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Show OMB No. 1024-0018, NFS Form United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section No. 8 Page 1 Centerfield School and Meetinghouse, Centerfield, Sanpete County, UT Narrative Statement of Significance The Centerfield School/Meetinghouse, built c.1886 and c.1897, is significant under Criterion A because of its historical association with education and religion in Centerfield. It is significant within the context, "Mormon Meetinghouses and Tabernacles, 1847-1936," of the Multiple Property Submission "Mormon Church Buildings in Utah. The c.1886 portion of the building was the second school in town and is the oldest remaining schoolhouse; only one other is extant. The building was used simultaneously as a school and church until c.1897 when the Centerfield Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (IDS or Mormon church) was formally organized and the front portion of the building was added. This one story T-plan limestone building was used as a meetinghouse until 1951 and is the only historic church in town. Like most of Sanpete County, Centerfield was settled by members of the LDS church and the meetinghouse played a central role in the development of the town and its citizens. Centerfield, Utah, originally settled c.1869, is an offshoot of Gunnison three miles to the north. While plots were allocated earlier, families did not start moving to "the Field" until 1871 when co-operative farming began. It was not until the 1890s that the town became truly separate from Gunnison and was officially named Centerfield. A Post Office was established in 1898 and the town incorporated in 1909. Despite not incorporating until 1909, the community began separating itself from Gunnison early in its development. A school district separate from Gunnison was formed by 1876 and classes were taught in people's homes. The first schoolhouse3, a log structure with a dirt roof, was constructed in 1882. As was common across the state, this schoolhouse was also used a community hall and is considered the town's first meetinghouse.4 At this time, the "Gunnison South Sunday School" was established with James Hansen as superintended. 5 This school, as was usual, was organized by the local LDS church. It was also common for these public buildings to be built of locally available materials such as log and stone. The next public building also served the dual purpose as school and church. The decision to build what is now the rear (west) portion of the Centerfield School/Meetinghouse occurred in 1886, with its construction taking a couple of years. 6 The building of the school/church was a community effort; donations of crops were made and sold to purchase materials for the project. Masons Chris Tollstrup and Gustave Nielson cut and laid the limestone, which was quarried north of Gunnison. 3 Demolished. 4 Ethel R. Jensen, "Centerfield," In These...Our Fathers: A Centennial History of Sanpete County 1849-1947, arranged by Daughters of the Utah Pioneers of Sanpete County, Utah, (Springville, UT: Art City Publishing and Daughters of the Utah Pioneers of Sanpete County, Utah, 1947), 171; and Albert C.T. Antrei, "The 'Common Schools,'" Ch 12 of The Other Forty-Niners: a topical history of Sanpete County Utah 1849-1983, edited by Albert C.T. Antrei and Ruth D. Scow, (Salt Lake City, UT: Western Epics and Sanpete County Commissioners, 1982), 316. 5 Ethel R. Jensen, "Centerfield," 169. 6 Albert C.T. Antrei and Alien D. Roberts, A History of Sanpete County, (Utah State Historical Society and Sanpete County Commission, 1999), 356. The date of construction varies slightly from source to source, but consistently stays in the 1886 to 1889 range. |
