A new episode of American Built, a tv series by Fox News that celebrates and explores the design and ingenuity of iconic American landmarks, features the historic Salt Lake Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. The episode follows the history of Brigham Young, the exodus to Utah, and the building of the Tabernacle.
Meant as a public space for the quickly growing church, the Tabernacle was completed in 1867 and designed so as many people as possible could hear the word of the Lord. The unique egg shape with lattice trusses allowed for better acoustics and visibility. Until the new Conference Center was dedicated in 2000, the Tabernacle hosted the annual and semi-annual General Conferences for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Today, it is the home of the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra on Temple Square and the iconic 11,623-pipe organ.
Principal Tabernacle Choir organist Richard Elliot, engineer Jeff Miller, and historian Emily Utt were interviewed for the episode. It is available to view with a Fox News subscription and other sites with live tv streaming. An 8-minute preview of the episode can be watched below. It details the beginnings of the Tabernacle and the initial inspiration for its unique design.
You can learn more about the history of the Salt Lake Tabernacle by clicking here. The video below was created by the Tabernacle Choir to give an unprecedented view of the attic and the history of the building; it shows some of the amazing engineering used by the builders.
