historic HARRISVILLE
1891
At the intersection of modern-day North Harrisville Road and West Harrisville Road lies a manicured lawn, a monument, an historic grove of trees, and a parking lot for the large, red brick church. But at one time, this was the town center of the settlement of Harrisville!
The story goes that Bishop Pleasant Green Taylor of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints determined this central location by hitching his horses to a wagon, fastening a rag around a spoke of one of the wheels, and driving from one end of the settlement to the other. His son Levi counted the revolutions of the rag, and they then came halfway back to determine the central location. In 1891, they designated this location for the building of the town church and school, and they got the property owner to donate it. (It just so happened that the property owner was Bishop Taylor himself, so it all worked out!)
In 1914, an addition was added on the back of the building including a second story with classrooms and an amusement hall. A new outside door to new addition was set back from the chapel on the South side. The entire building was heated with steam radiators. Classrooms on the main floor in the new addition were divided with folding panels that could be opened for banquets. A wide staircase led to the upstairs recreation hall that included a small stage on the north end. The recreation hall could also be accessed with a flight of covered stairs outside on the east leading down to the grove of trees.
In 1926, the building was renovated inside to include indoor plumbing, restrooms, baptismal font, and a new lighting system; and on the old chapel portion of the building: new shingles, new seats, new floors, a new stand and pulpit area.
In 1932 – 1937, church members hauled 1,400 loads of soil to fill the slough in back of the church house. They planted trees and lawn, making a beautiful grove. They painted the building inside and out, and laid cement walkways.
In 1954-1959, another renovation and addition took place which included removal of the old original chapel, replaced with a new chapel built on the south side of the building. The second-floor recreation hall was removed, and the inside partitions and ceilings of the building were lowered. Added were: additional classrooms, youth primary room, Relief Society room, scout rooms, bishopric offices, new steeple, recreation hall and kitchen.
In order to accomplish this major change, the unused old yellow brick schoolhouse south of the church was demolished. Some of the bricks from the schoolhouse were used in construction of the new church addition. Members spent many hours cleaning brick from the school for this purpose. Labor helped to pay for members’ assessment.
The new chapel opened into the new recreation hall for overflow seating. The recreation hall included a stage which was put to good use for roadshows, youth Christmas programs, and other memorable presentations.
While this was being done, members attended church in Farr West.
Another building addition took place in 1980, which included an addition on the southern end of the new chapel (over the some of the area where the yellow brick school previously stood), including a foyer, restrooms, bishop’s and clerk’s offices, and one additional classroom. The heating system was upgraded to natural gas.
2006
Church goers loved the existing meeting house at 1300 North Harrisville and its many memories, but due to numerous renovations and additions, the building did not qualify as historic, and because the building had two stories, there was concern about accessibility for those attendees who may be physically challenged.
The new Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints building that now stands was dedicated Sunday, May 7, 2006 at 435 West Harrisville Road. This 16,558 square-foot meeting house was built on the portion of property where the ball field was located. For a year, the two church buildings were on this same lot. Demolition of the old church began in the spring of 2007.
Members expressed great concern for saving the landmark grove of trees. Many of the trees in the grove were planted in 1936 by members, and some may have been there prior to that. Officials were able to place the new meeting house east of the existing chapel and grove, and many of the trees in the landmark grove were spared.
Historic grove of trees at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Meetinghouse at 435 West Harrisville Road (formerly 1300 North).