Mt. Pleasant's First LDS Chapel

New Meeting House
January 4, 1865, a special meeting was called for the purpose of discussing ways and means of erecting the new meeting house, as the Social Hall was now too small and a larger place was needed to accommodate the people. It was proposed to erect a large meeting house in the center of the church block. (Location today at 75 South State Street). A resolution was adopted assessing each person over eighteen years of age $10.00. Besides, a property tax of three percent was levied upon the property. William S. Seeley, (the first Bishop and also Mayor), Amasa Scovil, Niels Rosenlof, and William F. Reynolds were appointed as a building committee. February 17th, a contract was let to James Hansen and Niels Ro­senlof to erect the building. It was to be of white adobe and was to be completed by May 1, 1866. The contract price was $14, ­000.

Work was at once begun, a good foundation laid, and the wall started, but on President Young's next visit, he told the people the building was too small and, consequently work was discontinued for the time being.

Two years later, August 16th, Paul Dehlin, Abraham Day, and Samuel S. Witten were appointed to supervise the building of the meeting house, on the foundation laid in 1867, at which time, on account of the trouble with the Indians, work was suspended. Ebbie Jessen took contract for the mason work for $800.00 and Erick Gunderson and Jacob Rolfson the carpenter work for $2,000.00 A poll tax of $10.00 for each man was paid towards it.

It might be interesting to know that at that time adobes were $10.00 per thousand, and freight on window glass was $25.00 cwt., from the Missouri River. At about this time some people became dissatisfied and apostatized from the church. The High Council, a quorum of twelve men, chosen by the church to settle difficulties among the Saints, was organized with Bishop Seeley as the president.
During the fall of 1871, the new meeting house was completed and dedicated. This new building furnished ample accommodations for church services. The building was of white adobes and faced the west with a fine pulpit in the east end of the room. Three large windows were on the north and the south and two on the west. One on each side of the door. Later there was a gallery built in the west end of the building with a stairway at the north side of the entrance.
The following is copied from the Minutes of the High Priest Quorum: "December 30, 1871, High Priests met in the New Meeting House. Several of the brethren spoke in Danish and several in English." During the past year the meetings had been held in the Fourth Ward schoolhouse and the Social Hall.

Taken From Hilda Madsen Longsdorf; "Book of Mt. Pleasant.