Early Draper Gathering Places

Early Draper Gathering Places. . , The Old White Meetinghouse, In 1852, on the north wall of Draper Fort, a one-room adobe school building was erected to serve as a gathering place for the early settlement. , In 1860 a second public structure was built. This second structure was called the Vestry. The Vestry was located toward the northeast corner, inside Draper Fort. The Vestry was used as a school, a meetinghouse, and a community center. In 1863 a main hall was added to the Vestry, and from that time, the building was known as "The Old White Meetinghouse." The building materials - lumber, mortar, bricks, paint, granite blocks - were all local. The walls of the meetinghouse were made with "Mormon adobes," which were bricks made from local clay. The paint was a mixture of slacked lime, water, and salt. Only materials such as nails, hinges, and glass windows were purchased. , This "Old White Meetinghouse" was the place where John Rocky Park, an early Draper educator, taught his famous village school. Dr. Park later became the first president of the University of Deseret, the precursor to the University of Utah. For more than twenty years, the meetinghouse served the people of Draper in all public and spiritual gatherings. , In January 1940, the Ebenezer Brown Camp of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers erected a monument on the original site of this building. The granite block in the monument was the south step of the old church. , The First Ward Church, In 1853 Draper's Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints settlers formed a branch. Three years later, the growing community was organized into the Draper Ward. Isaac Mitton Stewart was sustained as the first Bishop of Draper in October 1856 and continued in that calling until his death March 15, 1890. For years, Draper's spiritual needs were amply served by the Old White Meetinghouse. However, as Draper's population increased, so did its needs. A new meetinghouse was commenced in the spring of 1892 by Bishop William Coleman Allen, second Bishop of Draper (May 11, 1890 until August 21, 1898). Bishop Allen initiated the beginning of the brick work at the time of his release as bishop. The church members excavated the basement using wagons, plows, and scrapers pulled by teams of horses. The granite rocks for the foundation were quarried into rectangular shapes, loaded in wagons, and hauled to the building site near the small Old White Meetinghouse. Other church members molded bricks. Coal was need to fire the bricks and was delivered by railroad cars. Masons, carpenters, skilled-and unskilled-labor of all sorts were needed to accomplish the task. The needed help was always present. The First Ward Church was completed at a cost of $13,000 and dedicated on May 24, 1903, under the administration of Bishop Willard Boulter Enniss. This was an event in the history of Draper that had been anticipated for a generation. The fully furnished chapel, including a pipe organ, was on the main floor; the classrooms and a kitchen were in the basement. , The church was abandoned June 14, 1953, after part of the roof blew off in a windstorm and was razed with difficulty in 1954. , The Draper Roundhouse or Amusement Hall, The Roundhouse was a social gathering place for the people of Draper. Many people will remember socials, dances, basketball games, and weddings that were held in this building. For years, it was also used as a theater. This building was started in the spring of 1913 and almost completed in 1916. Presenting a show was necessary to raise sufficient funds to complete its construction. The amusement hall (or "roundhouse", as it was known locally) was built east of the Draper Ward meetinghouse. A young architect by the name of Bjorling from Murray, Utah, designed the building. The Salt Lake Tabernacle was a model for the plan which had an oval layout and hipped roof design. The building was demolished in 1961 after the city deemed it was insufficient for the needs of the town.