Information about the original Nauvoo Temple
The original Nauvoo Temple, 1841 to 1865. Taken from a pamphlet distributed by the Nauvoo Restoration Society, Incorporated
The building of the temple: In April of 1841, the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints commenced the construction on this site of the famous Nauvoo Temple. It measured 128 feet east to west, 88 feet north to south, and 60 feet above ground level to the eaves. The tower and spire rose an additional 98 feet. Native gray limestone, taken from several quarries in the vicinity, provided material for its massive walls. The erection of this edifice occupied the time and talents of many craftsmen for more than 5 years. It was built by a people who had no bank to provide capital for the venture and no wealthy church members to pay for it. The Saints started to build their temple when the United States was still in the economic doldrums created by the Panic of 1837. Gold and silver specie were almost unknown in this western country. In place of loans, mortgages, or hard money, the building was erected with much voluntary labor and a devoted faith. With donationis of their china and glassware, clocks and watches, clothing, furniture, household goods, and the products of their farms, they compensated the full-time artisans. Each man and boy was expected to give every tenth day in labor on the building. Through such means they completed a God-imposed mandate and finished a building which many visiting spectators had predicted would never be completed. They viewed it as the material manifestation of the spiritual devotions and religious convictions. Due to pressure from their opponents, many of the church members had left Nauvoo and started their westward trek before the temple was dedicated on May 1, 1846. At the time of its completion in 1846, it was the largest and most widely-known structure north of St. Louis and west of Cincinnati. Because of its unusual construction by community efforts no exact cost can be established. Visitors to Nauvoo estimated the temple would have cost from one half to one million dollars if constructed in any other community in America.
What is a temple? To a member of the LDS church, a temple is something very different from a meetinghouse, a chapel, or a cathedral. It is a special religious sanctuary within which certain sacred ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ aer performed, which have carry-over value in the eternal worlds to come. Among these are vicarious baptism for the dead and marriage for eternity, as well as for time.
External appearance of the Nauvoo Temple: The design of the building, although embodying elements from classical, medieval, renaissance, and nineteenth century architecture, was unique in its form and appearance. Its most unusual external characteristics were the huge moon stones which formed the base of the pilasters or buttresses, the unique sun stones with a face, surmounted by hands holding trumpets or horns of plenty, and the star stones on the frieze. There were 30 each of these decorative stones, all hand-tooled and polished. The temple faced west, and a broad stairway, more than half as wide as the building, having a total of ten steps. led to three arched doorways, through which the vestibule or foyer was entered.
The foyer: From the front entrances the foyer extended approximately 16 feet eastward and occupied the width of the building except for the circular stairways to the right and left, affording access to the different levels.
The baptistry: Descending to the basement, a visitor would find a large multi-level area, which served as the baptistry. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints practice complete immersion, administered only to those who have reached an age of personal accountability. On both the north and south sides were 6 rooms, with floors of red brick sloping downward toward the center area. These tilted floors provided drainage for water dripping from wet baptismal clothing. Walkways running the length of the basement provided access to these rooms. From these walkways a series of two white stone steps led down to the next level, the floor of which likewise sloped toward the center area. These stood the baptismal font. The font, in the form of a large oval basin, was carved from blocks of white limestone, hand-rubbed to a smooth finish. The sections were joined together with a special water-resistant mortar. Archaeological excavations and historical research indicate it was about 12 feet wide and 16 feet long, and it was reported by visitors to have been 4 to 6 feet deep. Placed lengthwise in the basement, it had stairs providing access from the east and the west. The font could be filled with water from a stone-lined well and emptied by a valve on the underside, the water draining through a small, stone-lined tunnel into a ravine southeast of the temple. The font rested on the backs of 12 white stone oxen, which appeared to be buried to their knees in the red brick pavement.
The main assembly hall: The first floor above ground was entered from the foyer and consisted of a large assembly room, which occupied most of the ground floor. It had a tier of pulpits at the east and west ends and was fitted with reversible seats so that worshippers could face either direction, according to the purpose of the assemblage. This chapel was lighted by arched and circular windows. There were also galleries to accommodate the public. Many visitors reported that the exquisite furnishings were harmoniously executed. It appears that there were also some offices for church leaders on this floor.
The second floor assembly room: The second floor was similar to the one below, except that it’s appointments were plainer. It was designed to serve as an overflow hall for conference gatherings and also as a school for church leadership training. More offices were located on this floor.
The third floor rooms: The third floor consisted of three portions. The front area was constructed of wood and rose one story above the remainder of the building. In this section were dressing rooms and chambers for preparatory ordinances. The second portion was a large rectangular room beneath the gable. In this portion marriages for eternity, as well as for time, and other sacred ordinances were performed. The third section consisted of offices for recorders of ordinances and other church officials.
The tower, belfry, and observatory: The lower portion of the tower was of sturdy, wood construction. Resting on top of this was a section of heavy timbers, cross-braced to stand the pressure of the wind and the weight of the bell. At the top of this portion hung the temple bell, which was removed in 1846 and started on its journey to Utah. Above these were the clock section and an observatory, topped with a cupola.
The spire: The point of the spire apparently rose 158 feet above ground level. Many accounts written by visitors state that it was topped by a weather vane, in the form of a prone flying angel, holding a trumpet to its lips with one hand and a book of scripture in the other.
The temple abandoned: Although the members of the Church of Jesus Christ had made unbelievable sacrifices to erect their temple, after it was dedicated they felt they had accomplished their assignment. As they abandoned their city, they placed the temple in the care of two custodians, who endeavored to preserve the beautiful structure from vandals. However, sometime after midnight on October 9, 1848, an unidentified arsonist set fire to the temple. Nothing remained except the stone walls after the fire’s destruction. In 1849, a group of French economic communitarians, known as the Icarian Society, purchased the ruined temple and commenced a modified interior reconstruction to serve as their communal headquarters. On May 27, 1850, a cyclone coming from the northwest blew down the north wall. This so weakened the east and south walls that they were razed. The site then became a quarry for cut and polished stone. The Icarians constructed a large building on the southwest corner of the block, using face stones from the temple. This building, still standing, has been in continuous use since the early 1850’s. After the Icarians ceased using it as a community center, it served Nauvoo as an office, a store building, a dwelling, a post office, a school, and most recently, as the information center for Nauvoo Restoration, Incorporated. Other stones were used to build the city jail on the block to the east. Some pieces were used to construct foundations and wine cellars erected by the Icarians, the Germans, and the Swiss, whose migrations followed the Latter-day Saint occupation. Two of these cellars still remain on this block. The front (west) portion, containing the foyer and stairway, was not torn down until 1865.
Archeological excavation of the temple site from 1962 to 1969: The presently existing depression, with a few remnants of the temple exposed, is the result of meticulous archaeological work conducted under the direction of Nauvoo Restoration society. So thoroughly had the stone from the building been removed during the middle of the last century that all of the walls and most of the footings had been carried away or burned into lime.
New temple constructed: In 1999, LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the rebuilding of the Nauvoo Temple on its original footprint. After two years of construction, on June 27, 2002, the church dedicated the Nauvoo Temple. It stands as a ‘House of the Lord’, and also a beautiful testimonial to the courage, fortitude, and divine focus of the early saints!
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