Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial
Template:Infobox historic site Template:Short description The Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial is a granite obelisk on a hill in the White River Valley near Sharon and South Royalton in the U.S. state of Vermont. It marks the spot where Joseph Smith was born on December 23, 1805.[1] The monument was erected by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which recognizes Smith as its first president and founding prophet. The LDS Church continues to own and operate the site as a tourist attraction.
History
In 1884, LDS Church leader Junius F. Wells visited Smith's birthplace and conceived a plan to build a monument to him.[3] Under the direction of church president Joseph F. Smith, Wells oversaw the construction of the monument and cottage house in 1905. The Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial was dedicated by Joseph F. Smith on the 100th anniversary of Joseph Smith's birth, on December 23, 1905.[2]
By 1907, Wells reported that there had been between seven and eight thousand visitors.[2]
Description
The monument stands Script error: No such module "convert". tall and weighs approximately Script error: No such module "convert".. The Script error: No such module "convert". shaft of the obelisk is Script error: No such module "convert". long: one for each year of Smith's life. The obelisk was quarried in Barre, Vermont, and it has been cited as a "remarkable engineering feat"[4] and "one of the largest polished shafts in the world".[5]
An LDS Church visitors' center and meetinghouse are on the same property as the memorial. Admission to the visitors' center and tours of the memorial site are free.
Notes
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- ↑ The monument itself lies just within the corporate boundaries of Royalton, Vermont. However, the foundations of the cabin that it is believed Smith was born in lie just over the boundary line in Sharon, Vermont.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
- ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
- ↑ Susa Young Gates, "Memorial Monument Dedication", Improvement Era, February 1906.
- ↑ See, e.g., Keith A. Erekson, "The Joseph Smith Memorial Monument and Royalton’s 'Mormon Affair': Religion, Community, Memory, and Politics in Progressive Vermont", Vermont History 73:117–51 (2005) at p. 118.
- ↑ See, e.g., Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial, churchofjesuschrist.org.
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References
- Gerry Avant, "Memorializing Prophet who was born here", Deseret Morning News, 2005-12-31, p. Z08.
- Keith A. Erekson, "The Joseph Smith Memorial Monument and Royalton’s 'Mormon Affair': Religion, Community, Memory, and Politics in Progressive Vermont", Vermont History 73:117–151 (2005).
- Susa Young Gates, "Memorial Monument Dedication", Improvement Era, Feb. 1906.
- George Albert Smith, "The duty of sustaining home industries, and home institutions—Incidents of the journey to Vermont and return—Remarkable interest and kindness manifest to President Smith and party—Providential help in overcoming obstacles in erection of monument—The finished structure a credit to the Church, and to Junius F. Wells" Conference Report, April 1906.
Further reading
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External links
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- Template:Sister-inline
- Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial: official website
- Pages with script errors
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- 1905 sculptures
- Buildings and structures completed in 1905
- History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Joseph Smith
- Monuments and memorials in Vermont
- Obelisks in the United States
- Properties of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
- Buildings and structures in Royalton, Vermont
- Buildings and structures in Sharon, Vermont
- Stone sculptures in Vermont
- Tourist attractions in Windsor County, Vermont
- 1905 establishments in Vermont
- Birthplaces of individual people