| |
The land on which
this beautiful meetinghouse and grounds are located, where the Red
Butte Creek flows into the Salt Lake Valley, was originally deeded
to President Brigham Young, second president of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1857.
President Young
later conveyed the property in 1875 to his
younger brother, Lorenzo Dow Young.
In 1880, the property was acquired by Lorenzo
Young’s daughter, Josephine Young Carter, who subsequently
transferred twenty-one (21) acres, including this present site, to
LeGrand Young, President Brigham Young’s nephew and general counsel
to the LDS Church.
Lorenzo and LeGrand Young jointly made
improvements to the site, including the planting of numerous trees,
many of which remain on the grounds today.
John C. Howard acquired the
property in 1918 and enlarged the residence located on the site and
added the walls surrounding the grounds, as well as other small
buildings. In 1938, the LDS Church acquired the property for the
construction of the Garden Park Ward meetinghouse.
The current meetinghouse, built on the
foundations of the Howard residence, was originally dedicated on
April 2, 1939, by President Heber J. Grant, seventh president of the
LDS Church.
On April 2, 1989, the meetinghouse was
rededicated to commemorate its fiftieth anniversary.
Following
extensive renovations in 2007, the meetinghouse and grounds were
rededicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley, fifteenth president of
the LDS Church, on January 20, 2008.
The rededication of the Garden Park Ward was
President Hinckley’s final public appearance prior to his death on
January 27, 2008.
We welcome you to
the historic Garden Park Ward and grounds.
The oak grove, trees, stream and pond,
together with the meetinghouse and chapel provide a place of
worship, tranquility and beauty with historic ties to the Mormon
Pioneers.
When visiting the grounds, we invite
your kind observance of the following guidelines in recognition of
the sacred nature of the buildings and grounds as a religious site
and to promote the use and enjoyment of the grounds by others.
|
|
