St. George Tabernacle
Encyclopedia
The St. George Tabernacle is a historic building in St. George
, Utah
. It opened in 1876 to serve as a public works building, originally hosting church services and court hearings. Today, it is open to the public and hosts many public events, such as concerts.
, Utah Territory
was seen to be an important site for the future of the LDS church. It was intended to be a cotton
-growing town to allow the Mormons to be self-sufficient. The arid climate of Utah's Dixie resulted in poor harvests, resulting in economic hardship. LDS leader Brigham Young
then commissioned the construction of public works buildings in the area to assist the farmers.
The tabernacle was intended to work as a church and a courthouse
. Funds for the building were raised by diverting all tithes from Beaver
and all communities southward. Construction began on June 1, 1863. The building was opened on May 14, 1876, with a dedication ceremony featuring Brigham Young, Jr.
Miles Romney, the son of noted artist George Romney
, created the plans for the building. The main clock and bell tower stands 140 feet (42.7 m) tall. Basement walls were 3 foot (0.9144 m) thick and the above-ground walls are 2.5 foot (0.762 m) thick. The red sandstone
bricks used to construct the building were intended to match the surrounding red cliffs. Inside, ceilings rise 29 feet (8.8 m) high with a plaster cornice
, supported by twenty columns. A gallery was built ten feet off the ground on the north, south, and east walls, with two circular staircases serving the east end. An organ was added in 1878. All materials were local, except for windows, shipped from Wilmington, California
. When completed, the church could seat 1,200 people. The clock tower was originally used by the city residents to tell time.
The tabernacle still stands and earned the nickname "jewel of the desert". It underwent restoration in 1993 to help it resemble its original state. The building is open to the public and hosts church services and local events, such as public concerts.
St. George, Utah
St. George is a city located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Utah, and the county seat of Washington County, Utah. It is the principal city of and is included in the St. George, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is 119 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 303 miles ...
, 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...
. It opened in 1876 to serve as a public works building, originally hosting church services and court hearings. Today, it is open to the public and hosts many public events, such as concerts.
History
The settlement of St. GeorgeSt. George, Utah
St. George is a city located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Utah, and the county seat of Washington County, Utah. It is the principal city of and is included in the St. George, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is 119 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 303 miles ...
, Utah Territory
Utah Territory
The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah....
was seen to be an important site for the future of the LDS church. It was intended to be a cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
-growing town to allow the Mormons to be self-sufficient. The arid climate of Utah's Dixie resulted in poor harvests, resulting in economic hardship. LDS leader Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
then commissioned the construction of public works buildings in the area to assist the farmers.
The tabernacle was intended to work as a church and a courthouse
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
. Funds for the building were raised by diverting all tithes from Beaver
Beaver, Utah
Beaver is a city in Beaver County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,454 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Beaver County.Settled by Mormon pioneers in 1856, Beaver was one of a string of Mormon settlements extending the length of Utah...
and all communities southward. Construction began on June 1, 1863. The building was opened on May 14, 1876, with a dedication ceremony featuring Brigham Young, Jr.
Brigham Young, Jr.
Brigham Young, Jr. served as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1899 until his death. His tenure was interrupted for one week in 1901 when Joseph F...
Miles Romney, the son of noted artist George Romney
George Romney (painter)
George Romney was an English portrait painter. He was the most fashionable artist of his day, painting many leading society figures - including his artistic muse, Emma Hamilton, mistress of Lord Nelson....
, created the plans for the building. The main clock and bell tower stands 140 feet (42.7 m) tall. Basement walls were 3 foot (0.9144 m) thick and the above-ground walls are 2.5 foot (0.762 m) thick. The red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
bricks used to construct the building were intended to match the surrounding red cliffs. Inside, ceilings rise 29 feet (8.8 m) high with a plaster cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
, supported by twenty columns. A gallery was built ten feet off the ground on the north, south, and east walls, with two circular staircases serving the east end. An organ was added in 1878. All materials were local, except for windows, shipped from Wilmington, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. When completed, the church could seat 1,200 people. The clock tower was originally used by the city residents to tell time.
The tabernacle still stands and earned the nickname "jewel of the desert". It underwent restoration in 1993 to help it resemble its original state. The building is open to the public and hosts church services and local events, such as public concerts.