General Resources
Church Meetinghouses Research Guide
Birmingham Chapel and Missionary Lodge (PH 3396)
The following are general resources for information about Latter-day Saint buildings:
Selected Books and Articles
Places of Worship: 150 Years of Latter-day Saint Architecture by Richard W. Jackson
This book, written by a former Church architect, details the development of form, function, and style of Latter-day Saint architecture from the 19th century through the late 20th century. Jackson identifies the major trends as well as information on individual buildings. The book is especially helpful for buildings constructed after 1950.
Nineteenth-Century Mormon Architecture and City Planning by C. Mark Hamilton
This book features an introduction on city planning in the pioneer era, then dedicates several chapters to the architecture of temples, tabernacles, meetinghouses, and other buildings.
Building Zion: The Material World of Mormon Settlement by Thomas Carter
This book uses the settlements of Sanpete County, Utah, as a case study to describe pioneer-era city planning and architecture. It is a revised edition of the author’s earlier work, Building Zion: Folk Architecture in the Mormon Settlements of Utah's Sanpete Valley.
Historic Architecture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: A Survey of LDS Architecture in Utah, 1847–1930 by Allen Roberts
This report, compiled with the assistance of Cornerstone: Mormon Architectural Heritage, the Utah Division of State History, and the Church History Department, is a significant survey of a variety of buildings built by the Church in Utah from 1847 to 1930.
Paul L. Anderson, “Mormon Moderne: Latter-day Saint Architecture, 1925–1945,” Journal of Mormon History, vol. 9, no. 1 (1982), 71–84.
This article discusses the Church adopting 20th-century architectural trends in meetinghouse construction.
Janell Brimhall, “‘Diversities of Gifts’: The Eclectic Architecture of Early LDS Churches,” Utah Historical Quarterly, vol. 68, no. 2 (Spring 2000), 157–71.
This article focuses on the variety of architectural styles of early meetinghouses.
W. Ray Luce, “Joseph F. Smith and the Great Mormon Building Boom,” Joseph F. Smith: Reflections on the Man and His Times, ed. Craig K. Manscill, Brian D. Reeves, Guy L. Dorius, and J. B. Haws (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2013), 320–41.
Luce discusses the “building boom” that occurred during the presidency of Joseph F. Smith, resulting in a large number of Church meetinghouses, tabernacles, and other buildings being constructed. He also describes the development of the design principles used for meetinghouses, such as the need for “amusement halls,” the forerunner of the contemporary “cultural hall.”
Trent Toone, “A Glimpse into the History, Highlights and Legacy of Mormon Tabernacles,” Deseret News, Oct. 24, 2015, deseret.com.
This online article gives a brief history of tabernacles built by the Church and includes an extensive slideshow of interior and exterior photographs.
Church Newsletters
During the Church’s construction boom of the mid-20th century, several newsletters were created to give updates. These were often published by the area building offices around the Church. The following resources provide substantial information on the construction of Church buildings throughout the world:
Published from July 1963 to 1965; covered building projects in Australia. (Available electronically.)
Published from 1963 to 1970; covered building projects in the British Isles. (Available electronically.)
Construction Era: Germanic Area
Published in West Germany in 1963; covered building projects in German-speaking countries.
Published briefly in 1965; covered building projects in Utah.
Published from 1963 to 1966; covered building projects in Japan. (Available electronically.)
Published by the Church Building Committee from 1960 to 1963; covered general construction news throughout the Church.
L.D.S. Construction News: Laie, Oahu, Hawaii
Newsletter for labor missionaries working on the Church College of Hawaii (BYU-Hawaii); published from 1960 to 1961.
Periodicals
Over the years, the following publications have consistently published articles on various Church-related structures. It is worth checking the index of each title for articles. All these publications are available electronically as well as in hardcopy at the Church History Library.
The longest-running academic journal covering Church-related topics, this BYU publication, which began in 1959, regularly features articles on architecture and buildings.
Dialogue is the second-longest-running academic journal about the Church, having its origins in 1966; it regularly carries articles on Church architecture.
This magazine, an official Church publication of the Mutual Improvement Association, ran from 1897 to 1970. New meetinghouses, temples, visitors’ centers, and other Church buildings received coverage.
The academic journal of the Mormon History Association has been in print since 1974 and carries articles on Church architecture.
The journal of the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation, this publication focuses solely on Church historic sites and buildings.
The official publication of the Sons of the Utah Pioneers started in 1928 and has consistently featured articles and pictures dedicated to historic Church buildings.
This was the monthly magazine for the women of the Church from 1914 to 1970. Though not a regular feature, articles on Church buildings (especially in Salt Lake City) can be found here.
This is the publication of the Utah State Historical Society and has been published since 1928. It regularly features Church architectural history.
Directory of General Authorities and Officers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
These directories from 1892 through 1970 feature the addresses for meetinghouses, stake centers, and mission homes. All are scanned and available online; information from post-1970 directories is available upon special request. Note that some addresses under a leader’s name may refer to a personal address or a meetinghouse address. Also note that the directories were not always consistent with providing the same information year after year, so you may want to check a span of several years to see if more information exists for the building you are interested in.