Portland Stake Tabernacle

Portland Stake Tabernacle
(Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
Portland Stake Tabernacle is located in Portland, Oregon
Portland Stake Tabernacle
Location in Portland, Oregon
Religion
AffiliationThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Location
Location2931 SE Harrison Street, Richmond, Portland, Oregon
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45°30′31″N 122°38′07″W / 45.5087°N 122.6354°W / 45.5087; -122.6354
Architecture
ArchitectCharles Kaufman
TypeChurch
StyleGothic Revival
GroundbreakingAugust 25, 1928
Completed1929; 97 years ago (1929)
Specifications
Direction of façade
South
Capacity2,000
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Oregon Historic Site
Portland Significant Resource

The Portland Stake Tabernacle, (also known as the Portland First Ward Meetinghouse and the Colonial Heights Building), is a historic church building for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located in the Richmond neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. The building is designated as an Oregon Historic Site and as a Significant Resource by the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission.

George Wesley Bowers, one of the builders of the Tabernacle, is known for his nearby house.

Building

The 26,222 square foot meetinghouse seats over 2,000. The adjoining parking lot combined make the entire property 43,082 square feet. As of 2022, the property has a market value of $11.4 million.

History

In 1915, Hyrum Pope and Harold W. Burton designed a prairie school style meetinghouse on SE 25th and Madison. By 1928, Latter-day Saints in Portland outgrew this building. The plot for the Portland Stake Tabernacle was purchased and the cornerstone was laid on August 25, 1928. The tabernacle was designed by architect Charles E. Kaufman.

The tabernacle was first used on the same day the old meetinghouse was sold to the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (now the Community of Christ) in early February 1929. The old meetinghouse is now a Buddhist place of worship. The tabernacle was dedicated on February 18, 1929 with Anthony W. Ivins and Charles W. Nibley of the Church's First Presidency in attendance.

Apostle LeGrand Richards served as President of the Portland Branch in the tabernacle, and it has received multiple visits from Apostles and president of the Church David O. McKay.

The building was used as a meetinghouse until 2019 and as a Family History Center, providing Genealogy resources to the public, until 2022. The building is currently used only for Church events and occasional tours.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Oregon State Parks, Oregon Historic Sites Database, retrieved January 22, 2025.
  2. ↑ Portland Historic Landmarks Commission (May 1980), City of Portland Historic Resource Inventory, retrieved January 22, 2025.
  3. ↑ 50 Gatherings in Nine States April 2, Church News (as section of the Deseret News), 26 March 1955, p. 2
  4. ↑ "Genealogical Conventions Set, August 31". Deseret News. August 27, 1952. Retrieved 2014-06-03.
  5. ↑ "Well Known Utah Artist Dies in Oregon". Deseret News. October 3, 1946. Retrieved 2014-06-03.
  6. ↑ "Oregon Historic Sites Database". heritagedata.prd.state.or.us. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  7. ↑ "ArcGIS Web Application". pdx.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  8. ↑ "Readers Respond to Mormons Leaving Oregon for Idaho and Utah". Willamette Week. 2022-08-29. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  9. ↑ "A Southeast Portland Church Is Left Behind as Mormons Leave Oregon". Willamette Week. 2022-08-17. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  10. ↑ Jackson, Richard (2003). Places of worship : 150 years of Latter-day Saint architecture. ISBN 1591563909.
  11. 1 2 Jackson, Richard W. (2003). Places of worship : 150 years of Latter-day Saint architecture. Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University. p. 193. ISBN 1591563909.
  12. ↑ "LeGrand Richards of the Council of the Twelve". Improvement Era. November 1966. p. 1002.
  13. ↑ "Big Mormon Turnout Greets Spiritual Head". The Oregon Journal. July 23, 1951.
  14. ↑ "Mormon President Puts in Busy Sunday; Chapel Dedicated, New Bishop Ordained". The Oregonian. July 23, 1951.
  15. ↑ Jackson 2003, p. 193 harvnb error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFJackson2003 (help)
  16. ↑ Nibley, Preston. "McKay, David O.", Presidents of the Church, Deseret Book, 1977 (1974). ISBN 9780877474142
  17. ↑ "Portland Oregon Family History Center". FamilySearch Wiki. Retrieved 2020-07-07.