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20th Ward Meetinghouse

Formed in 1856 to accommodate rapid growth in the area, the 20th Ward originally met in a meetinghouse on 2nd Avenue between D and E streets. By 1884 the ward had moved to a new building on the same block, where it met until 1924 when the need for a larger facility and the desire of the school board to use the location for a school playground and auditorium prompted the sale of the property.

When the present site was purchased, Lewis Telle Cannon and ward member John Fetzer, partners in one of Salt Lake’s leading architectural firms, were hired to plan the new building. Designed in the Neoclassical style, it also exhibits Renaissance Mannerist influences, particularly in the double gable, discontinuous cornice, and Palladian style entry. The ground was dedicated and the cornerstone was laid on 18 May 1924 by LDS Apostle James E. Talmage, a ward member. The first use commenced 21 September 1924. The building was dedicated by LDS Church President Heber J. Grant on 17 April 1927. Over the years several compatible additions have been made to the basic L-shaped building. In 1941 the largest addition was completed on the southeast corner, creating a new entry and several classrooms. The stained glass windows were added to the chapel in the mid 1970s.

Located at 107 G Street in The Avenues of Salt Lake City, Utah

Preservation Utah‘s “Kletting in the Avenues” Historic Homes Tour said:
The design of the Twentieth Ward Meetinghouse reflects a significant shift in how the LDS Church built its meetinghouses. During the 19th century, church buildings were designed and built almost entirely by individual wards with each function (chapel, recreation hall, Relief Society building, bishop’s storehouse, tithing office, et al) occupying its own building. But by the 1920s, when this building was constructed, the design of meetinghouses was becoming increasingly standardized, primarily to consolidate those various functions.
Although its general layout may have been standardized, the design of the Twentieth Ward Meetinghouse showcases the high level of design available in the early 20th century to middle class wards with extra funds.
The meetinghouse was designed by the firm of Cannon and Fetzer, which designed other notable buildings in Salt Lake, including the Park Building at the University of Utah and West High School.