The Seventies Hall

I'd like to tell you about the Seventies Hall.

The Seventies Hall with the Temple in the background at the left.

This is the Seventies Hall, built in the Federalist style that is so prevalent here in Nauvoo and of course with the Nauvoo red bricks.  Seventies are missionaries, the same as they were in the Church that Christ established as explained in the New Testament (Luke 10:1).  In old Nauvoo, the Seventies Quorums built this building as a place where they could learn and worship.  It was the first Missionary Training Center.  Notice the three stars just above the first story.  They are washers which are attached to rods which run through the building and strengthen it.  On some buildings they are S shapes and some buildings have stars. 

A closeup of the star-shaped washers

Edward Hunter donated his land for the building and men volunteered their time to build, make bricks, and raise money for materials.

As they were building, in 1844, a tornado blew down the unfinished west wall which you see here.  It smashed the flooring and the men were discouraged and almost ready to give up.  Brigham said it was a good omen; it showed that the Devil was mad and knew that they'd receive blessings in the Hall.  He told them to get to work and build it up again.  They made all the walls one brick thicker and by the first of May, 1844 the hall was closed in.  It was dedicated in December 1844 by Brigham Young.  Joseph Smith had been martyred by then.

The ground floor was to be used for classes, lectures, and worship services.  On the second floor there was a library, museum, and a doctor's office.  Shorthand classes were also taught here.  It was intended that missionaries would bring back artifacts from their missions to go into the museum. 

The architect for the building was William Weeks who was also the architect for the original Nauvoo Temple.  The building was constructed under the direction of John D. Lee, the secretary of the Seventies Quorums in Nauvoo. 

I worked at the Seventies Hall recently with my good friend, Sister Christensen

The word Priesthood is above the door at the Seventies Hall

The Seventies Hall was used for many purposes, among them dances, photography, political meetings, Nauvoo City Council meetings, family gatherings, etc.  When the Saints left Nauvoo it was sold to a merchant from Quincy, Illinois who wanted to use it for a Presbyterian congregation.  Later it was sold to a Catholic Bishop and then for a while, it was used as a school.  After the school moved to a new building on Main Street in 1904, the Seventies Hall was leveled to the ground.  The Church bought back the land in 1962, excavated the original foundations and rebuilt the present Seventies Hall as close to the original building as possible.



The east staircase with new carpet.  The sunshine was streaming in.

The carpeting for the two staircases is woven in the family living center.  They were laying new carpet the day we were there.



This is me at the podium on the main floor.  The middle section of benches are shown and the stove at the right.

 

A close-up of the stove in the corner

Upstairs in the library are books with alphabetical lists of the Seventies in Nauvoo.  You can find your ancestor and if he was a Seventy, you can sign a descendancy book, put your name, your ancestor's name and your relationship to him.  Some of our children signed the book, since some of Mark's ancestors were Seventies.

 

 

People can find their ancestor in these books.



Part of the library on the 2nd floor with the descendancy book at the right.

The library has bookcases with very old books on either side, but we don't touch them. 

 

There is a large room upstairs with artifacts they found when excavating Nauvoo.

 

Some artifacts found from Old Nauvoo

Some metal utensils found under buildings from Old Nauvoo





 

 

 

 

Some of these buttons were made from Mississippi clam shells.  There was a button factory in Montrose in the early days.  Montrose is across the river from Nauvoo.

The Seventies Hall is a great place to visit.  It is a beautiful historic building with a wonderful history.

 

 

 

We have had so many bald eagles here lately.  It is really the season for them.  What beautiful birds.

 

 



An eagle in flight over the river



 

 

 



An eagle on the Mississippi ice



 



Geese on the river



Some of our horses in Starr Valley this month

Mark has been worried about our horses in Starr Valley.  It has been very cold there for a long time and they have quite a bit of snow.  Recently Enoch took photos of them to set his dad's mind at rest.  Ann and Andy are among these horses.  We appreciated Enoch making us feel better.  We also appreciate Demar furnishing the pasture for them.




Sunset on the Mississippi