Emery LDS Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Emery LDS Church
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 Location in Utah
Location in the United States
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| Location | 100 E 100 N, Emery, Utah |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1898 |
| Architectural style | New England Clapboard Style |
| NRHP reference No. | 80003903 |
| Added to NRHP | February 22, 1980 |
The Emery LDS Church is a really old and special building in Emery County, Utah. It's the oldest church building still standing there! It's also the very last church in Utah built in a unique style called "New England clapboard."
This building is important because of how it was built. It has a wooden frame covered with clapboard, which are overlapping wooden boards. Inside, it has walls made of adobe bricks. This mix of materials was very unusual for churches built around 1900.
Contents
A Special Building's History
Early Days in Emery
Before this church was built, the first settlers in Emery had a simple log cabin. This cabin was small, about 16 by 18 feet. It had a dirt floor and benches without backs. This little building was used for everything! It was the post office, a school, a meeting place, and even a fun hall for parties.
Building the New Church
Work on the Emery meetinghouse began in 1898. A meetinghouse is a building where members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) gather for worship and other activities. This new building was made from local wood. It was quite large, measuring about 36 feet wide and 84 feet long. It was said to hold up to 500 people!
Using a wood frame for a church was not common for LDS meetinghouses at that time. Many buildings in Emery County used wood frames. But churches often used heavier materials like brick.
Interestingly, a more expensive brick church was built nearby in Huntington, Utah in 1896. That brick church was later torn down in the 1960s. Some people thought the soil in Emery County, which had a lot of alkali, couldn't support heavy brick buildings. So, the lighter wood-frame church in Emery might have lasted longer because of its lighter weight.
Dedication and Use
The Emery meetinghouse was built under the direction of Bishop Alonzo Brinkerhoff. A Bishop is a local leader in the LDS Church. The construction was finished in 1900. Church services started right away in the new chapel.
However, there was a problem paying the $7,000 cost to build the church. Because of this, the building wasn't officially dedicated until July 27, 1902. At the dedication ceremony, Bishop Brinkerhoff proudly announced that the $7,000 cost was fully paid.
Rudger Clawson, an Apostle in the LDS Church, gave the dedicatory prayer. An Apostle is a high-ranking leader in the church. He praised everyone who helped build such a wonderful meetinghouse. He said that God's blessings would be upon the people for their hard work.
Later Years
This beautiful wood-frame church served the people of Emery well for many years. After World War II, the LDS Church started building different kinds of meetinghouses. These new buildings were designed for many uses.
So, a new, modern meetinghouse was dedicated on June 25, 1956. The old Emery LDS Church building was then bought by the city in 1967. The city used it as a town meeting hall and a recreation center.
