Hunting for Old Tabernacles
Another journey during lockdown.
During my photography journey especially during 2020, I discovered the love of taking pictures of old buildings. They can be abandoned or restored and functional. You name it, I’ll most likely take a picture of it.
One of the projects or journeys I like to call it were mostly taken during lockdown and summertime. I was out to find any of the old LDS (Latter Day Saint) Tabernacles that were still standing in Utah and Idaho.
After doing some research, I found four tabernacles that I was able to visit and take some pictures. Links are posted down below with more information.
The first was in Brigham City, Utah, an hour and fifteen minutes north of Salt Lake City. Second was Logan, Utah, and hour and a half north of Salt Lake. Third in Manti, Utah, two hours and fifteen minutes south of Salt Lake. The final one is in Paris, Idaho, three hours north of Salt Lake.
Brigham City Tabernacle, also known as Box Elder Stake Tabernacle was the only one besides Logan that I knew about. It’s located right on Main Street, so you can’t miss it. The building was completed in 1890, but suffered a fire that gutted it in 1896. It was rebuilt and rededicated in 1897. Within a year the tabernacle was rebuilt with woodwork, a gothic/revival tower and sixteen pinnacles
If you’re up to a little walking around, the grounds at this tabernacle are so beautiful during spring and summertime when the flowers are in bloom. I’ve visited this tabernacle during spring a few times to enjoy the flowers.
Logan Tabernacle was the other that I knew about beforehand. This is also located on Main Street. A unique fact about this building is it took 27 years to complete. Building started in 1864 and was dedicated in 1891. Work was delayed twice. First time in 1872 and the second time in 1877.
The architectural work on this tabernacle is one of my favorite styles for the time. It’s characterized with elements of Greek, Roman, Gothic and Byzantine styles and was built with local materials from the area.
Manti Tabernacle was the first tabernacles I’ve never seen before. The town of Manti was also a new town for me to visit. The building of tabernacle dates back from 1878–1882. Victorian and gothic design with a 30 foot high ceiling in the main chapel.
A fun fact about this picture. If you look at it, what is the first thing you see? Would it happen to be the sky and clouds? If you guessed that, then you did better than I did. When I took the picture, I didn’t notice the clouds until editing later on. To me, the clouds make the picture.
The final tabernacle on the list is Paris, Idaho. Located in the cute little town of Paris, just up the road a bit from Bear Lake. Building started in 1884 and finished in 1889. Joseph Don Carlos Young, who was one of Brigham Young’s sons designed the building.
I don’t know if you can tell by the picture, but it was made out of sandstone that was located 24 miles southeast from Indian Creek and brought up to Paris. During wintertime, the sandstone was hauled in on carts across the frozen Bear Lake. Makes sense since the road would’ve been covered in snow. When I visited Paris, the air was smoky from the horrible wildfire season not only in Utah, but from California as well.
Taking this journey during lockdown and after places were starting to reopen was very exciting. I feel like my photography was starting to improve picture by picture. Lockdown did give me some time to learn more about my camera. Down the road, I would like to find more tabernacles and learn more about them. Learning was half the adventure.