Renovation work on St. George Temple reaches 1-year milestone

ST. GEORGE — The renovation of the St. George Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hit its first-year milestone in November as work continues on the project.

The St. George Temple one year into a 30-month long renovation project that began in November 2019, St. George, Utah, November 2020 | Photo courtesy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, St. George News

The 142-year-old St. George Temple originally closed for renovation work in November 2019. The closure came on the heels of an earlier announcement that the church’s pioneer-era temples would be closed for renovations that included structural and utility upgrades.

“The work we are doing will strengthen the temple,” Brent Roberts, managing director of the special projects department for the LDS church, told reporters Friday. “It is to provide mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems to the temple that will last significant years into the future.”

Local media was invited to the temple renovation site Friday to get a first-hand look at the new construction that popped up over the last several months, as well as to learn more about the renovation work in general.

The two most striking changes the temple has undergone is the demolition of additions made in the 1970s. This included the western wing of the temple, which was torn down in January, as well as the northern annex that served as the temple’s primary entrance. The annex has been replaced with the “northern addition,” which is built to resemble the 19th Century architecture of the temple.

The “north addition,” a part of the 30-month renovation project for the  St. George Temple that began in November 2019, St. George, Utah, Nov. 6, 2020 | Photo by Mori Kessler, St. George News

The north addition has been built around a steel framework with the outer walls created from precast, reinforced concrete, said Andy Kirby, the church’s director of historic temple renovations.

“There’s been a lot of progress made on the construction site,” Kirby said. “The renovation of the St. George Temple, the main purpose, is to improve the experience for temple patrons in the future and to make sure the temple lasts many years into the future for the members of the church that come here.”

Before its closure, the St. George Temple was estimated to serve 12,000 Latter-day Saint youth in the region and 90,000 adults. The temple was also operated by a combination of 3,200 church members and volunteers.

Shoring up the hand-laid rock foundation was also accomplished in the last several months. The temple’s foundation and 14 stone columns were reinforced to improve stability by cladding support beams with steel, wrapping columns with resin-infused fiberglass and flanking each corner with steel pipes called micropiles, according to a press release from the church detailing the renovation work.

St. George, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, St. George News

“The load from the building will be transferred to micropiles that are driven deep in the earth … drilled down anywhere between 35 to 40 feet deep,” Eric Jamison, field project manager for the Special Projects Department that oversees temple construction for the church, said in the press release.

“This temple has lasted 142 years on the existing foundations,” Jamison added. “After beefing this up, we’re going to be able to ensure that the foundations last far beyond that.”

Additional improvements to the temple site include the addition of a new garden walkway around the outer edge of the temple grounds. Trees, foliage and decorative rock will be added along the walkway and across the temple site overall.

“We’re adding so many more trees than were originally here on the site,” Jamison said. “We have the south, west and the northeast corners of the landscaping that have been installed. We want the landscaping to be as mature as we can once the temple reopens.”

The renovation of the temple has provided some surprises as workers find items left behind by the original temple builders. This has come in the form of the woodwork found in the temple, as well as signatures left etched in some places.

“It’s a great experience to see and to imagine a time in which they built it and what resource they had,” Kirby said. “It’s awe-inspiring to see what they did with what they had at the time.”

Renovation work on the temple is anticipated to continue for another 18 months and conclude in 2022.

Security-wise, the temple construction site boasts over 20 cameras monitoring the worksite and the area surrounding it. Westland Construction, the contractor overseeing the renovation work, also employs security guards who patrol the site at night and also have an arrangement with local police to check in on the area as well.

“For us, it’s important, not only just as a general contractor, but even more so (as) we understand we are stewards of this temple,” said Ryan Thomas, a senior project manager with Westland. “It’s important not only to this community and the church as a whole, but also for all those who love the temple.”

A rendering of what the “north addition” of the LDS St. George Temple will look like once renovation work is completed by 2022. | Image courtesy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, St. George News

The St. George Temple is the oldest and longest-operating temple in the church. Construction began in November 1871, and the building was dedicated for use April 6, 1877. Since that time, the St. George Temple underwent major renovations in 1917, 1938 and 1975.

The temple is also considered significant to the LDS church due to the role it is believed to have played regarding the church’s doctrine involving baptism for the dead.

Once the renovation is complete, the St. George Temple will be open to the public for a short while for tours to showcase the renovations. After that, the temple will be rededicated for use by church members.

Latter-day Saints consider temples to be the “house of the Lord,” the most sacred places on the earth. Temples differ from the meeting houses or chapels where all are welcome to attend Sunday worship services. In the temple, according to LDS church descriptions, the teachings of Jesus Christ are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism and other ceremonies that unite families for eternity.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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