Bountiful Tabernacle

Bountiful's tabernacle wears its history in odd details. Among the oldest Latter-day Saint chapels still standing, it was designed by Augustus Farnham and built of adobe with its roof timbers pegged together, the lumber hauled from Holbrook Canyon. Its tower once carried five spires, the center one cut to work as a sundial. Begun in 1857 — the year Johnston's Army marched toward Utah — its stone foundation was pressed into service as a grain cache during the war scare. Heber Kimball dedicated the finished building in 1863, a $60,000 achievement for a young farming town.

What the plaque says

One of the oldest L.D.S. chapels. Finest at time of erection. Augustus Farnham architect. Site dedicated Feb. 11, 1857 by Elder Lorenzo Snow. Grain was stored in stone foundation when Johnston's army advanced. The walls are of adobe. Roof timbers fastened with wooden pegs. Lumber from Meeting House Hollow, Holbrook Canyon. Tower had five spires. The center spire served as a sun dial. Dedicated March 14, 1863 by Elder Heber C. Kimball. President Brigham Young presiding. Cost $60,000. Bishop John Stoker, Councilors Wm. Atkinson and Wm. H. Lee.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Lagoon Amusement Park — 6.7 mi
  A beloved family amusement park operating since 1886
• Ensign Peak — 6.8 mi
  A short hike to the spot where Brigham Young surveyed the valley
• Salt Lake City — 8.2 mi
  Utah's capital and largest city — where the Wasatch Range meets the Great Salt Lake.
• Temple Square — 8.2 mi
  The spiritual and architectural heart of Salt Lake City

More markers nearby

• Bountiful Lumber & Supply Company — steps away
• The Bamberger — 0.4 mi
• Bliss Hall — 0.4 mi
• Brick-Making in Bountiful — 0.5 mi