Henry Grow Jr. - Mormon Pioneer Builder Posted Version 3-15-16

Henry Grow, Jr.
The Pioneer Builder1 & Unsung Hero

Biographical Timeline: 1817-1891
Henry Grow 2
Overview
According to Frank Esshoms Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, Henry Grow, Jr. was
described as follows:
Served as bishop of 19th ward, Salt Lake City. Prominent architect and
builder. Among the buildings he erected in Salt Lake City were Social Hall,
Mormon Tabernacle 1865-1867, Salt Lake Theater, Z. C. M. I. 1868,
Assembly Hall 1877; also built first suspension bridge in Utah, 1853, across
Ogden river; the first sugar factory in Utah, 1854, at Sugar House; built
several saw mills for President [Brigham] Young in 1855; the first woolen
mills, 1859; the first suspension bridges over the Jordan and Weber rivers,
1861; and completed the New Deseret Paper Mills, the first in Utah, in
1883. Missionary to Pennsylvania 1876. City Councilman Salt Lake City
1870-76. Played in the first martial band in Salt Lake City. Died Nov. 4,
1891. 3
1
Tabernacle Is Named Engineering Landmark, By Stephen W. Gibson, Church News Staff Writer, Deseret News,
April 3, 1971,
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19710403&id=J_ZPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=PFUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=
4866,863245
Chapter Thirty-One: The Quest for Self-Sufficiency, Church History In The Fulness Of Times Student Manual,
(2003), 393405, https://www.lds.org/manual/church-history-in-the-fulness-of-times-student-manual/chapter-thirtyone-the-quest-for-self-sufficiency?lang=eng , accessed on August 15, 2014.
3
Esshom, Frank, Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, Utah Pioneers Book Publishing Company, 1913, page
903.
Revised 4/26/16
Page 1 of 40
Henry Grows Business Card (Side 1) 4
Henry Grows Business Card (Side 2) 5
Large Tabernacle. Call Number: M282.21 G884he 18-- no. 2. Identifier:M282.21 G884he 18-- no. 2,
https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE4274424 , accessed on August 13, 2014.
5
Statement on back of Henry Grows business card printed in 1870: Large Tabernacle - Was completed
October, 1867, shape was designed by President Brigham Young. The architect that planned this building
was Henry Grow, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is 250 feet long by 150 wide; 65 feet to ceiling, 75 to
top of roof, standing upon 44 stone pillars 3 by 9 feet and 24 feet high, with 16 doors 10 feet wide and 4 doors
4 feet wide allowing the exit of 13,000 persons in 5 minutes. It is the largest Hall in the world unsupported
by columns, built after the Remington Patent of Lattice Bridges; having built a number of them in
Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and previous to building the Tabernacle, I build [sic] one on the Weber and
another over Jordan River for President Young which are standing today, for that reason he called upon me
to build the roof after that pattern.Henry Grow
Source: Large Tabernacle. Call Number: M282.21 G884he 18-- no. 2. Identifier: M282.21 G884he 18-- no. 2,
Revised 4/26/16
Page 2 of 40
Preface
December 26, 1809 - 1810
Henry Grow, Sr. and his wife Mary Righter Grow (parents of Henry Grow, Jr.), entered into an
indenture (contract) with Montgomery County, Pennsylvania for the construction of the Flat
Rock Bridge 6 on the Grow property in Narberth 7 (Penn Valley), Pennsylvania. 8 The Flat Rock
Bridge would stretch across the Schuylkill River and would serve to become a major artery
connecting Flat Rock Road in Montgomery County (including the fabled Main Line suburbs of
Ardmore, Bryn Mawr, Gladwyne, Haverford, Narberth, Villanova, etc.) to Domino Lane in
Philadelphia County (including Chestnut Hill, Manayunk (Flat Rock), Mount Airy and
Roxborough). In addition to building the Flat Rock Hotel at the base of the Flat Rock Bridge in
Narberth (Penn Valley), it appears that Henry Grow, Sr. was involved in the construction of the
Flat Rock Bridge. 9 As such, it is no wonder that Henry Grow, Sr.s two youngest sons (Henry
Grow, Jr. and John W. Grow) chose bridge building as a career. 10
Biography
October 1, 1817
Henry Grow, Jr. was born in the Philadelphia suburbs to Henry Grow, Sr. and Mary Righter
Grow 11, Henry Grow, Jr. was the seventh and youngest child in his family with five girls and two
The Flat Rock Bridge was authorized by the Legislature in 1809 (March 22). It was capitalized at $10,000.00 in
shares of $50.00 each. It was a single span, roofed, wooden bridge, 187 feet between abutments and 21 feet wide.
On September 19, 1823, it fell under 2 loads of marble with 13 horses. It was about to be demolished and replaced
but was repaired after the following meeting (noted in Volume 8, 1951-53 of the Montgomery County Historical
Society Bulletin.). It was decided to repair the bridge and it remained in use until the night of September 1-2, 1850
when it was destroyed during a freshet. Perhaps the latter was the result of the a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean,
similar to the one that caused so much damage in the Summer of 1972.
7
Parts of Narberth, Pennsylvania also became known as Penn Valley, Pennsylvania around the year 1930. Penn
Valley Civic Association, http://pennvalleycivicassociation.org/aboutpennvalley/historyofpennvalley.html .
8
Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn in 1681. The name Pennsylvania means Penns Woods, and it was
created by combining the Penn surname (in honor of William Penn's father, Admiral Sir William Penn) with the
Latin word sylvania, meaning forest land.
9
Righter, Richard, Frederich Grow.
10
11
Righter, Richard, Frederich Grow.
It is believed that Henry Grow, Jr. was born at 1400 block of Flat Rock Road in Narberth, Pennsylvania; however
there are some differing accounts that Henry Grow, Jr. was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania or Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. Although no official birth records exist, Dean Grow, family historian of Henry Grow, Jr.
(HenryGrowFamily.org), believes that Henry Grow, Jr. had told some historians that he was born in Norristown or
Philadelphia simply because Henry believed that no one from Utah would have heard of Penn Valley (Lower
Merion Township). According to Dean Grow, A couple of different historians questioned Henry on his biography.
Henry, thinking that nobody in Utah in that period knew anything of Lower Merion Township, told one of them
Norristown and the other one Philadelphia, just so they [historians] would know where, generally, he was born. One
other city he could have named would have been Ardmore, but in the mid-1800's in Utah, they still would have
asked Where is that. Weve checked relatives of both Henry Sr. and Mary Righter and none of them were living in
those cities [Norristown or Philadelphia] during the time of his birth. The only other possibility [where Henry Grow,
Jr. may have been born] would have been the Flat Rock Hotel [in Penn Valley, just down the street from the Grow
Family Home], but I dont think Mary [Righter Grow] would have left the comfort of her own home to run down the
lane to a hostelry by the river to give birth. Sources: Email from Dean Grow, family historian of Henry Grow, Jr.
Revised 4/26/16
Page 3 of 40
boys. 12 Henry Grow, Jr. grew up in the 1400 block of Flat Rock Road in Narberth (Penn Valley),
Pennsylvania, which later became known as Fairview Summit Farm. 13 Henry Grow, Jr.s father,
Henry Grow, Sr., spearheaded the construction of the Flat Rock Bridge across the Schuylkill
River connecting Flat Rock Road in Lower Merion (Montgomery County, Pennsylvania) with
Domino Lane in Manayunk (Philadelphia County). Henry Grow, Jr. grew up on both the farm
and around the Flat Rock Hotel, which was very near the railroad. Henrys interest was in things
other than farming. He moved to nearby Norristown, Pennsylvania and became an apprentice for
the railroad. He became skillful in the design of bridges and the attendant use of carpentry while
an apprentice. 14
1826
Henry Grow, Sr. (Henry Grow, Jr.s father) died when Henry Grow, Jr. was 9 years old.
April 6, 1830
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) (Mormons) was organized by Joseph
Smith at a log farm home belonging to Peter Whitmer, Sr., in Fayette, Seneca County, New
York. 15 Joseph Smith was born of December 23, 1805 and died on June 27, 1844; he served as
President of the LDS from January 25, 1832 to June 27, 1844. 16
Prior to 1834
Henry Grow, Jr. apprenticed as a carpenter and joiner. Henry Grow, Jr. worked for the
Philadelphia, Norristown and Germantown Rail Road Company and served as the
Superintendent of all bridges, culverts, etc. of. 17
(HenryGrowFamily.org), to Jonathan Bari, June 19, 2015 and

http://www.henrygrowfamily.org/documents/Henry%20Grow.pdf
12
Tullidge, Edward W., History of Salt Lake City, Star Printing Company, 1886, pages 127-128.
13
According to Dean Grow, Vice President of the Henry Grow, Jr. Family Association, and Dean Grows review of
various newspaper articles and occupations as detailed in various Censuses, Henry Grow Jr.s son-in-laws, and
grandsons were grocers who operated markets in Philadelphia, with produce from Fairview Summit Farm. The
family of Henry Grow Jr.s sister Elizabeth and her husband, Benjamin Lentz, also ran a large dairy which served
the area besides wholesaling & retailing produce. Henry Grow Jr.s oldest sister Catherine, received the Flat Rock
Hotel as an inheritance and ran it for almost 10 years, before her husband, Joseph Smiths death in 1836. Then her
only son William Smith, at age 13, helped until he became of age and then ran it until the Flat Rock Hotel was sold
to the railroad in 1867.
14
The Grow Family of Lower Merion, by Dean Grow, family historian of Henry Grow, Jr.
(HenryGrowFamily.org).
15
April 6, 1830: The Day the Church Was Organized, Doyle L. Green, Editor, Web Site, The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, https://www.lds.org/ensign/1971/01/april-6-1830-the-day-the-church-wasorganized?lang=eng , accessed on August 4, 2014.
16
Joseph Smith Jr., Served 18301844, Church History, Web Site, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, https://www.lds.org/churchhistory/presidents/controllers/potcController.jsp?leader=1&topic=events ,
accessed on August 4, 2014.
17
Revised 4/26/16
Page 4 of 40
January 24, 1834

Henry Grow, Jr. married Mary Moyer (daughter of Charles Moyer and Elizabeth Bird). 18 19
December 23, 1839
The Prophet Joseph Smith presided over the official organization of the Philadelphia Branch of
the LDS Church on December 23, 1839, the date of Prophet Smiths thirty-fourth birthday. The
official organization of the LDS Church occurred at a public meeting hall (which no longer
stands in 2016) at the corner of 7th & Callowhill Streets in Center City Philadelphia. 20 21
Note that Philadelphia has been referred to as A Prepared Place when President Henry B.
Eyring stated on September 17, 2011,
The temple [in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania] we will erect on this ground
will bring special joy to one of Gods greatest prophets. He explained that
Joseph Smith met and married his wife Emma and worked on the
translation of the Book of Mormon in Harmony, Pennsylvania. Heavenly
messengers restored the priesthood in Pennsylvania, and the Prophet
Joseph Smith presided over the official organization of the Philadelphia
Branch on December 23, 1839, the date of his thirty-fourth birthday.
President Eyring said, I am sure that he is rejoicing today to see us break
ground and dedicate it for a temple of God, where he began the work of
preparation. 22
January 13-14, 1840
The first Philadelphia Conference began on January 13, 1840. 23
18
Henry Grow Family Web site, http://henrygrowfamily.org/getperson.php?personID=I3&tree=tree1 , accessed on

August 30, 2014.
19
Henry and Mary had 7 children of which all survived to marry:

Maria Louisa Grow was born on September 10, 1837 and died on June 13, 1919.
Charles Moyer Grow was born on June 6, 1840 and died on October 9, 1904.
William Moyer Grow was born on May 30, 1842 and died on March 11, 1932.
Brigham Young Grow was born on September 11, 1845 and died on September 23, 1920.
John Wood Grow was born on December 21, 1848 and died on April 2, 1916.
Ann Grow was born on December 15, 1851 and died on September 10, 1872.
Mary Elizabeth Grow was born on January 30, 1854 died on July 14, 1900.
20
Mormonism in Early Philadelphia, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, September 3, 2011,

https://hsp.org/blogs/hidden-histories/mormonism-in-early-philadelphia
21
Site of Joseph Smiths 1839 Philadelphia Sermon Identified, By John Shiffert, May 1993,
https://www.lds.org/ensign/1993/05/news-of-the-church/site-of-joseph-smiths-1839-philadelphia-sermonidentified?lang=eng
22
https://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/temples-a-witness-of-our-faith-presidenteyring?lang=eng ; and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple, by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/philadelphia/
23
Revised 4/26/16
Page 5 of 40
On January 14, 1840, the Prophet Joseph Smith spoke to an audience of about 3,000 people at
the First Independent Church of Christ located at 412 Lombard Street in Center City
Philadelphia. Smith preached from the Book of Mormon. 24 Sometime after the 1840 sermon, the
First Independent Church of Christ became the First Universalist Church, and then in 1889, the
church was converted into a synagogue for the congregation of Kesher Israel. 25 According to
John Shiffert, the public affairs specialist of the Jarrettown ward, Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Stake, [t]his landmark sermon in Philadelphia has, over the ensuing 153 years [1840-1993],
become renowned for the power of the Prophets message and for the mystery surrounding the
location [which was identified in 1993]. According to Shiffert,
[T]he Prophet arose like a lion about to roar; and being full of the Holy
Ghost, spoke in great power, bearing testimony of the visions he had seen,
the ministering of angels which he had enjoyed; and how he had found the
plates of the Book of Mormon, and translated them by the gift and power
of God. 26
May 1842
Henry Grow, Jr. was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the
Delaware River in Philadelphia by William Morton. 27 28
June 1842
Mary [Moyer] Grow was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; she
waited until after her third child was born. 29
March 1843
Henry Grow, Jr. left Philadelphia for Nauvoo, Illinois. 30 Nauvoo had been purchased by Joseph
Smith in 1841, and the area had become the center of the Mormon World. In Nauvoo, Joseph
Smith was the Mayor and leader of a Mormon Militia. Smith would be killed in 1844 in nearby
Carthage, Illinois when an angry mob stormed his jail cell while he awaited trial for charges of
rioting. 31
24
Mormonism in Early Philadelphia, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, September 3, 2011,

https://hsp.org/blogs/hidden-histories/mormonism-in-early-philadelphia
25
Kesher Israel, Our History, http://www.historickesherisrael.org/who-we-are/our-history/

26
27
28
According to Wikipedia, in 1834 there were only 23,564 members of the LDS Church. Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints_membership_history
29
30
31
McKeever, Bill, Final Moments at Carthage Jail and the Death of Joseph Smith, Mormonism Research
Ministry, accessed on August 10, 2014, <http://www.mrm.org/death-of-joseph-smith>.
Revised 4/26/16
Page 6 of 40
May 15, 1843

Henry Grow, Jr. arrived in Nauvoo, Illinois. 32
Henry Grow, Jr.s first project was building a barn for Hyrum Smith, martyr and brother of the
Prophet Joseph [Smith]. 33 34
1843 1846
Henry Grow, Jr. worked on building the Nauvoo Temple in Nauvoo, Illinois. 35
September 10, 1845
Henry Grow, Jr.s son was born and was named Brigham Young Grow. 36
September 19, 1846
Henry Grow, Jr. fought in the Battle of Nauvoo in Illinois. 37
1847
Henry Grow, Jr. became a polygamist. 38
July 28, 1847
Brigham Young designates location for Salt Lake Temple Block, future home to Tabernacle. 39
32
33
Hyrum Smith: The Mildness of a Lamb, the Integrity of Job, By Ronald K. Esplin,
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2000/02/hyrum-smith-the-mildness-of-a-lamb-the-integrity-of-job?lang=eng , accessed
on August 13, 2014.
34
Henry Grow, Jr. FamilySearch, Intellectual Reserve, Inc., A service provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, https://familysearch.org/photos/stories/4740275 , access on August 11, 2014.
35
Tullidge, Edward W., History of Salt Lake City, Star Printing Company, 1886, pages 127-128. The Nauvoo
Temple was the second Temple built in the history of the Mormon Religion. Construction of the Nauvoo Temple
was only half complete when Joseph Smith was killed. By the time the Temple was finished in 1846, most Mormons
had already been forced out of Nauvoo, and the Church sold the building before it burned down in 1848. The LDS
Church rebuilt the Nauvoo Temple in 2002 (source: http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/originalnauvoo/).
36
Henry Grow Family Web site, http://henrygrowfamily.org/timeline2.php?primaryID=I2&tree=tree1&chartwidth=

, accessed on August 30, 2014. Note that Brigham Young Grow changed his name to George Washington Grow at
some point after he got married.
37
Tullidge, Edward W., History of Salt Lake City, Star Printing Company, 1886, pages 127-128. A week of
shelling by the Missouri Militia that forced the Mormons out of Nauvoo on September 17, 1846 is referred to as the
Battle of Nauvoo. The commander of the Mormon led militia Nauvoo Legion was Brigham Young who directed
his followers to leave the city.
38
39
By Scott C. Esplin, Time Line, in The Tabernacle: An Old and Wonderful Friend, ed. Scott C. Esplin (Provo, UT:
Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2007), 19, https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/tabernacle-old-andwonderful-friend/timeline
Revised 4/26/16
Page 7 of 40
Fall 1847 to Spring 1851

Henry Grow, Jr. may have worked for Holladay & Warner. 40
(Note: According to Dean Grow, Henry Grow, Jr. worked on a mill in what is now Smithville,
Missouri for a Col Estel. Dean Grow is not sure how Holladay and Warner came into the
picture, but according to Dean, it would probably be only Holladay. But since Ben Holladay was
in Missouri prior to 1851, Dean Grow believes that it is possible. Holladay and Warner did not
become business partners until Utah.) 41
July 1, 1851
Henry Grow, Jr. left Kanesville, Iowa with the James W. Cummings Company along with his
family to travel to Salt Lake City. 42
October 1, 1851
Henry Grow, Jr. arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah on his 34th birthday. 43
1851
Henry Grow, Jr. worked on the Public Works under Miles A. Romney. 44 Note: Miles A.
Romney (1806-1877) was the great-great grandfather of Mitt Romney, 2008 and 2012
Republican Presidential Candidate. 45
Winter, 1851
Henry Grow, Jr. worked on building the Old Tabernacle (which occupied the spot where the
Assembly Hall now stands). 46 Henry Grow, Jr. also worked on building the Social Hall. 47
40
Holladay and Warner Freight Train, http://history.lds.org/overlandtravels/companyDetail?companyId=150 ,

41
Email from Dean Grow, family historian of Henry Grow, Jr. (HenryGrowFamily.org), to Jonathan Bari,
November 6, 2014; and
http://historytogo.utah.gov/utah_chapters/pioneers_and_cowboys/benholladaythestagecoachkinginutah.html
42
James W. Cummings Company, Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel, LDS History, accessed August 10, 2014
http://history.lds.org/overlandtravels/companyDetail?lang=eng&companyId=97 . The James W. Cummings
company was a wagon train led by Mormon James W. Cummings that included about 285-298 people who traveled
from Iowa to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1851. Also, see,
http://history.lds.org/overlandtravels/trailExcerptMulti?lang=eng&pioneerId=7811&sourceId=18343 . With regard
to this data contained on this page,
http://history.lds.org/overlandtravels/trailExcerptMulti?lang=eng&pioneerId=7521&sourceId=1824, it appears that
some of these records may not be accurate.
43
44
45
Sonmez, Felicia, Mitt Romneys complex relationship with religion, family explored in new book, The
Washington Post, January 14, 2012, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/post/mitt-romneyscomplex-relationship-with-religion-family-explored-in-new-book/2012/01/14/gIQANVgHzP_blog.html , accessed
August 10, 2014.
46
47
Built in 1852, Social Hall was the first public building in Utah. Citizens held dances, social events, and theatrical
productions in the building. It also served as a meeting place for the territorial legislature and was the site for the
Revised 4/26/16
Page 8 of 40
1853
Henry Grow, Jr. built the first suspension bridge in the Utah Territory, across the Ogden River in
Ogden, Utah for Jonathan Browning. 48 49 50
April 6, 1853
Ground is broken for Salt Lake Temple. 51
1854
Henry Grow, Jr. superintended the construction of the original Sugar House sugar beet mill (the
first sugar factory in Utah) under the direction of Bishop Fred Kesler. 52 53 54
After 1854, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania served as a main port of entry for Latter-day Saints
emigrating to the United States from Europe. According to David J. Whittaker, Because of the
serious problems with sickness in the Mississippi River Valley during this time, Brigham Young
counseled British Mission leader, Franklin D. Richards, to route Mormon converts through
Philadelphia, Boston, or New York, but President Young gave Philadelphia top billing. See the
letter of Brigham Young to Franklin D. Richards, 2 August 1854, in Latter-day Saints Millennial
Star 16, no. 43 (October 1854): 684. 55
Red Cross during World War I. The building was destroyed in 1922. Source: "Tribute to Salt Lake Citys Social
Hall Planned", March 1992, https://www.lds.org/ensign/1992/03/news-of-the-church/tribute-to-salt-lake-cityssocial-hall-planned?lang=eng , accessed on August 13, 2014.
48
Jonathan Browning has been referred to as the Father of the Father of Modern Firearms [Jonathan Moses
Browning], In Honor of the Father of the Father of Modern Firearms [Jonathan Moses Browning], Browning,
http://www.browning.com/library/infonews/detail.asp?ID=506 , accessed on August 13, 2014.
49
Jonathan Browning Home and Gun Shop and learn about the humble beginnings of the worldwide Browning
Arms Corporation- Historic Sites, Nauvoo - Jonathan Browning Nauvoo Home and Gun Shop,
https://www.lds.org/locations/jonathon-browning-nauvoo-home-and-gun-shop , accessed on August 13, 2014 (note
that the jonathan appears to be incorrectly spelled as jonathon in the Web site address above, albeit the link
works fine, and the link directs to a page where Mr. Brownings name is correctly spelled).
50
51
52
53
Henry Grow, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Grow , accessed on August 13, 2014.
54
Esshom, Frank, Pioneers and Prominent Men of Utah, Utah Pioneers Book Publishing Company, 1913, page
903.
55
David J. Whittaker: The Philadelphia Pennsylvania Branch: Its Early History and Records (David J. Whittaker,
Curator of Nineteenth Century Western and Mormon Manuscripts, L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee
Library, and Associate Professor, Department of History, Brigham Young University).
Revised 4/26/16
Page 9 of 40
1855
Henry Grow, Jr. worked in the building of the two saw mills in Big Cottonwood known as B and
A. 56
1856
At the request of President Brigham Young, Henry Grow, Jr. moved a saw mill up City Creek
seven miles from its previous location at Chases Mill in the Big Field. In the Fall of 1856,
Henry Grow, Jr. framed Mill D at Big Cottonwood. After completion of Mill D, Henry Grow,
Jr. sawed two logs and left on December 17, 1856. Henry Grow, Jr. and five men left the Mill D
using snow shoes to traverse dangerous weather conditions including with seven feet of snow on
the ground. It took them two days to get out of the snow, and the trek risked their lives. 57 58
1857
Henry Grow, Jr. built a mill at the head of the Canyon, near Silver Lake (which is near the
present day ski resorts of Alta, Snowbird and Brighton). 59
1858
Henry Grow, Jr. built the suspension bridge over the Provo River. 60
Henry Grow, Jr. went to Provo [Utah] and built all of the temporary buildings of the Church [of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] leaders for an event known as the Move. 61 62
1859
Henry Grow, Jr. tore the works out of the old grist mill at the mouth of Canyon Creek and
placed the cotton and woolen machinery in the mill for President Young, which was the first
machinery of the kind put up in the Territory; this machinery was afterwards taken down to St.
George [Utah]. 63
56
57
Latter-day Saints, https://familysearch.org/photos/stories/4740275 , accessed on August 11, 2014 and October 27,
2014.
58
http://www.utahheritagefoundation.com/tours-and-events/heritage-awards/2009ha/item/242-chase-mill-salt-lakecity#.VEVpLRbp-_g ; and http://www.tracyaviary.org/chasemill/

59
60
61
62
The Move occurred when the entire city of Salt Lake City, Utah moved to Provo, Utah to prevent any clashes
when Johnstons army was entering Utah valley to suppress a supposed uprising. After an agreement was
reached, the army peacefully marched through Salt Lake City and camped 40 miles Southwest. People then returned
to their homes. Source: http://www.historynet.com/utah-war-us-government-versus-mormon-settlers.htm
63
Revised 4/26/16
Page 10 of 40
1860s
In the early 1860s, Brigham Young tapped Grow for what became Grows largest and
most famous construction, the dome of the Mormon Tabernacle. Young had become
infatuated with the idea of constructing the Tabernacle in an elongated dome shape. When
asked how large a roof he could construct using a Remington bridge-style lattice, Grow
replied that it could be 100 feet wide and as long as is wanted. In fact, Grow engineered
the tabernacle roof to be 150 feet across and 250 feet long. 64 (emphasis added)
Believing that the Saints could be strengthened spiritually if they had an adequate building
where they could be called together and instructed by their leaders, President Young began
planning for such a structure. Following several council meetings, a pattern for a great domeshaped house of worship stamped itself vividly upon the mind of President Young. To make this
vision a reality, he called to his office Henry Grow, who was a master mechanic as well as
an experienced millwright. Brigham Young had recently watched Henry Grow, Jr.
complete a wooden arch bridge over the Jordan Rivera rather unusual structure having
no center supports, sustained wholly by fitting together wooden triangles and arches.
President Young felt that it was just such a continuous bridge, or set of wooden bridges,
that he needed to support the roof of the spacious, dome-shaped edifice that he had in
mind. 65 (emphasis added)
This unique Tabernacle was a marvel of its time. Through the bridge-building technique of
Henry Grow, the Tabernacle roof was able to span its 150-foot width without center supports
an amazing achievement in both engineering and acoustics. Meetings and concerts are still held
in this historic building. 66 (emphasis added)
Henrys design of the roof based on his suspension bridge experience gives the building the
unique look and sound quality it is so famous for. 67
In response to [President Brigham] Youngs request to construct a lattice truss roof, Grow is
reported to have quipped, I can build a building 150 feet wide and as long as you want it to
be. 68 (emphasis added)
Church historians Elwin Robison and Randall Dixon summarized the remarkable construction of
the Tabernacle:
64
Henry Grow, Jr., http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10359925
65
Chapter Thirty-One: The Quest for Self-Sufficiency, Church History In The Fulness Of Times Student Manual,
(2003), 393405, https://www.lds.org/manual/church-history-in-the-fulness-of-times-student-manual/chapter-thirtyone-the-quest-for-self-sufficiency?lang=eng , accessed on August 15, 2014.
66
http://www.visitsaltlake.com/group-tour-itineraries/pioneer-history/ , accessed on August 4, 2014.
67
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=205747230749716134331.0004c36d5ee5e0fb4035c&msa=0&ie=UTF8&
t=m&ll=40.742055,-111.814728&spn=0.312144,0.513611&z=10&source=embed&dg=feature
68
History of the Tabernacle, http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/additional-resource/history-of-the-tabernacle ,

Revised 4/26/16
Page 11 of 40
The Tabernacle was built in an environment relatively poor in timber,

iron and economic capital. Likewise, the men responsible for the design of
the Tabernacle, Brigham Young, Henry Grow, William Folsom and
Truman Angell, were relatively uneducated, at least in comparison to
professional engineers and architects in North America and Europe.
However, whatever the Tabernacle designers lacked in formal
schooling, they made up for with sound, practical experience, careful
observation of the structures they had built and the driving vision of
what they wanted to create. The Tabernacle is a startlingly modern
building for its time. Not based on any style of formal precedent, it
anticipates the functionalism of early 20th-century architecture It truly
was entirely new, and unprecedented throughout the world. 69 (emphasis
added)
A carpenter by trade, Brigham Youngs innovative turtle back Tabernacle design may have
been influenced by the great cathedrals he viewed during his missionary labors in England. His
journal, according to [Richard G.] Oman [curator of acquisitions at the Museum of Church
History and Art in Salt Lake City, Utah], recorded a three-day visit to Londons St. Pauls
Cathedral and another full day at Westminster Abbey. Brigham was fascinated with buildings
and particularly those remarkable ceiling arches, Oman added. Young also sent Angell on an
architectural study Mission to England. 70
1860-1861
Henry Grow, Jr. built the suspension bridge using lattices across the Jordan River. 71
72
1862
Henry Grow, Jr. was commissioned to build the Salt Lake Theater, designed by Obed Taylor.
He constructed a water wheel in the ditch, using it to hoist rock & lumber for the construction.
He also indicated that he even fitted up the foot lights. 73
April 6, 1863
At the April 1863 conference, Daniel H. Wells, counselor to President Brigham Young,
announced plans to build a new tabernacle that will comfortably seat some ten thousand people
(JD 10:139). 74 75
69

70

71
Tullidge, Edward W., History of Salt Lake City, Star Printing Company, 1886, pages 127-128; and Email from
Dean Grow, family historian of Henry Grow, Jr. (HenryGrowFamily.org), to Jonathan Bari, November 6, 2014.
72
73
November 6, 2014.
74
Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Paul L. Anderson, http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Tabernacle,_Salt_Lake_City,

accessed on August 12, 2014
Revised 4/26/16
Page 12 of 40
1863-1864
Henry Grow, Jr. performed a great deal of work for President Young at different places. 76
Spring 1863
Ground is broken and construction began on the Great Tabernacle. 77
July 26, 1864
Construction on the Salt Lake Tabernacle was commenced with the laying of the cornerstone. 78
1865-1867
At the request of President Brigham Young, Henry Grow, Jr. designed the shape, planned,
framed, and put up the Big Tabernacle. 79 [T]he Tabernacle was built as a place for Church
members to gather and hear the words of their leaders. Brigham Young directed the building
should be designed so people could see and hear the speaker without impediment. To do this
successfully, bridge-building techniques were used to construct the Tabernacle roof so that
support pillars were not needed. 80 (emphasis added)
1865-1867
During that same time, Henry Grow, Jr. was also asked to refurbish the interior of the Salt Lake
Theater. 81
September 1, 1865
Henry Grow, Jr. commences work on the roof for the Salt Lake Tabernacle. 82
75
76
77
78
79
80
The Tabernacle, Temple Square, http://www.templesquare.com/explore/tabernacle/ .
81
Tullidge, Edward W., History of Salt Lake City, Star Printing Company, 1886, pages 127-128; and Email from
Dean Grow, family historian of Henry Grow, Jr. (HenryGrowFamily.org), to Jonathan Bari, November 6, 2014.
82
Revised 4/26/16
Page 13 of 40
August 1867
Henry Grow, Jr. completed work on the roof and scaffolding was removed from the roof. 83
October 6, 1867
Henry Grow, Jr. completed the main structure of the Large (Great) Tabernacle (today referred to
as the Salt Lake City Tabernacle), and Brigham Young provided the Address and Prayer at the
First Meeting in the Tabernacle. 84 The General Conference was held for the first time in the
Tabernacle. 85
Following are some excerpts of key statements regarding the Salt Lake City Tabernacle,
On April 3, 1971, according to the Deseret News,
The Salt Lake Mormon Tabernacle received national attention
this week [March 29, 1971] when it was designated as a national
historic civil engineering landmark by the American Society of
Civil Engineers. 86
According to President N. Eldon Tanner 87, Second Counselor in the First, Presidency,
We are pleased that this building [Salt Lake Tabernacle] has been
chosen and recognized as an outstanding engineering feat We
feel it is a great tribute to President Brigham Young and to those
who worked with him in the planning and building of this great
edifice [Salt Lake Tabernacle]. 88
83
84
Brigham Young, October 6, 1867, Address and Prayer at the First Meeting in the Tabernacle,
http://history.lds.org/article/lost-sermons-brigham-young-tabernacle-dedication?lang=eng , accessed on August 13,
2014.
85
The Great Tabernacle: A Building of Purpose and Spirit - Based on historical research by Richard Oman,
curator for the Tabernacle exhibit at the Museum of Church History and Art.,
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2007/04/the-great-tabernacle-a-building-of-purpose-and-spirit?lang=eng
86
Tabernacle Is Named Engineering Landmark, By Stephen W. Gibson, Church News Staff Writer, Deseret
News, April 3, 1971,
4866,863245
87
President N. Eldon Tanner Dies https://www.lds.org/ensign/1983/01/president-n-eldon-tanner-dies?lang=eng ,

88
4866,863245
Revised 4/26/16
Page 14 of 40
The Deseret News reported,

Construction was started in 1864 under the direction of
Henry Grow, pioneer builder. The lumber, an estimated one
million feet, was made pliable for the roof through steaming
and then bent to shape. 89 (emphasis added)
According to Mormon Tabernacle Choir,
The Salt Lake Tabernacle is an architectural wonder. It was
completed in 1867 and was engineered by Henry Grow, under the
direction of Brigham Young, who was President of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the time. The roof is 150 feet
across and 250 feet long, and the seating capacity is approximately
7,000, including the choir loft. Architect Frank Lloyd Wright,
who built many famous buildings, including the Guggenheim
in New York City, said the Tabernacle was one of the
architectural masterpieces of the country and perhaps the
world. 90 (emphasis added)
Besides its unique architecture, the building is famous for its
superior acoustics. At the time it was built, there were no
amplifiers or electronics, and it was designed so that all who were
in attendance could hear the speakers voice. When the Tabernacle
was remodeled in 2007, a New York Times article stated the
following: 91
The tabernacles famed acoustics, which legend has it
enabled a listener to a hear a pin drop from 250 feet
away, were measured before the renovation began,
modeled on computers and then assessed again recently,
said Roger P. Jackson, the projects lead architect. Mr.
Jackson said he expected the buildings enveloping sound
would be preserved. Acoustics is a science and an art, he
said, but its also guesswork. Anything you do has an
89
4866,863245
90
The Remarkable Acoustics of the Salt Lake Tabernacle, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, The Church of Jesus Christ
of The Latter-day Saints, http://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/articles/acoustics-of-the-salt-laketabernacle?lang=eng
91
Revised 4/26/16
Page 15 of 40
impact. 92 [After Two Years of Work, an Updated

Tabernacle, Martin Stolz, April 2, 2007,
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/02/us/02mormon.html?_r
=0 ] (emphasis added)
The Salt Lake Tabernacle is home to the world famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
The Salt Lake Tabernacle is globally known as one of the most acoustically
perfect structures in the world. 93
According to Paul L. Anderson,
This dome-shaped building [The Salt Lake City Tabernacle] on
Temple Square in Salt Lake City is one of the most impressive
achievements of Latter-day Saint architectural design and
engineering skill. Since 1867, this unique pioneer structure has
been the site of nearly all of the Churchs General Conferences;
addresses by prominent visitors, including several U.S. Presidents;
and many significant cultural events. The site of weekly tabernacle
choir broadcasts since 1929, it is renowned for its organ. The Salt
Lake Tabernacle culminated Latter-day Saint pioneer efforts to
construct a very large auditorium for important meetings. On July
28, 1847, Brigham Young designated Temple Square as the
center of the new Latter-day Saint capital. 94 (emphasis added)
At the April 1863 conference, Daniel H. Wells, counselor to President Brigham Young,
announced plans to build a new tabernacle that will comfortably seat some ten thousand
people (JD 10:139). The construction of so large an auditorium in an isolated territory
without railroad access to manufactured building materials was an extraordinary
undertaking. Church architect William H. Folsom prepared the first plans under President
Youngs direction. The design called for a structure 150 feet wide and 250 feet long with
semicircular ends and a peaked roof similar to that of the Old Tabernacle. The
cornerstone was laid July 26, 1864, and forty-four sandstone piers to support the roof
were begun that year. 95
92
93
94

95

Revised 4/26/16
Page 16 of 40
According to Paul L. Anderson,

The next year, President Young appointed an experienced bridge
builder, Henry Grow, to superintend the construction. In
consultation with the President, Grow modified a type of lattice
truss used in bridge construction into huge elliptical arches
that spanned the entire width of the structure without
intermediate supports, an innovation without parallel for a
building of these dimensions. The trusses were constructed of
timbers pegged together with wooden dowels that were split and
wedged at each end. Cracked timbers were wrapped with green
rawhide, which contracted when dry and made a tight binding.
When the building was completed, the roof structure was nine feet
thick, and the plaster ceiling was 68 feet above the floor. 96
(emphasis added)
According to the Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, State of Utah Survey,
Under Direction of the National Park Service, the Engineering and Architecture Surveys
housed at the Library of Congress state,
The Church of Jesus Christ of The Latter-day Saints started
construction of the Salt Lake City Tabernacle on July 26, 1864,
and held its First Conference in the immense auditorium three
years later. A balcony, added in 1870 completed the building. 97
Sometimes compared to the inverted ships hull, the building is
250 feet long and 150 feet wide. The interior space is clear: there
are no intermediate supports for the roof. Nine lattice arches on 12foot centers span 132 feet between masonry piers in the center
section. Smaller arches converging to the midpoints of the first and
ninth spans complete the semi-circular ends of the building. Each
arch consists of four small parallel timber ribs bent to shape of the
arch and connected by a timber web to form a lattice truss 15
inches in width and 9 feet in depth. All connections are morticed,
pinned and wedged. The truss is a three-centered arch, with a
shorter radius in the section nearest the piers. Sometime before
construction was completed, long timber braces were added across
the haunch of the arch and also across the top of the crown to
prevent spreading. 98
96

97
Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, State of Utah Survey, Under Direction of the National Park
Service, United States Department of the Interior, Drawn By Robert J. McNair and Toni K. Ristau, Church of Jesus
Christ of the Latter-day Saints: Salt Lake City Tabernacle 1864-1867, Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Record No.
HAER UT-1, Historic American Engineering Record, Sheet 2 of 5.
98
Revised 4/26/16
Page 17 of 40
Completed when Salt Lake City was still an isolated pioneer

settlement, the Tabernacle remained the largest auditorium in the
state [of Utah] for over a century. The building is the largest
existing work of timber roof framing in the United States: and
unparalleled demonstration of heavy timber construction, it
remains in excellent condition today. 99
On October 1, 2004, President Gordon B. Hinckley stated,
The Temple and the Tabernacle in my mind remind me of
two venerable old parents. The Temple the father, the
Tabernacle the mother. Parents of generations that have
followed, still standing and shedding light and understanding
and knowledge and love, and I bow before them in reverent
respect. 100 (emphasis added)
According to Richard Omans historical research as the Curator for the Tabernacle
exhibit at the Museum of Church History and Art,
The story of the Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City,
Utah, is much like the story of the Latter-day Saint people. The
Tabernacle was built under less than favorable circumstances
through great sacrifice. Understanding the Tabernacles history
can help Church members understand more of their own
Church history and appreciate the marvel that is the Salt Lake
Tabernacle. 101 (emphasis added)
The Tabernacle is a building of great purpose and spirit, and, like
the Saints who built it, it is strong. It has withstood the tests of
time. 102
In 2004, at the start of the Tabernacles renovation, President Gordon B.
Hinckley commented,
99
100
Tabernacle work order: Be careful, By Heather May, The Salt Lake Tribune, October 2, 2004,
http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/utah/ci_2421263
101
102
Revised 4/26/16
Page 18 of 40
I absolutely marvel at President Youngs boldness in going

forward with this project. Way out here in this then-remote
wilderness, without steel, with their bare hands, very little in the
way of resources, they determined to construct a building to
accommodate their needs for assembly and to dream of such a
building as this -- unique and different from anything that Ive seen
anywhere in this world. 103
According to President Gordon B. Hinckley,
To me it is a miracle building. I think of the skill of those who
designed it and know that there must have been great
inspiration behind that skill. I think of faith as I reflect on the
time and circumstance of its construction. It is truly a tabernacle,
built in the wilderness from which the voice of the servants of the
Lord should go forth to the world. 104 (emphasis added)
1868
President Young called on Henry Grow, Jr. to build the Zions Cooperative Mercantile
Institution (ZCMI) 105 building; the plan was designed by Obed Taylor and Mr. Grow served as
the construction superintendent. 106
1868-1876
Henry Grow, Jr. served as Superintendent of Temple Block and was in charge of all of the
carpentry work on Temple Block. 107 (emphasis added)
May 10, 1869
The Transcontinental Railroad was completed. 108
103
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2007/04/the-great-tabernacle-a-building-of-purpose-and-spirit?lang=eng , and Source:
Tabernacle renovation press briefing, Oct. 1, 2004, newsroom.lds.org
104
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2007/04/the-great-tabernacle-a-building-of-purpose-and-spirit?lang=eng , and Source:
President Gordon B. Hinckley, Building Your Tabernacle, Ensign, Nov. 1992, 51.
105
In 1868 President Young established an economic system known as Zions Cooperative Mercantile Institution.
The purpose of ZCMI, as it was popularly known, was to bring goods to the territory, sell them as inexpensively as
they could possibly be sold, and let the profits be divided with the people at large. Source: Chapter Thirty-One:
The Quest for Self-Sufficiency, Church History In The Fulness Of Times Student Manual, (2003), 393405
https://www.lds.org/manual/church-history-in-the-fulness-of-times-student-manual/chapter-thirty-one-the-quest-forself-sufficiency?lang=eng , accessed on August 13, 2014.
106
107
108
By Scott C. Esplin, Time Line, in The Tabernacle: An Old and Wonderful Friend, ed. Scott C. Esplin (Provo,
UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2007), 19, https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/tabernacle-oldand-wonderful-friend/timeline
Revised 4/26/16
Page 19 of 40
November 8, 1869
Construction on the Tabernacle Gallery (balcony) was commenced. 109
1870
Henry Grow, Jr. was elected as a Commissioner of the Jordan Irrigation Company. 110
Henry Grow, Jr. was elected to become a City Councilman under Mayor Daniel H. Wells. He
served until 1876. 111
April 1870
Construction was completed on Tabernacle gallery. 112
Early 1870s
Henry Grow, Jr. designed and built the hoisting equipment for lifting the granite blocks for the
Salt Lake Temple. 113
1872
Henry Grow, Jr. superintended the carpentry done for the [Salt Lake] City Water Works. 114
1873
On November 12, 1873, the covering of the walls of the Temple for the winter was commenced
under the supervision of Mr. Henry Grow, the rock laying work having terminated for the
season. 115
Mrs. Henry Grow, Jr. returned to Salt Lake City on November 10, 1873 from a visit to her
relatives and friends in Philadelphia. She was absent four or five months, and enjoyed a
pleasant time. 116
109
110
Deseret News, April 6, 1870.
111
November 6, 2014.
112
113
Email from Dean Grow, family historian of Henry Grow, Jr. (HenryGrowFamily.org), to Jonathan Bari, August
20, 2014.
114
Deseret News, June 12, 1872.
115
Deseret News, November 12, 1873.
116

Revised 4/26/16
Page 20 of 40
Henry Grow, Jr. supervised the reshingling of the University Building roof. 117
July 4, 1873
The Tabernacle Choir performed inside the building [Great Tabernacle] for the first time. 118
1873 to 1878 (or 1880)
Henry Grow, Jr. built a temporary protective roof over the walls of the Salt Lake Temple each
Winter until the walls were too tall. 119
1874
Henry Grow, Jr. supervised the improvements to the Warm Springs Bath House. 120
1875
Brigham Young Academy was started, and it later became known as Brigham Young
University. 121
October 9, 1875
The Great Tabernacle was completed in early October 1875 122, and it was dedicated at a general
conference by President John Taylor 123,
We thank thee, O God, that we have been permitted to build this godly
Tabernacle, beneath whose spacious dome so many of thy Saints are
enabled to congregate We also dedicate the timbers of the arches
which sustain the roof and of the girders and braces thereof which rest
thereon, together with all the timber, ties and fastenings, the cornice, the
sheeting, the shingles and other covering, the nails, bolts and straps of
iron, of copper, and the brass, the zinc, the tin, and the solder wherewith
the metal is soldered together, as well as the covering of paint which
117
118
119
20, 2014.
120
Deseret News, September 16, 1874.
121
Chapter Thirty-Four: An Era of Reconciliation, Church History In The Fulness Of Times Student, Manual,
(2003), 435450, https://www.lds.org/manual/print/church-history-in-the-fulness-of-times-student-manual/chapterthirty-four-an-era-of-reconciliation?lang=eng , accessed on August 13, 2014.
122
123
Third President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,

https://www.lds.org/manual/presidents-of-the-church-teacher-manual-religion-345/john-taylor-third-president-ofthe-church?lang=eng
Revised 4/26/16
Page 21 of 40
surmounts the hole to preserve it from the weather, and all material
whatsoever that is used in the construction thereof And we now humbly
dedicate unto thee the whole of this Tabernacle, both within and without,
from the floor to the ceiling, and from the foundations thereof to the
summit of the dome 124 (emphasis added)
October, 1876
Henry Grow, Jr. was appointed for a Mission to preside over Pennsylvania, Delaware, and
Maryland. 125
November 1, 1876
Henry Grow, Jr. left Salt Lake City, Utah for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Henry Grow, Jr.
stayed in Philadelphia during the Mission and visited family and the Grow Family Ancestral
Home (Fairview Summit Farm) in the 1400 block of Flat Rock Road in Narberth (Penn
Valley), Pennsylvania. 126 The trip took about two weeks by rail, compared to the months of
travel time required to get to Salt Lake City from Iowa some 25 years earlier, circa 1851. 127
Interestingly, as the United States as celebrating its Centennial - Americas 100th birthday Henry Grow, Jr. came back to Philadelphia (Narberth, Penn Valley) for his Mission.
From 1876 to 1877 Grow served a mission for the LDS Church in Maryland, Delaware, and
Pennsylvania where he was able to visit old relatives. 128
June 12, 1877
Henry Grow, Jr. completed his Mission, and he left Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to return to Salt
Lake City, Utah. 129
August 1877
An announcement was made to dismantle Adobe Tabernacle and replace it with Assembly
Hall. 130
124
The New Tabernacle Dedication Prayer, Read by Elder John Taylor during Conference, Mormon Service, Salt
Lake City, October 9th, 1875, The Deseret News, No. 38, Vol. XXIV., October 20, 1875.
125
126
Tullidge, Edward W., History of Salt Lake City, Star Printing Company, 1886, pages 127-128. The Grow
Family Ancestral Home was also known as the Fairview Summit Farm since it was a working farm. Elizabeth
Grow, the sixth child of Henry Grow, Sr. (and Henry Grow, Jr.s sister) married Benjamin Lentz on March 14, 1837.
At some point, Elizabeth inherited the original Grow Family Ancestral Home at 1400 block of Flat Rock Road in
Narberth, Pennsylvania; it was owned and operated by the Lentz family until sometime in the early 1900s. As of
1908, the Benjamin Lentz Estate was listed as the owner of the 54 acre Fairview Summit Farm at 1400 block of Flat
Rock Road according to the Pennsylvania Railroad Map, Atlas Main Line Pennsylvania R.R. from Overbrook to
Paoli, Plate 6, Copyrighted 1908 by A. H. Mueller.
127
November 6, 2014.
128
Henry Grow, Jr., http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10359925, accessed on July 22,

2014.
129
Revised 4/26/16
Page 22 of 40
1877-1878
After returning to Salt Lake City from his Mission, Henry Grow, Jr. tore down the old
Tabernacle and started building the Assembly Hall, superintending the work under architect
Obed Taylor. 131 Assembly Hall was completed in the fall of 1878. 132 On the southwest corner
of Temple Square is the Assembly Hall, a charming Gothic-style building with lovely stainedglass windows. This jewel of a building was constructed by Latter-day Saints between 1877 and
1882. 133
September 2, 1879
Brigham Youngs funeral was held in the Tabernacle. 134
1880
In 1880, [Henry] Grow [Jr.] was called by President [John] Taylor 135 to go east and look at
improvements of paper mills, for the purpose of putting up a new paper mill at the mouth of Big
Cottonwood Canyon [in the Wasatch Range 12 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, Utah]. 136
Henry Grow, Jr. came through Philadelphia, Pennsylvania while studying paper mills in order to
construct a paper mill in Salt Lake City, Utah. 137 Henry Grow, Jr. likely stayed at the Grow
Family Ancestral Home in Narberth (Penn Valley), Pennsylvania and he also travelled to many
cities including Albany, New York; Boston, Massachusetts; Buffalo, New York; Chicago,
Illinois; Holyoke, Massachusetts; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Springfield, Massachusetts. 138
130
131
132
133
Assembly Hall, Historic Sites, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
https://www.lds.org/locations/assembly-hall?lang=eng , accessed on August 4, 2014.
134
135
Third President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,

https://www.lds.org/manual/presidents-of-the-church-teacher-manual-religion-345/john-taylor-third-president-ofthe-church?lang=eng
136
137
138
Revised 4/26/16
Page 23 of 40
1880s
Henry Grow Jr. commenced work on the Cottonwood Paper Mill (also known as the Deseret
Paper Mill 139).
1883
Henry Grow, Jr. completed work on the Cottonwood Paper Mill.
1883-1887
Henry Grow, Jr. was in charge of carpentry work for the interior of the Salt Lake Temple. 140
1884
Gas lighting and heat first used in Tabernacle. 141
November 4, 1891
Henry Grow, Jr. died in Salt Lake City, Utah. 142
The Ogden Standard entitled his obituary as A Pioneer Gone and wrote:
Henry Grow, whose death occurred on the 4th inst. in Salt Lake City, and
who was buried on Friday, the 6th, was well-known in this City and
throughout the Territory. He [Grow Jr.] came to Utah with the
Pioneers and for many years was superintendent of the church
buildings in Salt Lake. It was in this position he made a host of
acquaintances and friends: for thousands who came to this country
from foreign lands, and who are now the owners of prosperous homes
in various parts of the Territory, performed their first days work in
America under his direction. He was a gentle taskmaster, and all his
men loved him. No better evidence of this could be adduced than was
furnished in the addresses at his funeral, most of them from old
associates and fellow-workmen who spoke of him in terms of the
warmest affection. Though born in 1817 he wore his years well, and no
one who saw him in Ogden less than two weeks ago would have believed
he was so near his end. His death was totally unexpected, and those of his
sons who live in Ogden and Huntsville were not aware of the serious
139
The Deseret News (www.deseretnews.com) is the first news organization and the longest continuouslyoperating business in the state of Utah. Owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Deseret
News offers news, information, commentary, and analysis from an award-winning and experienced team of
reporters, editors, columnists, and bloggers. Its mission is to be a leading news brand for faith and family oriented
audiences in Utah and around the world. Source: Deseret News, About Us,
http://www.deseretnews.com/aboutus#about , accessed on August 13, 2014.
140
20, 2014.
141
142
Henry Grow, Jr. Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10359925 ,

Accessed July 18, 2014.
Revised 4/26/16
Page 24 of 40
nature of his illness until they received the announcement of his

demise. 143 (emphasis added)
Henry Grow, Jr. Tombstone 144
Salt Lake City Cemetery in Salt Lake City, Utah
Plot: H 10 6 1W
143
Grow, Henry Jr., A Pioneer Gone, Obituary, Ogden Standard, November 12, 1891.
144
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10359925 , photo added by Carl W. McBrayer.
Revised 4/26/16
Page 25 of 40
They, the Builders of the Nation - Hymn

As Scott C. Esplin explained, To those pioneer builders and their magnificent monument of
faith, I express my grateful appreciation: 145
They, the builders of the nation,
Blazing trails along the way;
Stepping-stones for generations
Were their deeds of every day.
Building new and firm foundations,
Pushing on the wild frontier,
Forging onward, ever onward,
Blessed, honored Pioneer! 146
The Henry Grow, Jr. Family Modern Day
There are thousands of descendants of Henry Grow, Jr. who share a strong common bond with
each other. For example, on July 27-28, 2012, there were over 3,000 family members in
attendance for the Grow Family Reunion in Salt Lake City, Utah. On August 6, 2012, according
to the Deseret News,
About 3,000 people gathered on Temple Square recently as part of a
large-scale family reunion for the descendants of Henry Grow, a noted
Salt Lake Valley architect in the mid-1800s. Grow is best known for
designing and constructing the roof of the Salt Lake City Tabernacle on
Temple Square. Originally a bridge builder for the railroad in
Pennsylvania, Grow used trusses to construct a roof without interior
pillars, as Brigham Young had requested. Grow had five wives and left a
large posterity. 147
According to the Henry Grow Family Association, there are 7,987 members of the extended
Henry Grow, Jr. family comprising 4,990 families who are living in 2016. 148
According to Dean Grow, Marlin K. Jensen was a General Authority of the Church and Church
Historian until reaching emeritus status at age 70. Mr. Jensen is now President of the Henry
Grow Family Association. C. Scott Grow is currently a General Authority of The Church and is
an honorary Vice President of the Henry Grow Family Association. 149
145
UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2007), 19, https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/tabernacle-oldand-wonderful-friend/acknowledgments .
146
Hymn, They, The Builders of the Nation, https://www.lds.org/music/library/hymns/they-thebuilders-of-the-nation?lang=eng

147
Three thousand people attend Henry Grow reunion, By Jessica Henrie, Deseret News, August 6, 2012,
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/print/865560068/Three-thousand-people-attend-Henry-Grow-reunion.html
148
Henry Grow Family Association, http://www.henrygrowfamily.org/statistics.php , accessed on January 9, 2016.
149
Email from Dean Grow, family historian and Vice President of the Henry Grow Family Association, November
6, 2015.
Revised 4/26/16
Page 26 of 40
Marlin K. Jensen and C. Scott Grow are both descended through Henry Grow Jr.s 5th child with
Mary Moyer, John Wood Grow, who settled in Huntsville, Utah. John Wood Grow was their
great-grandfather. John Wood Grow was a six year younger brother to Dean Grows greatgrandfather, William Moyer Grow. Dean Grow, Marlin K. Jensen and C. Scott Grow all have
descended through Mary Moyer Grow, who was born 1817 in the Germantown section of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to Dean Grow, Mary Grow was probably also at the
ancestral home of Henry Grow, Jr. quite often after her marriage to Henry Grow, Jr. in 1837,
until they departed Pennsylvania in 1842. Henry Grow, Jr. and Mary Grow may have even lived
at 1400 block of Flat Rock Road in Narberth (Penn Valley) for a while during the first part of
their marriage. 150
Authors Note by Jonathan Bari
As a co-founder and President of The Constitutional Walking Tour of Philadelphia, which
provides guided tours of Americas Birthplace at Independence National Historical Park
(including the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, etc.), I am quite interested in American history.
To that end, after my wife and I purchased our new home in Penn Valley, Pennsylvania, we
started researching the history of our home which dates back to at least 1807. We have been
intrigued to learn that Henry Grow, Jr. grew up in our house, and that Henry Grow, Jr. became
one of the pioneer builders of many important buildings for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, including the Salt Lake City Tabernacle, Social Hall and Assembly Hall.
The more research that we have done on Henry Grow, Jr., the more fascinated we have became
with this great man and his lasting legacy which has continued to bless the lives of millions of
people, both during his lifetime (1817-1891) and thereafter. From our perspective, Henry Grow,
Jr. personified American and Mormon values including family, spirituality, patriotism, hard
work, ingenuity, resilience and success. Henry Grow, Jr.s accomplishments suggest that he felt
that he was doing Gods work and that he selflessly supported the Mormon faith, including in his
role as the Superintendent of Temple Block. 151 Our research has shown that Mormons are
pioneers by religion, and Henry Grow, Jr. epitomized this pioneer spirit. According to Jennifer
Lund, Director, Historic Sites Division at the Church History Department,
Temple Square, does not always appear on lists of historic sites, but
there can be no doubt that it encompasses the most historically and
theologically significant space in Salt Lake City and perhaps in the entire
Church. 152 (emphasis added)
150
Email from Dean Grow, family historian and Vice President of the Henry Grow Family Association, November
6, 2015.
151
152
B. H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1957; repr.,
Provo, UT: Brigham Young University, 1965), 6:42631; Steven L. Olsen, Museums and Historic Sites of
Mormonism, in Mormon Americana: A Guide to Sources and Collections in the United States, ed. David J.
Whitaker (Provo, UT: BYU Studies, 1995), 52337. Temple Square does appear on lists of historic sites in the
following: Richard H. Jackson, Historical Sites, in Encyclopedia of Mormonism, ed. Daniel H. Ludlow (New
York: Macmillan, 1992), 2:59295; T. Jeffery Cottle and Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, Historical Sites, in
Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History, ed. Arnold K. Garr, Donald Q. Cannon, and Richard O. Cowan (Salt
Lake City: Deseret Book, 2000), 5024. and Source: Joseph F. Smith and the Origins of the Church Historic Sites
Program, By Jennifer L. Lund,
Revised 4/26/16
Page 27 of 40
While there have been millions of beneficiaries -- including people of all faiths -- of Henry
Grow, Jr.s work on behalf of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Henry Grow
Jr.s projects have received widespread acclaim and recognition, it appears from our research
that there is not much, if any, public recognition for the Superintendent of Temple Block
(Square) himself and the architect, engineer and builder of the Salt Lake City Tabernacle. As
such, in my outsiders opinion as a historian who has studied Henry Grow, Jr., I think that this
humble Pioneer Builder appears to be the unsung hero of the Latter-day Saints.
While neither the author nor his family are members of the Church, the author has developed a
fond appreciation and deep respect for the pioneer builders of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. To that end, the authors outsiders perspective as an independent historian
may provide some new insight on certain matters herein, but the author also recognizes that his
unfamiliarity with the Churchs in-depth history, religion and culture may also provide some
limitations in his understanding and analysis thereof.
Special Thanks
While there are many valuable resources reviewed in this research project and many have been
quoted in this Timeline, the research contained herein was greatly assisted by Dean Grow 153,
family historian and Vice President of the Henry Grow Family Association, who has been an
invaluable resource. The research herein was also assisted by using the Internet archives of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as research done by Stewart L. Grow 154,
Scott C. Esplin 155, Richard Righter and the Lower Merion Historical Society in Pennsylvania.
https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/joseph-f-smith-reflections-man-and-his-times/joseph-f-smith-and-origins-churchhistoric#_edn15)
153
Dean Grows 3rd cousins are C. Scott Grow and Marlin K. Jensen.
154
Stewart L. Grows 1947 Thesis, A Historical Study of the Construction of the Salt Lake Tabernacle, Presented
to the Faculty of the Department of History, Brigham Young University, in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Master of Arts, https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/tabernacle-old-and-wonderful-friend/thesis-historicalstudy-construction-salt-lake .
155
UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2007), 11-63, https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/tabernacleold-and-wonderful-friend/introduction
Revised 4/26/16
Page 28 of 40
Photos of the Salt Lake City Tabernacle

Salt Lake City Tabernacle - Construction
One of the first steps in building the Tabernacle was raising the forty-four stone piers that
support the roof, which were completed during 1864. 156
156
Stewart L. Grows 1947 Thesis, 5. Construction of the Great Tabernacle, A Historical Study of the Construction
of the Salt Lake Tabernacle, Presented to the Faculty of the Department of History, Brigham Young University, in
Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts, http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/tabernacle-oldand-wonderful-friend/thesis-historical-study-construction-salt-lake-4 , accessed on August 13, 2014.
Revised 4/26/16
Page 29 of 40
Salt Lake City Tabernacle - Timber Roof Construction

The two ends of the roof were composed of several half-arches that met in the middle,
supporting each other. This minimized the weight of the roof and thus the load that the arches
had to bear. 157
157
Revised 4/26/16
Page 30 of 40
Salt Lake City Tabernacle - Timber Roof Construction

[Stewart L.] Grow remarks, At each point where the timbers intersect, four holes were drilled
and wooden pegs were driven through so that the pegs extended three inches on either side. The
ends of the pegs were then split with wooden wedges, which were permanently driven into the
pegs and which secured them solidly (original thesis, 74). 158
158
Revised 4/26/16
Page 31 of 40
Salt Lake City Tabernacle - Construction

The stacks of wood in the foreground are waiting to be applied to the Tabernacle as the
covering of the roof is being finished. 159
Salt Lake City Tabernacle Early Construction 160
159
160
Salt Lake Tabernacle Reopens, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, March 31, 2007,
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/salt-lake-tabernacle-reopens
Revised 4/26/16
Page 32 of 40
Old and New Tabernacles, Temple Foundation, Circa 1870s 161
Salt Lake City Tabernacle and Temple Block, 1873 162
161
162
Revised 4/26/16
Page 33 of 40
Salt Lake City Tabernacle - Interior, Circa 1890s 163
Birthplace and Ancestral Home of Henry Grow, Jr., Penn Valley, Pennsylvania (2016)
According to Jennifer Lund, Director, Historic Sites Division at the Church History Department,
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
The idea of sacred space is an ancient one. When the Lord spoke to
Moses out of the burning bush, He commanded, Put off thy shoes from
163
Revised 4/26/16
Page 34 of 40
off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground (Exodus
3:5). 164
For More Information:
Jon Bari
The Constitutional Walking Tour of Philadelphia
[email protected]
215.525.1776, x102
164
Why Historic Sites? Sacred Places Help Us Remember Gods Hand, Jenny Lund, June 10, 2014,
https://history.lds.org/article/why-keep-historic-sites?lang=eng
Revised 4/26/16
Page 35 of 40
Appendix Credit for the Design of the Great Tabernacle (also referred to as
the Mormon Tabernacle, Big Tabernacle, Salt Lake City Tabernacle,
Tabernacle, etc.)
As this Timeline of Henry Grow, Jr., the Pioneer Builder and Unsung Hero of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Timeline), was being researched and written in 2014-2016,
the author (Jonathan Bari) has become aware of some of the historical discussions, research,
analyses and debates with regard to credit for the design of the Great Tabernacle (also referred to
as the Large Tabernacle, Tabernacle, and the Salt Lake City Tabernacle as it is known today).
Specifically, the information suggests that there have been debates over time regarding
architectural credit for the Great Tabernacle being attributed to one or more of these three
prominent pioneer architects for the Church: Trumann O. Angell, William H. Folsom and Henry
Grow, Jr. The primary focus of the Timelines Appendix was on the Great Tabernacle and not
meant to be a comprehensive study or assessment of the overall careers of Trumann O. Angell,
William H. Folsom and Henry Grow, Jr.
Similar to how Stewart Grow cautiously tried to minimize the effects of family pride in his
exhaustive 1947 Masters Thesis on the Salt Lake Tabernacle, the author of this Timeline has
tried to minimize the effects, if any, of the pride of owning the ancestral home of Henry Grow,
Jr. As Scott C. Esplin wrote in 2007, there was a [n]eed for further study. Though [Stewart]
Grows [1947] thesis provides an important starting point, additional study can be done
regarding the Salt Lake Tabernacle. 165 The author of this Timeline set out to research and
chronicle Henry Grow, Jr.s life, including with his work on the Great Tabernacle, and to that
end, it seems appropriate to at least include some discussion on the authors findings regarding
the Great Tabernacle and credit for its design. Specifically, the author of this Timeline has
reviewed many sources, including the research of Stewart Grow and Scott Esplin, and the author
has highlighted some of his key findings herein.
As detailed in this Timeline, Brigham Young is credited with conceiving the concept for the
Tabernacle. That said, the debate among scholars of the Salt Lake City Tabernacle and
descendants of the architects has focused on the role of the architect(s). In addition to all of the
historical documentation set forth in this Timeline about Henry Grow, Jr.s accomplishments,
Mr. Stewart Grows research in 1947 revealed that while there were original plans published
under Mr. Folsoms name, one will find considerable discrepancy when comparing those
plans with the finished roof of the Tabernacle. 166 Further, Stewart Grow found that, Mr.
Folsom never claimed to be the architect of the Tabernacle and other than the mention of the
Deseret News of 1865 [sic], none of the newspapers of the day give him credit for being its
architect.
In contrast, Henry Grow, Jr. claimed throughout his life to be the designer of the
Tabernacle. 167 As seen at the beginning of this Timeline in the images and text, Henry Grow,
Jr.s business card proudly showcased an image of the Large Tabernacle and proclaimed,
165
Scott C. Esplin, Introduction to The Tabernacle: An Old and Wonderful Friend (Provo, UT: Religious Studies
Center, Brigham Young University, 2007), 1163, https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/tabernacle-old-and-wonderfulfriend/introduction .
166
Stewart L. Grows 1947 Thesis, 9. Discussions, A Historical Study of the Construction of the Salt Lake
Tabernacle, Presented to the Faculty of the Department of History, Brigham Young University, in Partial
Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts, https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/tabernacle-old-andwonderful-friend/thesis-historical-study-construction-salt-lake-8 .
Revised 4/26/16
Page 36 of 40
Large Tabernacle - Was completed October, 1867, shape was designed

by President Brigham Young. The architect that planned this building was
Henry Grow, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 168
According to Stewart Grow, [t]he writers at the time of the building of the Tabernacle gave Mr.
[Henry] Grow credit for its design. So did the contemporary historians. The Deseret Evening
News wrote [in September 1915]:
One of the most prominent and best known of pioneer builders, and
especially remembered for the planning and construction of the tabernacle
in this city, Henry Grow came to Utah in 1851. In 1853 he built the first
suspension bridge in Utah, across the Ogden river. Afterwards, during a
long and busy life, the following important works may be placed to his
credit: the old factory from which Sugar House ward takes its name,
sawmills A, B, D, and E, in Cottonwood canyon, a sawmill seven miles up
City Creek, woolen mill at the mouth of Parleys canyon, suspension
bridges over the Provo, Jordan and Weber [Rivers], various mills for Prest.
Young, the original ZCMI building, Assembly Hall, paper mill on
Cottonwood, and, most enduring and conspicuous of all, the large
tabernacle. 169
Stewart Grow also cited the following in his 1947 Masters Thesis as evidence of credit being
given to Henry Grow, Jr. for the design of the Great Tabernacle:
Tullidges History of Salt Lake City, published in 1886, contained the
biographies of many of the men who had contributed to the building of
Salt Lake City. In the biography of Henry Grow, the following is
published: In 1865, the President called on him in regard to the
construction of the Big Tabernacle. He designed the shape, planned,
framed, put up and finished this Tabernacle in the fall of 1867. In
1868 the President called on him to put up the Z. C. M. I. building. 170
(emphasis added)
167
Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts, https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/tabernacle-old-andwonderful-friend/thesis-historical-study-construction-salt-lake-8 .and note that the only newspaper article of the
day (circa 1860s) which mentioned William Folsom as the architect of the Great Tabernacle that Stewart Grow
cited in his research was, The New Tabernacle, Deseret News, June 3, 1863.
168
Source: Large Tabernacle. Call Number: M282.21 G884he 18-- no. 2. Identifier: M282.21 G884he 18-- no. 2,
169
Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts, https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/tabernacle-old-andwonderful-friend/thesis-historical-study-construction-salt-lake-8 and Source: Our Gallery of Pioneers: Henry
Grow, Deseret Evening News, September 11, 1915, 2..
170
Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts, https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/tabernacle-old-andRevised 4/26/16
Page 37 of 40
Whitneys History of Utah, published in 1893, states: In October, 1867,

was completed,so far at least as to enable the general conference held
that month to convene beneath its ample roof,the famous Mormon
Tabernacle at Salt Lake City. . . . The architect of the Tabernacle, under
Brigham Young, was Henry Grow, who also had charge of its
construction. 171 (emphasis added)
Additionally, as part of Stewart Grows extensive research for his 1947 Masters Thesis, Stewart
Grow interviewed Otto Grow and George Grow (Henry Grow, Jr.s sons), and Stewart Grow
reported the following:
Otto Grow states that he has heard the stories of the building of the
Tabernacle many times in his home and that so long as his father and
mother lived there was never any question that Henry Grow was the
architect. One of the most vivid incidents he recalls hearing was that
when Henry Grow was constructing the roof of the Tabernacle, Mr.
Folsom would walk around and express his lack of confidence in the
design by such comments as, When the props are taken out, it will
fall and probably kill us all. This sniping so irritated Mr. Grow that
he asked President Young to ask Mr. Folsom to stay away from the
Temple Block. 172 (emphasis added)
That said, William H. Folsom was an architect who was quite accomplished and built various
buildings for the Church. Mr. Folsoms experience appears to have been in building straightline roofs and not in building circular/domed roofs such as was used for the Great
Tabernacle. 173 Further, the information suggests that the engineering expertise of a bridge
builder such as Henry Grow, Jr. was needed to determine how many stone piers (forty-four) were
needed and how large the stone piers had to be in order to support the roof pillars (which are
massive in size), and only Henry Grow, Jr. had that insight and experience. The information
further suggests that it would likely not have been possible to have the base of the Great
Tabernacle designed by Mr. Folsom and then have Henry Grow, Jr. design a roof to just fit on
that base. In other words, the design of the base was a function of the roof and not vice versa,
wonderful-friend/thesis-historical-study-construction-salt-lake-8, and Source: Edward W. Tullidge,
Biographies, History of Salt Lake City, (Salt Lake City: Star, 1886), Biographies, 128.
171
Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts, https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/tabernacle-old-andwonderful-friend/thesis-historical-study-construction-salt-lake-8#_edn15 and Source: Orson F. Whitney, History of
Utah (Salt Lake City: George Q. Cannon and Sons, 1893), 2:17980.
172
173
Revised 4/26/16
Page 38 of 40
and it was Henry Grow, Jr.s unique engineering skills which enabled Brigham Youngs vision
for the Great Tabernacle come to fruition.
In 1861, William H. Folsom was named acting Church Architect in place of Trumann O. Angell
who was in poor health. Mr. Folsom served in this position until April 1867 when Mr. Angell
replaced Mr. Folsom as Church Architect. 174 According to Stewart Grows 1947 Masters Thesis,
He [Mr. Folsom] was replaced by Mr. Angell in April 1867 just at the
time the big drive started for the completion of the Tabernacle. At that
time, the interior of the building had not been designed and the exterior
was far from completion. Whether Mr. Folsom had taken any interest in
the building of the Tabernacle prior to his being replaced is not sure, but
after he was replaced by Mr. Angell there is definite evidence that he
was not connected with the completion of the Tabernacle. It hardly
seems likely that if he were the architect of the buildingsupervising
its erection, as architects dohe would leave the work right at its
most crucial stage. 175 (emphasis added)
In spite of Mr. Folsom not having any bridge building expertise, being replaced as Church
Architect, leaving his Church Architect post right before the big drive to push for
completion of the Great Tabernacle, warning of the collapse of the Tabernacles roof based on
the manners and methods employed by Henry Grow, Jr., and not being involved with the
completion of the Tabernacle, there are still some who give credit to Mr. Folsom as being the
architect of the Great Tabernacle.
For example, in 1947, Stewart Grow documented that there were still some who believe that Mr.
Folsom should share credit for the design of the Tabernacle,
Gordon B. Hinckley, as publicity official for the Church, indicated that,
in his experience with publicity on the point, a compromise had been
reached in which it was indicated that Henry Grow and William
Folsom cooperated on the design under the general instruction of
Brigham Young. He added that so far as he knew there was no
historical basis for the compromise but that it had been arrived at as a
result of family pressure and the lack of historical proof to the contrary.
(emphasis added) 176
174
175
176
Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts, https://rsc.byu.edu/archived/tabernacle-old-andwonderful-friend/thesis-historical-study-construction-salt-lake-8 and Gordon B. Hinckley, conversation with author
[Stewart Grow, circa 1947].
Revised 4/26/16
Page 39 of 40
The information suggests that family pressure between the families Henry Grow, Jr. and
William H. Folsom carried the day in attributing credit to both Mr. Folsom and Henry Grow, Jr.
as the architects of the Great Tabernacle, when the facts seem to state otherwise.
With regard to Trumann Angell, Stewart Grow stated in his 1947 Masters Thesis,
From his journal entries, it is evident that Truman O. Angell designed the
interior of the building, including the stand, seating arrangement,
doorways, stairways, and other finishing details. 177
It is the authors judgment that Henry Grow was the architect of the
Tabernacle roof and exterior and that Truman O. Angell was architect of
the Tabernacle interior. Mr. Angell is seldom given any credit for work on
the Tabernacle. It is hoped that this book may be the means of giving him
some of the credit which is justly due. 178
In the context of the information reviewed, coupled with the fact that the Great Tabernacle was
built in the wild frontier era in the 1860s, the author believes it was Henry Grow, Jr.s unique
bridge building skills and experience that made the impossible possible with building the Great
Tabernacle, and to that end, it was Henry Grow, Jr. who architected and constructed one of
engineering wonders of the world.
Jonathan H. Bari, 2014-2016. All Rights Reserved. Photos copyrighted by others are detailed with credits in
footnotes and used with attribution.
177
178
Revised 4/26/16
Page 40 of 40

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Henry Grow, Jr.

The Pioneer Builder1 & Unsung Hero

Henry Grows Business Card (Side 1) 4

Henry Grows Business Card (Side 2) 5

Righter, Richard, Frederich Grow.

Righter, Richard, Frederich Grow.

(HenryGrowFamily.org), to Jonathan Bari, June 19, 2015 and

January 24, 1834

Henry Grow Family Web site, http://henrygrowfamily.org/getperson.php?personID=I3&tree=tree1 , accessed on

Henry and Mary had 7 children of which all survived to marry:

Mormonism in Early Philadelphia, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, September 3, 2011,

Mormonism in Early Philadelphia, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, September 3, 2011,

Kesher Israel, Our History, http://www.historickesherisrael.org/who-we-are/our-history/

May 15, 1843

Henry Grow Family Web site, http://henrygrowfamily.org/timeline2.php?primaryID=I2&tree=tree1&chartwidth=

Fall 1847 to Spring 1851

Holladay and Warner Freight Train, http://history.lds.org/overlandtravels/companyDetail?companyId=150 ,

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The Tabernacle was built in an environment relatively poor in timber,

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History of the Tabernacle, http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/additional-resource/history-of-the-tabernacle ,

Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Paul L. Anderson, http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Tabernacle,_Salt_Lake_City,

The Tabernacle, Temple Square, http://www.templesquare.com/explore/tabernacle/ .

President N. Eldon Tanner Dies https://www.lds.org/ensign/1983/01/president-n-eldon-tanner-dies?lang=eng ,

The Deseret News reported,

impact. 92 [After Two Years of Work, an Updated

Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Paul L. Anderson, http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Tabernacle,_Salt_Lake_City,

Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Paul L. Anderson, http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Tabernacle,_Salt_Lake_City,

According to Paul L. Anderson,

Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Paul L. Anderson, http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Tabernacle,_Salt_Lake_City,

Completed when Salt Lake City was still an isolated pioneer

I absolutely marvel at President Youngs boldness in going

Deseret News, April 6, 1870.

Deseret News, June 12, 1872.

Deseret News, November 12, 1873.

Deseret News, November 12, 1873.

Deseret News, November 26, 1873.

Deseret News, September 16, 1874.

Third President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,

Henry Grow, Jr., http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10359925, accessed on July 22,

Third President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,

Henry Grow, Jr. Find A Grave. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10359925 ,

nature of his illness until they received the announcement of his

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10359925 , photo added by Carl W. McBrayer.

They, the Builders of the Nation - Hymn

Hymn, They, The Builders of the Nation, https://www.lds.org/music/library/hymns/they-thebuilders-of-the-nation?lang=eng

Henry Grow Family Association, http://www.henrygrowfamily.org/statistics.php , accessed on January 9, 2016.

Photos of the Salt Lake City Tabernacle

Salt Lake City Tabernacle - Timber Roof Construction

Salt Lake City Tabernacle - Timber Roof Construction

Salt Lake City Tabernacle - Construction

Salt Lake City Tabernacle Early Construction 160

Old and New Tabernacles, Temple Foundation, Circa 1870s 161