Emery LDS Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Emery LDS Church
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Utah
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 100 E 100 N, Emery, Utah |
|---|---|
| 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 very old and important building in Emery, Utah. It is the oldest religious building still standing in Emery County. It is also the last building of its kind in Utah that uses a special "New England" style of wood siding called clapboard.
This meetinghouse is special because of how it was built. It has a wooden frame covered with clapboard on the outside. Inside, the walls are made of adobe, which are sun-dried mud bricks. This way of building was quite unusual for a church of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) around the year 1900.
Contents
Early Days in Emery
When the first settlers arrived in Emery, they needed places to gather. They built a post office and a small log cabin. This cabin was only about 16 by 18 feet.
It had a dirt floor and simple wooden benches without backs. This one-room cabin was used for many things. It served as a school, a meeting place for church, and even a hall for fun events.
Building the New Church
Work on the Emery meetinghouse began in 1898. The church was built using wood from the local area. It was quite large, measuring about 36.5 feet wide and 84.5 feet long.
The building was designed to hold up to 500 people. This was a big space for the community at that time.
Why Wood Was Unusual
Using a wooden frame for construction was common for many buildings in Emery County. However, it was not often used for LDS meetinghouses. Most LDS churches built around that time were made of brick.
For example, a more expensive brick church was built in 1896 in nearby Huntington, Utah. That brick church was later taken down in the 1960s. Some people believed that the soil in Emery County, which had a lot of alkali, could not support heavy brick buildings. They thought the lighter wooden church in Emery was better because its foundation would not weaken like the brick one in Huntington.
Dedication and Use
The Emery meetinghouse was built under the guidance of Bishop Alonzo Brinkerhoff. The construction was finished in 1900. Even though it was finished, church services started right away.
However, the building was not officially dedicated until July 27, 1902. This delay happened because there was a problem paying the $7,000 construction cost. At the dedication ceremony, Bishop Brinkerhoff announced that the building was paid for. Elder Rudger Clawson, an important leader in the LDS Church, gave the dedicatory prayer. He praised everyone who helped build the "splendid meeting house."
A New Purpose
The beautiful wooden church served the people of Emery well for many years. After World War II, the LDS Church started building new, modern churches that could be used for many different activities.
Because of this, a new, modern meetinghouse was dedicated on June 25, 1956. The old Emery church building was then bought by the city in 1967. The city used it as a hall for town meetings and community events.
