Comments on: Little Houses of Their Own: Relief Society Halls (UPDATED)

By: Maude Norman

Maude Norman — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:57:15 +0000

Hi! I am doing a DUP lesson this month (March 14, 2012) in which R.S. Halls are mentioned. I wondered to whom I should attribute the quotation about “not having the darkest room in the basement” when the RS was told to meet in the ward buildings in 1924. Also I was in Georgetown summer 2011 and took a photo of that little white building which was advertised with a big sign that it was the first public building in Georgetown, Idaho. I didn’t take a photo or even read the plaque in front of the building unfortunately. Maybe that said the little white building was a RS Hall? Do you have the information on the plaque? While preparing this lesson, I thought of the little building and imagined it was probably a RS Hall, but your blog confirmed it. Using google I found no mention of a history of Georgetown and wonder if one exists. Thanks for all you do!

By: Jeff Johnson

Jeff Johnson — Wed, 11 May 2011 04:53:59 +0000

The two best known Relief Society granaries are the Spring City one and the Ephraim one. The one in Ephraim is now a art gallery. Maurine tells me that there is one in Cache Valley and I am sure there are more. I need to get them on my list. Thanks for telling me about the Murray Granary and would love to know if anyone knows of others.

By: Darrell Jones

Darrell Jones — Tue, 10 May 2011 15:28:25 +0000

I’ve enjoyed reading all the comments about Relief Society Halls, but how about more on granaries? I’m currently working on a history of the Murray Granary, which is still in existence on the corner of 5600 South and Vine Street. It is marked by both DUP and SUP markers, because this was also a rest stop for the men hauling granite for the SL Temple. It has been developed into a very nice little park. You could even hold a wedding in the park!
I would like to know how many RS granaries were actually built in the 1800s. There must have been dozens.

By: Clark

Clark — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 01:50:07 +0000

I wouldn't have noticed if not for this post, but yesterday driving through Santa Clara, I noticed a restored old adobe on Main Street labled "Relief Society House." A little digging on the internet revealed the historical gem was saved by the wrecking ball in the 1990's.

By: David Y.

David Y. — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 20:46:35 +0000

Glad you added these additional photos. When’s the tour happening?

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 17:23:26 +0000

I will! That’s a wonderful find.

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 16:42:35 +0000

Very late, but SB2 inspired me to add this: leafing through Charles Peterson’s Take Up Your Mission a few days ago, I saw a drawing of the pioneer fort at Sunset, Arizona. Typical of such forts, the exterior walls of the “houses” and other rooms formed the exterior of the fort, and their fronts faced the inner courtyard.

Each of the rooms was labeled with the name of the family who lived there. In addition, there was a larger room labeled “Meeting Room and School” and, finally, another labeled “Relief Society Hall.”

Since the book mysteriously disappeared right after I saw it, I can’t provide any more detail. But you can look it up.

By: sister blah 2

sister blah 2 — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 07:39:18 +0000

I wish I had taken a picture of the lovely little garden behind the Washington RS Hall. The sisters of Zion can be relied on to never forget or underestimate the importance of a little botanical beautification of whatever corner of the world may be in their charge.

By: Maurine

Maurine — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 05:29:05 +0000

Agreed Paul. Most people in the church today have no knowledge of the RS buildings and are surprised when I answer the question some brother asks, “How come the women get a fancy room with padded chairs and we don’t?”

By: Paul

Paul — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 14:32:13 +0000

The RS rooms in our present meeting houses, of course, are vestiges of the old RS halls. Until the present era, they were furnished with RS funds. Thus, were more ornate than other rooms in the meeting houses. So far as I can tell, the upholstered folding chairs in the RS rooms are the sole remnants of RS being different from other priesthood auxiliaries.