Salt Lake Tabernacle – Built or Found?
The Salt Lake Tabernacle Narrative
They say that construction of the Salt Lake Tabernacle began in 1863 and was completed in 1867, taking about four years. This iconic building, known for its unique design and remarkable acoustics, has been a central gathering place for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
As for the wall around Temple Square, construction started in 1852 and involved building a fourteen-foot wall of sandstone and adobe. The exact duration of this project isn’t specified, but it was part of the early efforts to establish and protect the temple grounds.
NOTE: We are also told that the power tool was not invented until 1895 by the German engineering company C&E Fein.
The story goes like this: The Salt Lake Tabernacle was primarily designed and constructed under the direction of Henry Grow, a civil engineer known for his innovative use of the lattice-truss arch system. Brigham Young, the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the time, played a significant role in overseeing the project and ensuring its completion. Truman O. Angell also contributed to the design, particularly with the addition of the gallery in 1870.
They also say that construction involved many skilled craftsmen and laborers from the Latter-day Saint community, reflecting a collective effort to create this iconic structure.
Addressing the Basements (or Lower Levels)
The Salt Lake Tabernacle does have a basement level. Original plans included a lower area for a baptistery (a large font for religious baptisms, used until the 1890s when the nearby Salt Lake Temple’s was completed), plus later additions like dressing rooms and a music library.
As the story goes, this basement was excavated and built concurrently with the foundations starting in 1863, using the same local sandstone and manual digging with picks and shovels. It served practical needs like storage and utilities, not as a “fairy tale” mystery. During 2004–2007 renovations, the basement was expanded for modern use, but the original was modest and feasible with hand labor—pioneers had already dug extensive irrigation canals and cellars in the valley.
The Handmade Organ: A Masterpiece Built Over Time
The famous Salt Lake Tabernacle organ wasn’t fully “handmade” in one go during 1863–1867; it started small and grew. Joseph Ridges, an English immigrant and organ builder, began work in 1863 using local pine for wooden pipes (metal ones were imported or recycled).
The initial installation in 1867 had about 700 pipes, hand-pumped by five men, and was playable for the first conference. It expanded gradually: to 2,000 pipes by 1870, then 11,623 by the 1940s, with electric blowers added later. Ridges’ team hand-crafted components on-site or in nearby shops, drawing from his Australian organ-building experience. This wasn’t rushed; it evolved as the building did, proving human-scale craftsmanship was up to the task.
The 8,000 Seats:
Simple Bench capacity in the Salt Lake Tabernacle is 7,000–8,000, but these were basic wooden benches (many handmade from local lumber), arranged in galleries and on the main floor—no individual seats like modern arenas. Installation happened post-roof in 1867, with volunteers building and placing them. Modern equivalents (e.g., stadiums) use prefab materials, but pioneers’ version was straightforward carpentry.
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