Morgan Stake Tabernacle
Although rebuilt in 1901 and remodeled several times since, the Morgan State Tabernacle continues to be the epicenter for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Morgan, Utah.
Shortly after the stake was organized in 1877, the Morgan Stake Tabernacle was built in 1878. The hard blue limestone used in its construction was quarried above Como Springs. The stone masons were George Criddle Jr., Henry Rock and Conrad Smith and their work on the building is still considered one of the best pieces of masonry in the state. At the time, workmen used wheelbarrows to haul rock to the masons atop the wall. Much of the work on the building was donated; however, those who were compensated for their work were paid with farm produce and meat donated as tithe offerings. The first conference held in the building was in May 1882.
In 1893, the building caught fire while Sunday School was in session. Children were quickly gathered, the meeting was dismissed, and everyone quickly exited the building. A bucket brigade was formed taking water from the ditch on Young Street. The roof and framework of the building were destroyed. Only a few seats and the organ were salvaged, along with the big rock walls that stood firmly in place. In 1901, it was rebuilt and rededicated by the Church and its members.
In 1937, at a cost of $28,000, an annex was added to the front of the building and parts of the interior were renovated. In 1955, a cultural hall was connected to the tabernacle. In 2007, church leaders decided that the original rock structure should be preserved as a historical monument and that a new building would be built around it. In 2008, the building was rededicated for the fifth time. The Morgan Stake building continues to be utilized by local church members.
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