Brigham City Tabernacle

The Brigham City Tabernacle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the most iconic (and photographed) building in Brigham City.

According to Jonathan C. Hunsaker’s “Pioneer Memories,” the originally chosen location for the tabernacle was where the Wells Fargo bank now stands. Joseph Knudsen and Joseph Packer were beginning the preparation for the foundation when President Brigham Young saw them and was curious what they were doing. When they told him, he told them that they were in what would become the “center of the business district” and had them follow him south. They walked down Main Street to what was known as “Sagebrush Hill.” The three of them walked around the property of what is now the temple lot. As they came back to Main Street, Brigham Young looked east, walked to the spot where the tabernacle now stands, and described it as “the backbone of the city, the highest spot along Main Street; this will be a high dry place for the water will drain off three ways, north, south, and west.” The tabernacle was eventually built and the site has allowed it to be visible from much of the area. It is of interest to note that Richard W. Jackson wrote that an entourage was gathered to dedicate the site at this time and they were all moved to the new site before the ceremony continued.

The tabernacle’s construction began in 1865 but was delayed by the men of the city going to work on the railroad. Work resumed around 1876 and it was completed in 1881. According to Richard W. Jackson, quoting Frederick Huchel, the first meeting was held on May 17, 1879 “with a borrowed organ and borrowed stoves for heat.” The building was described by Jackson as “essentially a Vernacular, modest stone building with Gothic style window and door openings. The pulpit was on the east end, it had no balcony, no vestry, and not much of a tower, just a squat one with four pinnacles barely above the ridge.”

Continuing from Jackson’s book, in 1889 it was decided to add “a real tower, a gallery across the rear (west) end of the hall, brick buttresses with decorative caps” and “other general improvements.” The tabernacle was dedicated again in 1890 but a hot air furnace, that was added in 1891, malfunctioned in 1896 and set fire to the building, destroying everything but the walls. The tabernacle was rebuilt within the year with additional changes including: facing “the other direction, was given a U-shaped gallery, had a new and heightened Gothic Revival style tower and featured enlarged pinnacles on the brick piers.” The building was dedicated again on March 21, 1897 “and a two-story vestry was added in 1910.” (Jackson)

“Places of Worship: 150 Years of Latter-day Saint Architecture” by Richard W. Jackson

We welcome any additional information that you have about this building.

The information and photos used in this post are for nonprofit educational and noncommercial purposes only.