The Kaysville Tabernacle
The Kaysville Tabernacle was built in 1912 after members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints outgrew their meetinghouse. It was renovated in the 1970s and still functions as a meetinghouse today.
By the beginning of the twentieth century, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Kaysville, Utah had outgrown their adobe meetinghouse. Church leaders commissioned William Allen (1849-1928), a local architect, to build a new meetinghouse that would accommodate local members. Construction began in 1910 and was completed on May 24, 1912. The members were excited to use the new building, as it was unique to the area. While unlike other tabernacles built at the time, the tabernacle lacked a tower, or spire at the top, it sported beautiful, large, stained glass windows and Greek-revival influences. Another key feature of the construction of the building was the local woodwork, which included custom stairway carpentry, moldings, and the pulpit of the central meeting hall.
During the construction of the meetinghouse, tragedy struck when Alex Barnes, a citizen of Kaysville commissioned to help with the construction, was killed. Barnes was pushing a wheelbarrow up a wooden ramp to the top of the building when he lost balance and fell off the top of the Tabernacle followed by the wheelbarrow, which crushed him. His loss was commemorated by Henry Blood’s speech during the dedication.
The cornerstone of the Tabernacle was laid on July 24, 1912, just two months after finishing construction. The ceremony dedicating the building was attended by many residents of the Davis County area, including the keynote speaker, Henry Blood (1872 - 1942), who would go on to become Utah’s Governor from 1933 to 1941.
Funds were raised starting in 1943 to expand the building. Construction began in 1949 and included a cultural hall, Relief Society room, and kitchen. A new wing was added in 1973 that featured additional classrooms, office space, and a library. The building was also remodeled in the late 1970s. This work restored and protected the stained-glass windows, upgraded the chapel, and improved the sound and cooling systems. Space for offices was added later.
The Tabernacle is listed on the Utah State Register of Historic Places and continues to be used as a meetinghouse by local congregations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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