Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial |
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The obelisk in May 2009
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| Location | White River Valley, Sharon, Vermont, United States |
| Dedication | December 23, 1905 |
| Governing body | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
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The Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial is a tall, pointed stone monument called an obelisk. It stands on a hill in the White River Valley in Vermont, United States. This special monument is near the towns of Sharon and South Royalton. It marks the exact spot where Joseph Smith was born on December 23, 1805.
The monument was built by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This church sees Joseph Smith as its first president and a very important prophet. The church still owns and takes care of the memorial site. Many visitors come to see it each year.
Building the Memorial
In 1884, a leader from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, named Junius F. Wells, visited Joseph Smith's birthplace. He thought it would be a good idea to build a monument there.
The church president at the time, Joseph F. Smith, agreed with the plan. Wells then managed the building of the monument and a small house in 1905. The Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial was officially opened on December 23, 1905. This was exactly 100 years after Joseph Smith was born. Joseph F. Smith himself dedicated the memorial.
By 1907, Wells reported that about seven to eight thousand people had already visited the site.
What the Memorial Looks Like
The main part of the monument, the obelisk, stands 50 feet (about 15 meters) tall. It weighs around 100 short tons (about 90 metric tons). The long, polished shaft of the obelisk is 38.5 feet (about 11.7 meters) long. This length represents one foot for each year of Joseph Smith's life.
The stone for the obelisk came from a quarry in Barre, Vermont. People have called its construction a "remarkable engineering feat." It is also known as "one of the largest polished shafts in the world."
On the same property as the memorial, there is a visitors' center. There is also a meetinghouse for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You can visit the center and take tours of the memorial site for free.
