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MANTI — A restoration project on one of the oldest chapels in use by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was officially finished Sunday.
In the process of renovating the tabernacle in Manti over the past year and a half, workers got to see some examples of early pioneer workmanship.
"The actual renovation of this building is to put it back into original, pristine shape," said Mark Olson, an LDS Church stake president in Manti.
That provided a unique challenge — working with pioneer-era stone walls and foundations, in addition to the original timber brought from nearby canyons.
The tabernacle has served LDS Church members in the community all the way back to 1879, with initial construction completed less than 20 years after Mormon pioneers settled in the area.
The building has undergone remodeling and additions over the years, but the goal of the project was to use fixtures and designs that would illustrate the period of its construction, particularly in the chapel which depicts a scene from the New Testament.
Not only was the mortar removed and replaced with a style designed to match the pioneer era, the interior and exterior stone walls were tied together with a new concrete foundation, poured on the inside and outside of the building.
There's a lot of pioneer heritage here. It's an absolutely beautiful building. When you walk in, you feel a great spirit in there.
–Doug Barton
"The inscription 'Holiness to the Lord,' was actually done by my great-great-grandfather, William Barton," said the congregation's current LDS Church Bishop, Doug Barton.
Barton said he has attended meetings at the tabernacle since he was 12 years old, and he said people in the community feel a close connection to the 136-year-old edifice.
"There's a lot of pioneer heritage here," he said. "It's an absolutely beautiful building. When you walk in, you feel a great spirit in there."
It's a place where the work of skilled craftsmen can be seen during Sunday services, reflecting the faith of the Mormon pioneers.
"The architecture and the feeling that is here when we come to worship is pretty sweet," said Olson.
With the tabernacle open again, local Latter-day Saints said they feel like they are finally back home.
