T he Church Administration Building certainly has come a long way in its time in Salt Lake City. The first administration building, erected in 1848, was little more than a dirt covered lean-to. As the city and the Church developed, more substantial buildings were necessary and desirable. In 1915, Joseph F. Smith, then president of the Mormon Church, directed the construction of the building we see today.
As the western United States was settled, people had a desire for stability in unstable times. That led to the fashion churches, government buildings, and banks to adopt neo-gothic styles reminiscent of ancient times. Tall columns and thick walls of stone gave the pioneers faith in the building, and by proxy, greater faith in the institutions inside. In the case of the Church Administration Building, 24 Ionic columns form a colonnade around the structure.
Inside, there are columns, too; but these are better described as monoliths. In the reception hall they hold aloft an art glass ceiling.
Each column weighs eight tons.
The building exterior is constructed from 4,517 granite blocks.
1992 - President George Bush visits the building, but refuses to take questions from the media on political topics, saying it is inappropriate in such a revered place.
New York, United States
Lewis