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Show -- t J 1, r ' l; 1 e - i - '; r II W. . ' i ,?' (V, top? The solid, red sandstone pillars provide sturdy support. he historic Salt Lake Tabernacle on "TTTemple Square is 100 years old this & October. It still stands as the main fl gathering place of The Church of Jesus , Christ of Latter-daSaints. In 1867, the Tabernacle had the freshness of new construction when President Brigham Young called the first conference to order on Oct. 6. Jt had taken two years to plan and four ' years to buildtlduch work was still to be done although it was serviceable at that time for the conference session William H. Folsom and Truman 0. Angell, . architects,, and Henry Grow, master roechan- - , ie, with hundreds of pioneer builders took pride in their part of the work. The huge Tabernacle auditorium, elliptical , in shape, 250 feet long, 150 feet wide, and 80 feet. ,1a height, rested, upon pillars or but- tresses of ted sandstone quarried from' thifV.-mountains east of Salt Lake City. r These buttresses stand 10 feet to 12 feet apart in the whole circumference of the, build ing and support wooden arches that span the width. It is the largest work of timber roof framing surviving In this country today, Despite its enormous size, the Tabernacle constructed completely by hand. All ma- terials were because of the lack of shops, foundries and mills in the infant Mormon settlement during those years. The cornerstone was laid in July of 1864, ' ' Crews of teen, sometimes totaling 250, worked on the Tabernacle as carpenters and f masons plus a crew of 70 plasterers. One of the most interesting aspects In its construction was the ' knowhow of a , convert bridge builder,' iHenry Grow, He had ' built a bridge over the Jordan River using a patented system of construction known as the Remlngtoh latticed bridge in which , planking and pegs were uSfd. He gained permission from the Rem-Co-n The historic tabernacle, its aluminum roof shining, looks like a huge turtle. f ' y . ' 1 . . . -- 150-fo- ot . hand-fashione- d . tinoed on Page i If i : The skeleton of the tabernacle was put together by workmen a century ago. i- r This is how the Salt Lake Tabernacle looked wherT the Deseret Sunday School Union held its 1 875 jubilee. |