Built in 1936 and dedicated in 1941 on the site of Mapleton’s first Meetinghouse, the white church is possibly the most iconic thing in Mapleton, Utah.
In January of 1933 Frank M. Jenson was installed as Bishop of Mapleton LDS 1st Ward. Soon after the ward got busy and began to tear down the old meeting house. By 1936 a new building was given a work receipt that could be exchanged for food. Progress was slow and steady, but by September 30, 1937 the walls were up and the roof nearly completed. By late 1938 most of the inside work was completed.
The new building had an amusement hall, chapel, relief society quarters, heating plant, baptismal font, and classrooms. The benches and pulpit were made from black walnut trees that movable panel that separated the amusement hall from the chapel. It could be opened to increase the seating capacity of the chapel for large meetings. Finally, A. Leo Harmer reported that all the debts were paid off and the work was completed on the new meeting house. Elder Charles A. Callis of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church came to Mapleton on Sunday, April 27, 1941, and formally dedicated the new edifice. The building cost was $34,000 plus many hours of donated labor.
Information taken from the “History of Mapleton”
By Ralf Kay Harmer & Wendell B. Johnson
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