A home near the historic Kirtland Ohio Temple where Joseph Smith once lived is being restored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The two-story wood frame house, reported to be Smith’s home from 1833 to 1838, will become part of the church’s Historic Kirtland village of structures when completed next year, according to Cleveland.com.
Why it matters: Joseph Smith and Latter-day Saints gathered in Kirtland, Ohio, from 1831 to 1838. Several key events for the church occurred during those years, including the construction of the church’s first temple.
- “When Joseph Smith arrives in Kirtland in 1831, he’s the head of a loosely organized group of followers,” church historic sites curator Steven Olsen told The New York Times. “When they leave Kirtland in 1838, the church has a fully recognized ecclesiastical organization.”
The project: The church acquired the property in 2012 for $128,000.
Following extensive research, work on the house started in May with the goal of returning the structure to its original appearance. Crews have already removed a large addition to the back of the home and will make changes to the roof.
The church is also planning to restore the exterior of a small store Smith operated across the street from the home, as well as reconstruction of part of the foundation on property adjacent to the house that was the site of a home occupied by Smith’s parents.
Read the full article at Cleveland.com.
Historic Kirtland: The church restored several buildings from the original settlement and built replicas of others, completing Historic Kirtland in 2003. People can visit a schoolhouse, a sawmill, an ashery, the Newel K. Whitney and Company store, Newel and Ann Whitney’s home, and the Johnson Inn. Tens of thousands visit the area each year.
The Kirtland Temple is owned and operated by Community of Christ.
Historic Kirtland and all other church history sites closed during the pandemic but all reopened in 2021.