SPRINGVILLE, Utah — Arson was the cause of a fire that charred a historic meetinghouse in Springville late Friday night, July 28, according to police reports. About 10:40 p.m., smoke billowed from the attic of the historic building that was rededicated in 1998 by President Gordon B. Hinckley after major renovation. Springville is some 60 miles south of Salt Lake City.
According to the Deseret Morning News, which owns the Church News, the building sustained some $200,000 worth of damage, but not all from the fire. The meetinghouse was also severely vandalized with fire extinguishers; doors were broken and televisions were smashed.
The historic building, which houses the Kolob 2nd and 3rd wards, was built in 1913. The renovation project in the 1990s featured an organ loft for the pipe organ. Stained glass windows and high-arched ceilings were restored and new electrical heating and cooling systems were installed.