Last week was cousins and this week we get to hang with friends from Orem. These are Zina'a tears of joy that the Pratt family came to see DC. (and now we begin.)
Hey, it's the Salt Lake temple. What's the window air conditioning unit doing in the SLC temple? That is because this WAS the Washington DC Mormon center in 1933 until 1968. This is when the DC race riots began and the members took their Moroni from the top of this building and RAN. The building located at 16th and Harvard was sold to the Unification Church - a.k.a. the Moonies in 1975 to avoid the $250,000 improvement costs. Now this thoroughly Mormon building is falling apart and covered in rats. But hints of its former life (and incredible potential) is evident everywhere from the scriptures etched into the stone to the stain-glass of the Salt Lake valley. Today we took our kids and went on a little impromptu tour.
Stain-glass of Salt Lake valley.
This is the mosaic mural over the door done by the famous mormon artist Mahonri Young in 1933. (If I were Cindy I would put a link here to all of his art but this is a low tech operation so you will have to google it yourselves.)
Inside the building it looks like an old fancy stake center that some how escaped demolition - except for the very large photo of Rev. Moon and a couple of thrones on the stand. The old podium and organ seem to have disapeared but luckly the hymn number marque has survived complete with the original number cards. Probably my favorite part of this field trip was seeing this little detail below. Look closely at the Moonie interpretation of a Mormon standard. Who knew the Moonie's hymnal has over 2000 pages. Wait, those aren't page numbers.
Here is Mike with Tanner, Marcus and Xanny at the Peace Cafe coffee shop located in the old bishop's office. What can you buy at the coffee shop in the Unification Church? I will show you.
. . . MOONIE NUTS, of course!
Marco wants to add that we should all contact our Area Authorities and lobby to buy back this building. This is DC so lobbying should work. Word on the street is they have offered to sell it back to the church to the tune of $11,000,000.00 That is far too many zeros for number of dead rats I saw inside today.
4 comments:
That was so more than 4 pictures. I must see this building in my next adventure east. Top of the list of things to do, that and FBI building. Anyone for a trip to DC?
I saw that building on a tour with Ken Merritt. It's so pretty! I think we should buy it back, going to church in a refurbished Safeway is so less regal than that rat-infested ruin.
Kim - I think I will have to go to the FBI building tomorrow. Thanks for reminding me.
Cindy - I think you should come out again and do a book on this building. It was spooky - like if Mormonism was a thing from a by-gone era. We always associate the church and our buildings (especially temple-like ones) with all things clean and nicely landscaped.
Wow, what an amazing find! I've never heard of this place before. It is amazing to me that the church ever let it go. Are there any other references to it on the web? Great photos. What is it officially called?
Post a Comment