Provo City Center Temple visitors

In December 2010, this historic building erupted in flames during the night and soon all that was left was a brick shell.  It broke the heart of the Provo community as well as the hearts of those who once lived here but still held memories.

Later in October of 2011 it was announced that the building would be rebuilt but for another use.  It would become a holy temple to the Lord.

The brick walls were stabilized and and steel girders placed under those walls so that the earth might be removed so that additional construction could take place on the lower level.

It has been a miracle to watch over the years as what was mostly ashes has been restored according to this plan.

What had stood as a ruin with the light shining through lost window spaces . . .

was now a beautiful edifice fully renewed six years later.  It has been magical to watch this process.

Once again it looked much as the original tabernacle had looked in the 1890's with its center tower soon removed as it was too heavy for the roof.  This building has been reconstructed and is ready for use for at least another 100 years.  In the beginning weeks of January it opened for viewing by the general public before its dedication to the Lord on March 20, 2016.  It has been a great experience to share this beautiful building with family and friends.

The first Saturday the temple was open, we braved the morning chill of temperatures in the teens to go inside this building we had been watching for the last five years.  It did not disappoint.

Joining us in this early morning adventure were my sisters with one husband and a son.

A month later, we were back with our local grandchildren.  That sweet little girl called it "grandma's castle."

The oldest, who is ten, was fascinated to learn about the history of this building.

A couple of weeks later I was back for a third time.  My great Mesa friend, Kathy, was in Provo for training at the MTC before leaving for Virginia on her mission.  She was finished with her training so we braved the Friday afternoon lines while we talked and walked.  It was so fun to experience the beautiful interiors with her and now I felt almost like I could be temple guide.

It was also a joy to be able to walk right up next to the building after viewing the progress from the post office parking lot on the southwest corner of the temple lot.

I feel so privileged to live in this temple district with a view of this tower and Angel Moroni from my Provo home.

I look at the brick work and marvel at the restored brick and art glass windows.

I feel like it honors all those workers who first sacrificed to build the tabernacle all those years ago.

I'm sure that they never imagined that their work would become the impetus for a  "The House of the Lord."

This statue honoring the family is on the north side. It is most appropriate because that is what temples are about, the linking of families for eternity.

 The background is the buildings of historic Provo, many being built in the 1880's.

This is my last  photo from the post office parking lot.  This glorious building has been worth the wait and it has been so rewarding to share it with others.

Provo City Center Temple update

When I delivered my Christmas cards to the post office I also took pictures of what is happening at the Provo City Center Temple.

They have wrapped the building for winter work but we have enjoyed a very warm December with highs in the 50's.  All that scaffolding is in place so they can reinforce every brick with new mortar made from the same recipe as the original mortar.

This may look like a yurt on the south side but it will be an enclosed viewing gazebo.  Enclosed because those waiting for the wedding party to exit the temple will have a warm place to do so during winter.

I took these photos from in front of the post office.  The chain link fence in the back parking lot has been replaced by a cement wall which limits my picture taking.

Provo City Center Temple

I was at the post office this week and took these latest pictures of progress on the Provo City Center Temple.  When at the post office, this is the south side of the temple.  Last winter the north side was covered in white plastic but the same thing is now happening on the south side without a need for protection from the cold.

The masons are slowly replacing all the mortar between the original bricks with mortar made as they would have made it over one hundred years ago.  The original bricks are a soft brick and if the harder mortar of today was used it would compromise the bricks.

My original pictures east were of a gigantic hole in the ground.  It is now completely covered up and there will be underground parking in this space.  That structure will be the glass encased viewing and waiting pavilion when finished.  Just a little update.

Provo City Center Temple presentation

As part of the Historic Provo days of the Freedom Festival, I went to a presentation by the project manager of the Provo City Center Temple.  It was fascinating.  I loved this cut away diagram.  It is as if you removed the east side of the temple.

The project manager is also a civil engineer and he was so excited to tell us how they solved all the problems of keeping what was left of an over one hundred year old building, in use since 1898, to create a glorious new temple.  The original brick walls were five bricks wide.  They removed the inner two bricks, reinforced the walls with rebar and then put concrete on the inside.

It was an amazing feat to excavate beneath the structure while essentially placing it on stilts.  The plans called for creating two underground levels so 40 feet of earth was removed.  This also included a system for removing ground water which was found at 20 feet.  There were sensors placed at each piling and yes, those sensors did sense movement as the sun rose and there were temperature changes.

And finally it became an enclosed space and foundation.

The Provo Tabernacle was designed by the same architect who designed the Manti Temple.  William H. Folsom, a Salt Lake City architect, moved to Manti to supervise construction and interestingly both buildings were under construction during the same time period.

For more about the Manti Temple go here.

Each time I have gone to the post office which sits to the southwest of the construction site, I have taken a picture or two.

The original building had a center spire which was later removed because it was causing the ceiling to bow.  That feature is being recreated on the new temple.

All winter, I wondered why the building was wrapped in white plastic.  Now I know.  There was a gap between the building and the plastic and inside that gap was a cadre of brick masons who were removing the 100 year plus mortar and replacing it with new mortar although of the same "recipe."  The bricks of this structure are relatively soft and they would be compromised with a hard mortar.  The white plastic was to protect the masons from the cold winter elements.

 

This is what I saw this week.  The underground level is now out of sight and workers were trimming rebar from the reinforced concrete atop what will be underground parking.

A pavilion is being constructed on this concrete.  It will be a viewing area, glass enclosed, for those waiting for brides and grooms to exit the building or just to enjoy the beauty of the place.

It is summer, so the masons continue to work brick by brick but with out the white covering on the south side.

Completion is still more that a year out, but the excitement builds.  The focus will soon be on the interior.

Who could believe that when this building burned on December 17, 2010 that something wonderful could rise from the ashes.  The interior will be decorated in the Victorian style of the original tabernacle.  There will be art glass and other features to match what used to be.  After the fire, they spent six months sifting through the inside salvaging anything that they could for historical purposes.  It wasn't until October Conference 2011 that those who proceeded with the salvage operation knew the true purpose of their work.  The new tower with the Angel Moroni will be the location of the Celestial Room with sealing rooms to the north and south.  It truly will be glorious!

For more extensive information go here. 

Provo City Center Temple

A week ago I took some pictures of the progress on the Provo City Center Temple when I went to the post office.  The post office parking lot is a great spot for taking pictures of this amazing construction project.

As you can see, they have dug the earth out to basement level and there is so much happening underneath and to the south of the old tabernacle building.

This will be a giant outdoor space with water features.

It has been so interesting to watch the progress of creating new from the old that was so loved.

Now I left the post office and have made my way to the north side.

I'm not sure about the purpose of wrapping the building in plastic, but I can tell you that the middle spire changed dramatically last Tuesday.

The Angel Moroni was placed on the very peak of that spire.

The Angel Moroni is found on many LDS temples.  It was the Angel Moroni who appeared to Joseph Smith and gave him instruction as well as showed him where to find the buried gold plates which were translated and printed as The Book of Mormon.  He symbolizes the restoration of the gospel and the preaching of it to the world with the horn held to his lips.

The placing of the Angel Moroni is never a formal event nor widely announced.  I felt so bad when I discovered that I had missed it by just a few minutes.  But I soon discovered that that new middle and taller spire is visible from the south facing windows of our town home in Provo.  There it is, dead center in the above picture near the crane.  You can't see it in the photo, but I could see the golden gleam as the sun shone on Angel Moroni this morning.  This temple has become very precious to me.