Playing with my camera at Garden Park

We live two blocks away from the Garden Park Ward, a historic LDS chapel in Utah. This ward has become a popular spot for every different kind of photographer. From bridals to weddings to family portraits, you name it. Someone you know has probably had a photo taken here.

The kids and I have started taking regular walks over there. There is a pond with a duck that we like to visit. One afternoon, a lady came over and told me a little history about the church. Before an LDS chapel resided there, there was a home. The pond we see now used to be a pool. The church filled in the pool and left a foot for water. (Now the pond.) There is a pretty building with columns at one end of the pond that used to be a bath house. There is also a structure (seen in most pictures taken here.) that was part of the original property. I do not know how old that structure is, but it would be interesting to look into the history of the property!

Well, while Avery plays with the duck and Liam naps, I play with my camera. This duck is pretty funny. He must be used to a lot of visitors because he will follow you around while he is wading in the pond.

 

***I copied this from LDS.org about the property***

The land on which this beautiful meetinghouse and grounds are located, where the Red Butte Creek flows into the Salt Lake Valley, was originally deeded to President Brigham Young, second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1857.President Younglater conveyed the property in 1875 to his younger brother, Lorenzo Dow Young.In 1880, the property was acquired by Lorenzo Young’s daughter, Josephine Young Carter, who subsequently transferred twenty-one (21) acres, including this present site, to LeGrand Young, President Brigham Young’s nephew and general counsel to the LDS Church.Lorenzo and LeGrand Young jointly made improvements to the site, including the planting of numerous trees, many of which remain on the grounds today.

John C. Howard acquired the property in 1918 and enlarged the residence located on the site and added the walls surrounding the grounds, as well as other small buildings. In 1938, the LDS Church acquired the property for the construction of the Garden Park Ward meetinghouse.The current meetinghouse, built on the foundations of the Howard residence, was originally dedicated on April 2, 1939, by President Heber J. Grant, seventh president of the LDS Church.On April 2, 1989, the meetinghouse was rededicated to commemorate its fiftieth anniversary.

Following extensive renovations in 2007, the meetinghouse and grounds were rededicated by President Gordon B. Hinckley, fifteenth president of the LDS Church, on January 20, 2008.The rededication of the Garden Park Ward was President Hinckley’s final public appearance prior to his death on January 27, 2008.

We welcome you to the historic Garden Park Ward and grounds.The oak grove, trees, stream and pond, together with the meetinghouse and chapel provide a place of worship, tranquility and beauty with historic ties to the Mormon Pioneers.When visiting the grounds, we invite your kind observance of the following guidelines in recognition of the sacred nature of the buildings and grounds as a religious site and to promote the use and enjoyment of the grounds by others.

***Pretty Interesting**