LOGAN – The Logan Tabernacle will close for renovation sometime in 2021, said Irene Caso, a media relations manager in the communication department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
“The last major renovation was in 1996,” she said. “We aren’t anticipating any significant change to the organ at this time, but that could change as we get into the details on the project.”
Caso said the historic building will receive seismic upgrades along with other renovations. The Church’s History Department will be involved to ensure the preservation of this unique building.
Local church facility manger, Royce Yorgason, said he has not heard the exact date, but wasn’t surprised by the information.
“All Church buildings are assessed periodically and checked for safety and to make sure they are kept up in a dignified manner,” he said. “All buildings are inspected to see if they are earthquake safe and what significant renovations need to be made.”
Yorgason said it is an on-going process and is typically done in the industry.
Richard West, director of communication for the Church for North Ogden to Southern Idaho said the plans are not completely finalized, so we don’t know specific dates.
“The church is concerned with all their buildings, but the status of historical buildings are of particular concern,” he said. “On Sunday, November 24, we will have an interfaith congregational service at the Tabernacle.”
West said it is these kinds of occasions that make the Tabernacle such a wonderful and valuable place. It is a great gathering place for the community.
“It is a dedicated house of worship and it is good to celebrate with other faiths without barriers,” he said. “We are eager to have the building secure so it can continue this role far into the future.”
The Thanksgiving event is typically the kick-off to the holiday concert series. There are 14 other concerts.
It took early pioneers 27 years to build the historic rock building. It is a local tourists attraction and is used for a community gathering place and a place of Sunday worship.
Because the building is registered on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, major changes are a little more difficult to make without approval.
The renovation is expected to last from 12-18 months.
“The building is generally open to visitors from Memorial Day to Labor Day,” said Vern Osmond, last summer’s tour guide coordinator. “We have visitors from all over the world.”
“It was built and dedicated for a community gathering place,” he said. “That’s why we can hold things like Summerfest, community concerts, and Christmas and Easter programs here.”
The Christmas season is especially nice, it brings a lot of children to the building and its eight acres of decorations.
Many visitors are interested in the Opus 620 pipe organ with it’s 2850 pipes. It was originally installed in 1908, and last upgraded in 2009.
There is a committee of community members, not all of them Latter-day Saints, who decide what programs they will have in the building.