Provo Tabernacle
Encyclopedia
The Provo Tabernacle is a tabernacle
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a large church-like structure in downtown Provo
, Utah
, United States
. It is a historic icon of Provo and has been home to many religious and cultural events. Severely damaged by fire in December 2010, it is to be restored and converted into a temple
.
$100,000. In 1917, the cupola
was removed due to the roof sagging.
, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced in General Conference that the Provo Tabernacle would be rebuilt to serve as a second temple
in Provo. This will be the second instance in LDS Church history where two temples will be in the same city, the first being the Jordan River and Oquirrh Mountain temples in South Jordan, Utah
. This is also the second tabernacle in Utah to be converted to a temple, the first being the Vernal Utah Temple
. The restoration will "include a complete restoration of the original exterior," and the artist's rendition in the press release includes the central tower from the original building.
Tabernacle (LDS Church)
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a tabernacle is a multipurpose religious building, used for church services, conferences, and as community centers. They differ from meetinghouses and temples in design, scale, and purpose...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a large church-like structure in downtown Provo
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is a historic icon of Provo and has been home to many religious and cultural events. Severely damaged by fire in December 2010, it is to be restored and converted into a temple
Temple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are 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...
.
Building
The construction for the tabernacle started in 1883. It was built for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a meeting place. It was completed in 1898, at the cost of USDUnited States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
$100,000. In 1917, the cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
was removed due to the roof sagging.
Cultural impact
The Tabernacle was home to many concerts, LDS stake conferences, and other community events. In the 1930s, Herald R. Clark, the head of BYU's College of Commerce, arranged to use the tabernacle for university lyceum programs. One of the most famous lyceums occurred in 1938 when composer Sergei Rachmaninoff performed in concert. In 1975, the building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.Fire
On December 17, 2010, at 2:43 AM MST, a four-alarm fire was reported at the tabernacle. Firefighters immediately rushed to find smoke coming from the building. At first firefighters thought that there might be a chance to save the roof and thus the outward structural integrity of the building, but at around 6:00 AM MST the roof collapsed. The fire continued to burn throughout the day.Provo City fire report
On March 31, 2011, after 12 weeks of investigation, Provo City Fire Department released their findings and conclusion to the Provo Tabernacle Fire. The report states "The most probable proximate cause of the fire at the Tabernacle December 17, 2010 is a heat source, specifically an energized 300 watt lamp, which was placed too close to combustible materials, specifically a wooden speaker enclosure." The report also finds deficiencies with the lack of a fire protection system (including automatic sprinklers and notification system) and human error (including multiple failures to alert authorities of suspicious circumstances such as odor, correcting an unsafe condition, and failure to recognize and respond to the fire alarm).Restoration
On October 1, 2011, Thomas S. MonsonThomas S. Monson
Thomas Spencer Monson is an American religious leader and author, and the 16th and current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . As president, Monson is considered by adherents of the religion to be a "prophet, seer, and revelator" of God's will on earth...
, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced in General Conference that the Provo Tabernacle would be rebuilt to serve as a second temple
Temple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are 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...
in Provo. This will be the second instance in LDS Church history where two temples will be in the same city, the first being the Jordan River and Oquirrh Mountain temples in South Jordan, Utah
South Jordan, Utah
South Jordan is a city in the U.S. state of Utah. The city lies in the Salt Lake Valley between the peaks of the Oquirrh Mountains and the peaks of the Wasatch Mountains and is part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area...
. This is also the second tabernacle in Utah to be converted to a temple, the first being the Vernal Utah Temple
Vernal Utah Temple
The Vernal Utah Temple is the fifty-first temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Located in Vernal it is the tenth LDS temple in the state of Utah....
. The restoration will "include a complete restoration of the original exterior," and the artist's rendition in the press release includes the central tower from the original building.
External links
- Unofficial website (provotabernacle.org)
- Provo Tabernacle Fire page by the City of Provo
- Remembering the Provo Tabernacle, Photograph Archives in Special Collections, Harold B. Lee LibraryHarold B. Lee LibraryThe Harold B. Lee Library , located in Provo, Utah, is the main academic library of Brigham Young University, the largest religious and second-largest private university in the United States. The library has approximately of shelving for the more than 6 million items in its various collections, as...
- NRHP Listings in Provo Utah