Meetinghouse

See this page in the original 1992 publication.

Author: Hamilton, C. Mark

Meetinghouses for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are often called chapels, but technically the chapel is a special part of the meetinghouse in which worship services are held. In the tradition of the New England meetinghouse, LDS meetinghouses are multipurpose facilities. They developed from a single-room, multiuse building to multiroom complexes.

THE MEETINGHOUSE, 1847-1869. Before 1847 there were few LDS meetinghouses. Soon after the Saints arrived in the Great Basin region in 1847, single-room structures were constructed of indigenous materials in all established communities. Where it was deemed prudent to build forts for the protection of the settlers, such meetinghouses were included within the overall design of the protective enclosure. They had earthen or plank floors, small paned windows, open ceilings, and a roof that could be made from a variety of natural materials. Each served as a chapel, a general meeting facility, and often also a school, making it the focus for the activities of the community or settlement.

Later meetinghouses in this period exhibited a greater sense of style than their earlier counterparts. Classical pediments, bracket motifs, pilasters, small steeples, and inside columns became more frequent. Yet one may not classify these meetinghouses stylistically as Federal, Greek, or Gothic Revival, or as New England variations on English architect Christopher Wren. Rather, the majority remained either eclectic or of a vernacular "high style."

THE MEETINGHOUSE, 1869-1890. More sophisticated designs were developed to accommodate the rapid growth of the Church following the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. Ward needs were met by the construction of halls or chapels of appropriate size with seating benches that faced a raised pulpit area. In some meetinghouses, the floor of the hall was sloped downward toward the pulpit area, and there was a backwall gallery, reached by staircases located at either corner of the hall or by an outside entrance. At times, the gallery extended from the back along the side walls of the meetinghouse. The ceilings were either flat or elliptical depending on the abilities of the artisans. Often, instructional and meeting rooms were placed behind the pulpit area to augment those in the undercroft or basement.

THE MEETINGHOUSE, 1890-1920. Important changes were made in the general design of LDS meetinghouses in the early twentieth century. At first separate halls were built adjacent to many meetinghouses for use in needed cultural and recreational activities of the auxiliary organizations of the Church and for the service activities of the Relief Society. Later modified designs incorporated the separate structures into the overall design of the meetinghouse. The combination of prospering LDS communities, growing numbers of qualified artisans, and a broader knowledge of architectural design led to a greater level of architectural sophistication. Wrenish entrance fronts with associated towers and spires became more frequent. The overall architectural styles of meetinghouses in this period can best be described as Classical, Romanesque/Gothic, and Victorian.

The period between 1890 and 1920 is usually regarded as the most individualistic period in Church architecture. Some of the Church's gifted artisans were sent to study at distinguished educational institutions and brought their knowledge and skills back to Utah. For instance, Joseph Don Carlos Young, a son of Brigham Young, went to Rennselaer Polytechnical Institute in New York and earned a degree in architecture. Shortly after his return, he was appointed Church architect. One of his responsibilities was to complete the Salt Lake Temple, which he did in 1893. His virtuosity in architecture soon led him and others to employ distinctive and sometimes exotic variations in style.

The most unique aspect late in this period was the introduction of the "Wrightian style." Derived from the cubic forms of the American modernist Frank Lloyd Wright, it was adapted to LDS meetinghouse architecture by Utah architects Hyrum Pope, Harold W. Burton, and Taylor Woolley (the latter having served as the head of Wright's Detroit office). It became known as the "Mormon style."

THE MEETINGHOUSE AND STANDARD PLANNING, 1920-1990. Standard planning has characterized LDS architecture since 1920, beginning with Joseph Don Carlos Young in the late years of his work as Church architect. The transformation came in response to Church growth and the need for a more cost effective use of limited Church funds. In the process, attempts were made to arrive at what might be considered an authentic form of LDS architecture. Young devised a plan that structurally joined the previously separate chapel and classrooms with the recreational or cultural hall through a connecting foyer / office / classroom complex. The joining of the two building types created a diversity in ground plans reminiscent of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century English domestic architecture. They became known as "Young's Twins" or the "Colonel's Twins." Most often they were designed in the Colonial style, and soon they became the prominent building type within the Church in the western United States.

During the Depression and war years of the 1930s and 1940s, the Colonial style of the 1920s gave way to a pragmatic or "plain style."

Then in the administration of President David O. McKay (1951-1970), a new plan was introduced to replace what had become an impoverished form born of economic necessity. Devised by architect Theodore Pope, the new plan connected the cultural hall to the back of the chapel. A modification of the plan connected two chapels on the opposite ends of a single cultural hall, creating a double-ender or double-chapel design. The latter configuration was intended to reduce land and construction costs where there were larger concentrations of Church members in a small geographic area. Both arrangements allowed for the potential overflow from the chapel to expand into the cultural hall, making both areas more functional and increasing the frequency of use. Classrooms and other meeting areas were attached to or extended around the chapel and cultural hall areas. This concept remains in effect today, though there are differences in outward appearances, interior spatial flow, and room arrangements.

Another concept developed in recent years allows for structural expansion by building additions in regulated phases, to accommodate a small but growing congregation. These later changes stem from events associated with the energy crisis in the 1970s, the rapid growth of the Church, and rising construction costs.

Colonial or classical exterior styles continue to be popular both in America and internationally. Whatever historical or modern motifs are now used, they remain subordinate to the overall standard design concept based on pragmatic functionalism. However, some individualistic plans have been used to conform to special geographic or cultural requirements. Regardless of the resulting style or plan, a Latter-day Saint meetinghouse still serves the same function as the New England meetinghouse-as a multipurpose center for worship and cultural activities. C. MARK HAMILTON

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