Home to its share of outstanding architecture—from beautifully preserved historic buildings to newly built, modern ones—many of Salt Lake City’s structures illustrate an eclectic mix of historical grandeur and contemporary innovation. This, we think, makes our streets ideal for a Sunday Drive. Whether you’re on the hunt for colorful homes in the Avenues or historic buildings on Main Street, the works of countless prominent architects are scattered throughout our city’s blocks.
Recently, we made an effort to get out and explore Salt Lake’s many stunning church buildings. We may be largely recognized for our LDS population and influence, but our cathedrals, chapels, and synagogues represent a range of religious traditions and architectural styles, which speak to our city’s spiritual diversity and cultural depth. We have countless stunning spaces at which to worship...here are just a few near us.
University Ward, 160 S. University Ave.
Year Built/Architect: 1924, Pope & Burton
Notable details: Sitting just across the street from the formal entrance to the University of Utah (President’s Circle), this unique church includes some Art Deco elements, as well as a stunning Sermon on the Mount tile mural just above the chapel entrance. Currently nearing completion on a conversion to residential use, the structure’s footprint and exterior will remain intact, but the interior has been renovated to include 16 apartments, from studios to one-, two-, and three-bedroom units.
First Church of Christ, Scientist, 352 E. 300 S.
Year Built/Architect: 1898, Walter E. Ware
Notable details: Built of brick and Utah Kyune sandstone, this downtown church building was added to the Historic Register in 1976. The oldest Christian Science church in our state, it was briefly occupied by an antiques dealer before becoming Iglesia La Luz del Mundo in 2006.
Cathedral of the Madeleine, 331 E. South Temple
Year Built/Architect: 1909, Carl M. Neuhausen & Bernard O. Mecklenburg
Notable details: With a striking Neo-Romanesque exterior of sandstone brick, an awe-inspiring neo-Gothic interior, and a copper roof, this cathedral is the only in the U.S. under the patronage of St. Mary Magdalene. Residents in the vicinity enjoy the daily chiming of 4 bells in the tower—named Joseph, Mary, Cecilia, and Michael, and tuned to the pitches of E, A, B, and C#, respectively—as they call patrons to worship.
First Presbyterian Church of SLC, 12 C Street
Year Built/Architect: 1903, Walter E. Ware
Notable details: Constructed of locally quarried, red sandstone with hard stone trim, this Scottish Gothic Revival-style church demands its share of awe-inspired gazes (especially considering it’s just next to the towering Cathedral of the Madeleine). Modernized for increased size and style in the 50s, and restored again in 2003, its design and low square tower is modeled after the Carlisle Cathedral in England.
19th Ward Chapel, 168 W. 500 N.
Year Built/Architect: 1896, Robert Bowman
Notable details: The architecture of the 19th Ward building reflects an attempt on the LDS church’s part to separate itself from polygamy, outlawed in 1877, and to embrace some more worldly values and style. The application for historic status (granted in 1976) made note of its lack of similarity to typical church architecture, claiming that the onion dome (constructed of galvanized tin) and pinnacles “are of foreign origin and have no direct theological relationship to Mormon ideology.”
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 279 S. 300 W.
Year Built/Architect: 1924, Pope & Burton; N.A. Dokas
Notable details: After the Greek community outgrew the original church location at 439 W. 400 S., this land was purchased and plans made to build a cathedral that would accommodate more parishioners. In 1992, the lower level of the Byzantine-style building was turned into a museum that pays homage to the lives of early Greek immigrants, and from 1997 to 2005, the structure underwent a $4M renovation.
Saints Peter & Paul Orthodox Church, 355 S. 300 S.
Year Built/Architect: 1903, Carl M. Neuhausen
Notable details: Designed by the same architect responsible for the Governor’s Mansion and Cathedral of the Madeleine, this church represents both Moorish Revival and Byzantine architecture styles. Originally the Congregation Montefiore Synagogue for SLC’s Jewish population, it was built for just $9,000 and remains largely unchanged. After WWII, an addition was made for the congregation’s school.
St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, 231 E. 100 S.
Year Built/Architect: 1871, Richard Upjohn
Notable details: Officially the 3rd oldest Episcopal cathedral in the U.S., this Gothic Revival church was designed by one of the founders of the American Institute of Architects. Gutted by a fire in 1935, then rebuilt following original plans, it is constructed of red sandstone, cutstone, and rubble. Notable details include a belfry, gabled roof, and Gothic arches over the windows—several of the stained glass windows adorning the structure are from Tiffany Studios.
First United Methodist, 203 S. 200 E.
Year Built/Architect: 1905, Frederick Albert Hale
Notable details: Built by the same architect responsible for the Alta Club, several mansions on South Temple, and some commercial buildings in downtown SLC, this church was the only that Hale designed in the state of Utah. Victorian Eclectic in style, the structure remains the same today as it was upon completion, including the original stained glass and historic pipe organ.
2nd Ward Chapel, 704 S. 500 E.
Year Built/Architect: 1908, Unknown
Notable details: In 1849, the Salt Lake City survey was organized into 19 original LDS wards (congregations), and a small adobe schoolhouse was home to meetings for Scandinavian members. Later, the 2nd Ward chapel as it stands today—with its yellow brick and huge lancet, stained-glass window—was erected just down the street.
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