Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-12-26
Granite Stake Tabernacle to be
Formally Opened Tomorrow
Afternoon.
PRAYER BY PRESIDENT SMITH.
In Addition to Addresses by Church
Leaders, Choice Musical Numbers
Will be Rendered.

The new and handsome Granite
Stake Tabernacle. located on the COR
ner OF State and Fourteenth South
streets, will be dedicated with fitting
ceremony tomorrow afternoon, the
meeting commencing at o'clock.
President Joseph II, Smith will offer
the dedicatory prayer, after which there
will be addresses by the the First Presi-
dency and choice musical numbers by
select quartet, the stake choir ana
others. The service is fraught with
great interest and it is quite likely
there will be large attendance.
The stake authorities have Issued an
attractive souvenir program In honor
location Of the building is about as
near as may be the exact center OF
population of the Granite stake. From
present. Indications, too, the site chosen
is more than likely to remain the CEN
ter OF population for all time. And
while somewhat north and east of the
geographical center OF the stake, any
objection on this score ls more than
offset by the advantages which the site
affords. II Is on the direct line OF the
road running east and west from
Hunter ward on the west, eastery
through the successive wards OF Gran
ger. Mill Creek, MILFORD and East Mill
Creek. And being on the State Road
running north and south through the
stake, II has In this direction the best
highways for travel by team as well as
unexcelled connections by electric
cars; facilities that will become more
and more perfect as time passes. From
this point so desirable as a center the
view embraces all OF the most pleas
ing features of the landscape of the
beautiful Salt Lake valley.
The building is unique In architec-
ture there being no other structure In
the Church built upon the same plan.
The basement floor IL designed for
stake entertainments. and is divided
into large assembly room 64x64 feet,
with large stage. Around this are
six rooms In semi-circ ular form, easily
| converted into three by folding doors,
| desgnd for meeting places Of the vari-
| GUS auxiliary organizations. The up
per or assembly floor is nearly 106x
| log feet In size. with organ platform,
| choir and speakers stands on the east
/ side. There are four entrances, one
| on each corner of the building. The
| floor OF the assembly hall slopes from
each quarter to the center, and seats
$500 people. The dome rises 20 fet
! above the assembly hall floor. the root
being supported by two large trusses
running dlagonslly across tn building
with span OF 9S feet The hall IL light
ed by four rows--124-incandes
lights, and by five arc lights III an i'm
| mense chandelier suspended from the
apex OF the dome. The Estey pipe or
gan back OF the speakers stands cost
$4,000, and has 500 pipes. The seating
and finishing are samples of the most
modern methods In these respects The
great square tower on the southwest
corner rises 1873 feet from the base e
the pinnacle and has several commo'
dious meeting rooms on the various
floors reached by a stairway.
Work on the grounds was begun OF
Monday, Nov. a. 1902 and more thar
10000 loads of sand and gravely sol
were dumped onto the site. Timberi
were then driven into the earth, ant
the foundation, Containing so tons o
cement, is laid on las piles upon which
the structure rests. The foundation
was completed and mason work begun
about April 10, 1903, continuing unit
the $4,000 bricks in the building wer
laid. on Sunday, May II, 1903, tn
corner stone was laid by Preslden
John r. Winder. The first meeting
were held in the assembly hall OF