skye

From Ashes


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The destructive fire in 2010 is not the first time the Tabernacle suffered from flames. The Tabernacle was almost lost to fire before it was finished in 1891. It also dodged destruction by fire again in 1912.

ne of the biggest

challenges the Provo Fire

Department faced during the

blaze was simply getting water

onto the flames. Even after the

roof collapsed, much of the

debris remained in the building,

piled up on top of the ground

floor. When that lower section

of the building began to burn,

that debris isolated the ground

level from the fire hoses above.

As a result, fire crews were

forced to continue a pattern of

containment, spraying the debris

with water and waiting for the

flames to exhaust themselves.

he final report on

the fire noted that the blaze

would never have started, nor

reach such intensity, except

for an almost incredible

series of misjudgments and

glitches. To set up lighting for a

performance, two incandescent

lights were removed from the

ceiling and set on wood boxes,

which ignited. Then the alarm

system proved inadequate;

people on the scene failed to

comprehend warning signs;

and materials brought in for

the show, including Christmas

greenery, helped fuel the fire.

O

T he


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Residents who saw it called it no less than a miracle. Some said it was

a sign. A giclee print of “The Second Coming” by Harry Anderson was

meticulously removed from inside the east front door of the Tabernacle.

The print depicts Jesus Christ descending to Earth at the Second Coming,

arms outstretched and surrounded by hosts of angels. The fire charred the

painting just to the outside edges of the body outline of Christ.

n all, 14 tons of debris left by the fire were hauled out of the Tabernacle.

I

Partial list of items lost in the fire include:


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D. This is the underground extension that takes the square footage of the former Tabernacle from 35,000 to 85,000 square feet.

E. Main floor will have a lobby, chapel, meeting rooms and office.

F. Rumor has it this area will house many new stained glass windows and relics saved from the original Tabernacle.

South Facing

A

C

F B

E

D

A. There was no Moroni on the original Tabernacle.

B. This is one of five endowment rooms.

C. Along with all maintenance rooms you will also find the aquifer pumping continuously.


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I. This is a tiered bowl Victorian fountain made of bronze and marble. Just south of it will be a 5,000-square-foot Victorian gazebo that will be used for wedding guests and photos.

J. Original spiral staircases have been refurbished and will be featured as a focal point in the temple.

East Facing

G

I

J

H

G. Great care was made to keep as much original wood from the Tabernacle to be used in the construction of all the spires. Brick and mortar from the original is used throughout.

H. This is the entrance from the underground parking.Exit from bridal room area into gardens for photos.


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t was a picture-perfect

day in Utah County, according

to Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

of the Quorum of the Twelve

Apostles of The Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most

of the 6,000 spectators who

joined him at the Provo City

Center Temple groundbreaking

would agree.

“What an absolutely stunning

sight,” Holland said that

Saturday morning. “This will be

the largest group to ever again

assemble on this land. It is a

moment of history. I am deeply

touched.”

t’s been called the temple on stilts. This optical illusion

makes the shell of the Provo City Center Temple look like it’s

floating above ground. However, posts holding the shell of the

building keep the building in place as construction crews dig

underneath. The building is at ground level. Crews have dug 40

feet below the building to put in the two underground floors.

To protect existing brick and mortar, crews have placed concrete

and rebar throughout the inside of the remaining brick walls.

High-tech laser equipment and other restoration techniques have

been used to keep the seismic condition of the temple shell steady.

Every two minutes computers receive updates from sensors noting

any movement in the building.

I

I

Construction is expected to be

complete in the Spring of 2015.

An open house & dedication

will follow.


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A panoramic view of the Provo City Center Temple construction site looking

south. Cranes, backhoes and dump trucks continue to work on the

underground parking to be provided for temple patrons.

“The announcement of the new temple

has pushed forward economic development

in the downtown area by nearly a decade. “

-Gary McGinn, Provo’s community development director


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Curiosity surrounding the Provo City Center Temple construction

site continues to entice the youngest and oldest residents and

visitors to Provo. What is evident from a first glance into the 800

pages of descriptions, elevations, floor plans and landscaping

of the temple is that the LDS Church is going to great lengths to

preserve the historic nature of the old Provo Tabernacle.

MemoriesThe summer I turned 25, I served a stake calling to conduct tours at the

Tabernacle. We had a script we worked with that prepared us to answer

almost any question posed by visitors.

During the tours, I was able to draw on my own experiences having

attended stake conferences in the Tabernacle as a child — running up

and down the spiral staircase because my steps at home weren’t ever big

enough or claiming one of the curved benches in the southeast corner of

the balcony as our family’s own.

But what brought the building to life for me was knowing that my

seven times great-grandfather, Andrew Hunter Scott Jr., oversaw the

construction of the “first” Tabernacle while serving as Provo’s fifth mayor

(1861-63), and that several other ancestors shared their skills as masons,

carpenters and artisans in building the “second” Tabernacle. Those

personal connections gave authenticity to those tours and helped me add

a chapter to my own story.

-Michelle Bridges, former member of the Pioneer Ward, Provo North Central Stake

When our graduate students flew to Provo from all around the United

States to participate in our commencement ceremony, they marveled at

the beauty of the venue, the pioneer craftsmanship and the moving organ

performances. They felt special, and there was nothing greater we could

do than to honor them in that way.

This building has brought joy and reverence to so many people. While I

cried the day it burned, I’m thankful for its restoration and will forever

have fond memories of looking over the beaming faces of our students.

-JessicaDalby Egbert

I have loved attending stake conferences in this building my whole life.

It made them feel special. One funny memory is when my husband was

sitting on the stand and me and my older three children were singing in

the choir, our youngest son — sitting by himself, found a funny seat that

was a bench for one! He loved it — we called it the throne.

-Judy Naylor Shaw

Coming from a non-Mormon perspective, I’m excited to see this building

done. Not because it’s a Mormon temple, but because it’s on the National

Register of Historic Places — one of the few in Provo. I’m glad they are

re-doing the outside to match what it originally looked like — with the

center spire at least. -Adan Riverstone

My husband proposed to me on the north lawn of the Tabernacle 40

years ago next month! I also loved the Relief Society bazaars held there

as part of the July celebrations of the 4th and 24th!

-Bonnie Wischmeier

Even though the benches were hard, I loved attending stake conferences

and musical performances. Knowing it was a piece of LDS history made

it feel almost sacred to be there.-Kendra Wright


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The first meeting held in the

Tabernacle was a memorial

service for President Ulysses

S. Grant on August 8, 1885.

President Grant died July 23.

About 2,000 people attended

the service.

hanks to modern

technology, including the

use of lasers, computerized

censors, rebar and other

devices, construction crews

can bring the building up to

seismic code and still keep its

historic nature. City planner

Josh Yost said that while no one

will see some of the timbers

and material being used, “it is

a testament to the length the

Church is going for historical

preservation.”

Residents and tourists now

flock to the new Provo City

Center Temple site to see the

meticulous rebirth of that grand

old building.

T ha

Did You Know?The Tabernacle was completed

and paid off in 1898, 15 years

after it began.

At the time of its initial

construction and for a number

of years afterward, the Provo

Tabernacle was called the Utah

Stake Tabernacle.

Many interior features

survived the fire, including

wood moldings, newel posts &

balustrades, which will allow

for reproduction of the beautiful

woodwork found in the pioneer

Tabernacle.

The temple will be approximately

85,084 square feet.

From ground level to the top of

the center spire will be 127 feet.

There will be underground

parking for almost 300 vehicles.

A 17-foot bronze four-tiered

Victorian fountain with

ornamental nozzles will grace

the grounds at about 100 South.

The finial on the roof is

replicated from a stair newel

post from the Tabernacle’s

interior banister that led to the

old pulpit and stand.

Scalloped shingles matching the

original 1800s design will be

used on the roof.

The top of the fence posts will

feature beehives.


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18001861 First Tabernacle built.

Known as the Old Meeting

House.

1875 First Baptistry in Utah

County was built next to the Old

Meeting House.

1882 In December,

construction begins on the new

Provo Tabernacle.

1885 August 5. A memorial

was held for President Ulysses

S. Grant, who died July 23.

Chairs had to be brought in as

the Tabernacle was still under

construction.

1886 & 1887 LDS Church

April General Conferences were

held in Provo inside the nearly

completed Tabernacle. Pressure

was on General Authorities and

others for practicing polygamy.

Provo seemed a safer place to

hold the conference sessions.

1891 The Tabernacle was

almost lost to fire before it was

finished. Electricians,

Following the December 17, 2010, fire that completely destroyed

the Provo Tabernacle, Provo Fire Marshal Lynn Schofield

described the fire as a unifying moment in Provo history.

“It’s kind of like an old friend,” Schofield said. “It challenged me

more than any other event in my emergency services career.”

That “old friend” has been an icon of Provo and has welcomed

people of all faiths and no faith within her doors. Nearly every

LDS prophet since Lorenzo Snow has spoken at her pulpit.

This timeline tells her intriguing story.

TimelineTimeline

supervised by T.E. Daniels, who

was acting electrician for the

Provo Woolen Mills, installed

wires for lights. Daniels and

Walter Taylor used a gasoline

blowpipe, which exploded

within seconds of being thrown

out of the structure.

Tabernacle

1890s


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1898 Elder George Q.

Cannon dedicates the Taberna-

cle. Construction took 15 years

and $100,000. Cannon filled

in when LDS Church President

Wilford Woodruff fell ill.

19001909 U.S. President William

Howard Taft spoke at the

Tabernacle as a guest of Sen.

Reed Smoot.

1912 The Tabernacle dodged

destruction by fire yet again

when an overzealous health

official set the outhouse behind

the building on fire. He wanted

to eliminate a public health

hazard. The fire burned out of

control putting the Tabernacle

in jeopardy; the Baptistry was

also razed that year after

several years of non-use.


partially condemned in 1913

because the roof’s truss system

didn’t support the center tower.


renovated and the center tower

was removed. Stained glass

windows were added to the

building at the same time.

1918 &1919 The Old

Meeting House was ordered

to be torn down over several

months encompassing late 1918

and early 1919.

1938 Herald R. Clark

achieved Provo’s cultural coup

of the century. He arranged for

a concert from world-famous

pianist and composer Sergei

Rachmoninoff.


condemned again because of

the roof system. At the time

there was a serious move to tear

down the Tabernacle.

1951 The Tabernacle was ren-

ovated, including landscaping,

painting, plumbing, flooring,

roofing, electrical and heating

work, at the cost of $43,000.

1965 Another major renova-

tion project was launched.

1975 On September 9, the

Tabernacle was listed in the

National Register of Historic

Places. It was found to be

significant both under the areas

of Achitecture and Religion.

1980s The Tabernacle was

remodeled again and brought back

to its historic character and was

rededicated by now LDS Church

President Thomas S. Monson.

20002010 On December 17, at

2:45 a.m. the Provo Tabernacle

catches on fire in the attic and

burns or smolders for the next

two days.

On December 19, hundreds of

area residents came to a special

memorial service Sunday with

stories on their lips and memo-

ries in their hearts to pay tribute

to one of the great icons of Utah

County, the Provo Tabernacle.

The building burned to just the

outer brick, leaving in its rubble

numerous unanswered questions

and many hopes to rebuild.

2011 On March 31, fire

officials determined that an

incandescent light placed on a

wooden box ignited the fire that

destroyed the Provo Tabernacle.

On October 1, Pres. Thomas S.

Monson announces the Taber-

nacle will become Utah’s 16th

Temple and will be called the

Provo City Center Temple.

2012 On May 12, Elder Jef-

frey R. Holland officiates at the

ground-breaking ceremonies for

the Provo City Center Temple.

2015 Construction on the

Provo City Center Temple is

anticipated to be completed in

the Spring. An open house and

dedication will follow.

1910s

1909

2010

2011


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T

Mayor John Curtis said, “The

City Center Temple in downtown

Provo is a great example of what

two committed organizations can

accomplish in a public-private

partnership. This has been the

model on how to bring everyone

to the table for a unified outcome.

We’re all dedicated to having the

best temple/downtown experience.”

he new temple plans featuring a public walking path and grounds with an 1880s gazebo for waiting guests, and a place for

wedding pictures. Gardens will adorn all sides of the temple with a park open to the public on the north side of the building.

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Each of the new

stained glass

windows created

for the Provo

City Center Temple

will look out

over the heart

of a thriving city.

They will stand as

a representation

of a cherished

historic past while

looking out onto

our community

that is embracing

its heritage and

future.

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Provo is proud to be home to the much-anticipated Provo City Center Temple. Just one more way the city of Provo is a great place to call home.

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Tabernacle to Temple special section Daily Herald Provo, UT