Wasatch Stake Tabernacle, Main Street at 100 North Street, Heber City

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS UTAH,26-HEBER,3-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

One of the best preserved of the early tabernacles, this is part of what is probably the only remaining original Mormon town square in Utah not encroached upon'by other buildings. PART I, HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: 1. Original and subsequent owners: Wasatch Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Heber City 2. Date of erection: 3. Architect: Alex Fortie k. Builder, suppliers, etc: See Historical Account 5* Original plan and construction: An early historian, evidently writing during the period of consturction described the building as follows: "The building is 50 x 95 feet, thirty feet in height to the square. It is built on a heavy foundation which is 5 feet wide at the bottom and tapers upward to 3 feet at the top.

The walls are two feet thick, covered with a self supporting wood and iron roof. From this point the tower -will be completed in redwood and metal extending about twenty-five feet, making it in all about ninety feet high to the top of the weather vane. The tower is fourteen feet square - the walls of the building are strengthened by buttresses on the sides, front and rear. Galleries are erected on each side and end. The capacity is WASATCH STAKE TABERNACLE HABS No. U-27 (Page 2) The original plan of the building had an entrance foyer with stairs leading to the front (east) gallery. The large assembly hall had a stand at the west end, consis- ting of three tiers of seats , with a pulpit at the end of each row, and used "by church officials.

Galleries were on the end (east) north and south sides, with four rows of seats. Access to the tower was made through the east gallery, up winding steps to the belfry where a large bell was hung. The bell was used to announce church meetings, important events, and when necessary as a town fire alarm. At the rear (west) end of the main assembly space were two meeting rooms, situated one above the other behind the stand. The lower room was known as the "back room"; the upper room, access to which was through the galleries, was called the "circle room". The floors were scrubbed and bleached with home made soap. Home made carpets were laid down the aisles. Coal oil lamps hanging from the ceiling furnished light.

The building was heated by pot-bellied stoves in each of four corners of the assembly hall. A definite seating arrange- ment was prescribed. Men sat on the south side, women on the north side, ladies with babies around the stoves in the corners, and mixed couples in the center. 6. Alterations: In the interior of the building was extensively remodeled. The side galleries and the stand were removed, and the "back room" and "circle room" were replaced with a large atage, with space for choir and organ. The rear (east) gallery was made deeper. The main floor was made to slope up to the rear. A new heating plant was added beneath the stage area. All gallery columns were removed except those required for support of the east gallery.

The Wasatch Wave of Septem- ber 16, announced the remodeling cost as This is substantially the existing plan. Interior finish is plaster, painted. Lighting is by suspended incandes- cent fixtures. B. Historical Events and Persons Associated with the Building: The Wasatch Stake President Abrara Hatch, served as superinten- dent of the project. Elisha Averett was in charge of the masonry work and Alex Fortie directed the carpentry work. The shingles on the tower were made of sheet metal and placed by Frederick 0. Buell. Francis Kirby did the painting. The red sandstone was hand quarried from the mountains east of Heber at Lake Creek. The building was dedicated on May 5, and was announced to cost "more than by Mr. . Hatch. WASATCH STAKE TABERNACLE HAES No. U-2T (Page 3) C.

Sources of Information: 1, Primary and unpublished sources: Interview with Mr. Don Barker, President, Heber City Historical Society. Interview with Ruth Witt, Treasurer, Heber City Historical Society. 2.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS UTAH,26-HEBER,3-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Mortimer, Wm. James. How Beautiful Upon the Mountains , Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, Save the Tabernacle, pamphlet, Committee for the Pre- servation of the Heber Tabernacle, (No date, but published Wasatch Wave, May 11, Wasatch Wave, June 15 and September 15, Prepared by John L. Giusti, AIA September 5, PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION A. General Statement: 1. Architectural interest: In addition to being ,a typical early Mormon meeting house, it is part of the Heber Town Square which in itself is typical of the early Utah town square on which were located governmental, recrea- tional and religious activities. 2. Foundations: Rough coursed red sandstone ashlar, five feet thick at the bottom tapering to three feet at the top. 3.

Wall construction, finish and color: Rough coursed red sandstone ashlar. h. Structural system, framing: Masonry walls support a timber roof frame. 5. Porches and stoops: The front entrance has a cut red sandstone stoop with two risers. The side entrances have modern concrete stoops. 6. Openings: WASATCH STAKE TABERNACLE HABS No. U-27 (Page k) a. Doorways and doors: Front double doorway has an elliptical arched opening. Side doorways are recessed with flat lintels. All doors are modern. b. Windows and shutters: Auditorium double window open- ings are two stories high "but have -windows only at floor and gallery levels. Openings have elliptical arches. Each window is double hung and has two-over- two lights.

Front tower windows are double hung with gothic muntins and mullions inside a gothic arched opening. Stage window openings have elliptical arches and are located at floor and gallery levels. All win- dows have wood trim moldings. 7. Roof: a. Shape, covering: Roof is gabled and covered with rolled asphalt roofing. b. Cornice: Wood cornice with crown and bed moldings returns on the gabled ends. c. Dormers, cupolas, towers: The curved hip roof of the bell tower is covered with sheet metal shingles and has a weather vane. The tower is redwood. C. Description of Interior: 1. Floor plans: Originally the building had a large audi- torium space with a horseshoe gallery. Two meeting rooms were located above one another at the west end. There is an entrance foyer beneath the tower.

In the remodeling the side galleries were removed and the east gallery was enlarged. The west meeting rooms were re- moved and a stage was put in the west end, with furnace and dressing rooms beneath it. 2. Stairways: Gallery stairs in the northeast and the south- east corners are probably not original. Modern stairs along the northwest and southwest walls provide access to the stage and dressing areas. A square stairway ascends the bell tower from the gallery. 3. Flooring: Sloping wood floor of auditorium is not original, h. Wall and ceiling finish: Interior finish is painted plaster. 5. Doorways and doors: No original interior doorways remain. WASATCH STAKE TABERNACLE HABS No. U-27 (page 5) 6.

Decorative features and trim: The only significant trim is on the gallery rail where panel molds surround a patera, forming a pattern which is repeated at eleven inch inter- vals. 7. Lightings tyPe of fixtures: Modern incandescent fixtures replace original coal oil lamps. Lights have always hung from the ceiling. 8. Heating: Original heat was from stoves located in the four corners of the auditorium. A central furnace was installediin.1928. D. Site and Surroundings: 1. Orientation: The "building front is from the center of Main Street and its long north side is from 100 North Street. 2. Landscaping and walks, enclosures: The Wasatch Stake Tahernacle is centered in the northeast quadrant of the park-like Heber Town Square. To its south are the Wasatch County Courthouse and Jail.

To its west is the Heber Amusement Hall. A red sandstone walk extends east from the front to Main Street. Prepared by C. W. Barrow, Jr. Student Assistant Architect Utah Project I967 July 16, PART III. PROJECT INFORMATION This record is part of a Utah Survey conducted in the summers of I967 and under joint sponsorship of the Historic American Build- ings Survey of the Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation of the National Park Service and the Utah Heritage Foundation. Field work, historic research and record drawings were done under the direction of Project Supervisor Paul Goeldner, AIA (Texas Tech Univer- sity) assisted by Project Historian John L. Giusti, AIA (University of Utah). Photographs were made by P. Kent Fairbanks of Salt Lake City.

Student Assistant Architects on the team were Robert M. Swanson and Charles W. Barrow, (University of Texas) and Kenneth L. Lambert and Keith Sorenson, (University of Utah). Student Assistant Architects were Keith Sorenson, Charles D. Harker and Robert Schriever, (University of Utah) and Donald G. Prycer, (Texas A. & M. University).