Object Details
architect
Weeks, William
associated institution
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
associated person
Smith, Joseph
maker
Weeks, William
Description
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints founded the town of Nauvoo, Illinois in 1839 and finished construction of their elaborate temple in 1846. Initially welcomed by the Illinois General Assembly, growing anti-Mormonism and the 1844 murder of leader Joseph Smith drove them to abandon the town less than three years after completing the temple.
This celestial limestone carving was one of thirty that adorned the grand temple at Nauvoo, which was destroyed by a fire (possibly due to arson) in 1848 and tornado-force winds in 1850.
Date made
1846
associated dates
1844
ID Number
1989.0453.01a
catalog number
1989.0453.01a
accession number
1989.0453
Object Name
capital
capital, part of
capitol, part of
Physical Description
limestone (overall material)
white (overall color)
Measurements
capital, part of (1989.0453.01a): 38 1/4 in x 62 3/8 in x 21 in; 97.155 cm x 158.4325 cm x 53.34 cm
sunstone (two sections assembled): 54 in x 71 3/4 in x 20 3/8 in; 137.16 cm x 182.245 cm x 51.7525 cm
Place Made
United States: Illinois, Nauvoo
associated place
United States: Illinois, Nauvoo
Related Publication
Ancestry's Red Book
See more items in
Home and Community Life: Religion
Cultures & Communities
Family & Social Life
Engineering, Building, and Architecture
Religion
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Subject
Prejudice
Architecture
Migration
Latter Day Saints
Link to Original Record
Record ID
nmah_1110405