St George Tabernacle

Among the most beautiful building in St. George—and an excellent example of fine old-world craftsmanship, from the hand-quarried red stone walls to the intricate interior woodwork. Its craftsmen finished pine, which was all they had, to look like exotic hardwoods and even marble. Completed in 1876 after 13 years of work, the Tabernacle served as a house of worship and town meeting hall. During the 1880s, when a nearby silver strike brought many Catholics to the area, the Tabernacle was used for a Roman Catholic High Mass led by a Roman Catholic priest, but with music from the liturgy sung by the local Mormon choir—in Latin. Today, the Tabernacle functions as a community center, presenting free weekly concerts and other cultural events. The guided tour takes about half an hour.