The Insider

Popular Categories

Preserving What’s There

For DUP Mauna Loa Camp, Restoring and Maintaining Loa Tithing House is an Ongoing Labor of Love


The historic Loa tithing house is in the capable hands of the DUP Mauna Loa members. Shown back to front are Charlene Nelson, Monte Laing, Allie Brown VeeAnn Pace, Marsha Chappell, Ramona Brown, and Sherrie Anderson. Courtesy Jillian Fahey.

LOA – One of the oldest surviving buildings in Wayne County is the Loa tithing house just off Main Street. This small building is easy to find nestled across the street from Loa’s wonderful steepled church. The stone monument on the corner explains that “Loa Townsite was named in 1876 after Mauna Loa, the beautiful 13,000 foot high volcanic mountain on the island of Hawaii, by Franklin Wheeler Young.” The monument later states that the volcanic rock inside of it, “was obtained in 1933 by Eldon Putnam Morrell,” and is a piece of Mauna Loa. The rest of the monument is made of petrified wood and old stone from a fire pit that used to be behind the church.

When it comes to the history of the Loa tithing house one of the most knowledgeable people is Marsha Taylor Chappell, who spearheaded its restoration. Marsha was raised in Loa and moved back home when efforts had already started on restoring the little tithing house. Remembering how her parents would go to the old storehouse with many other community members in order to maintain it, Marsha jumped in with both feet.
The storehouse had been entrusted to the Daughters of Utah Pioneers decades before. Records say that it was sold to them by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. However, the DUP got the building, the land around it, and water rights for a dollar so it really was donated. It was officially donated in 1971. Prior to that the building was being used by both the DUP and local Boy Scouts.

When the DUP started restoration in earnest 20 years ago, “the roof was bad, paint was peeling,” the stairs were unstable and people needed the carpet on the front porch to “not fall through it” according to the members. Undaunted, the DUP started work to get the old tithing house back in order. Jason Larson replaced the front porch with the help of Paul Brown as his Eagle Scout project.

Restoring and maintaining this little building is an ongoing labor of love. The initial effort to restore the building was made possible with grant money, but now the DUP depends on the community to maintain the building. When asked about this Marsha Chappell stated, “The DUP knows what needs to be done and people love to help. They want to preserve what’s already there.”

As part of the 24th of July celebration people will be able to explore what is inside of the building. Some of the treasures inside are pictures of local notables such as William Henry Morrell, bishop and later Stake President in Wayne County. Elias Hicks Blackburn was stake patriarch and well known as a healer to the entire county as many people came to him. His prayer stool was donated to the tithing house.

Quilt by Marsha Chappell will be raffled as part of a fundraiser for ongoing Loa tithing house restoration efforts. Courtesy Marsha Chappell.

The tithing house still has its original floor and root cellar where donations of produce were once held. Other draws include an original bench and pump organ from the Loa Ward chapel and an antique globe. In the bookcase visitors see a Bible from England brought by a settler named Elizabeth Harris whose name is in the front pages with the year 1857.
Also in that case are some books from Giles, Utah, one of the failed settlements that kept getting flooded by the Fremont River. It was founded in 1883 and lasted until the devastating floods of 1909 and 1910 made the settlers realize it was nearly impossible to keep the dam in place. By 1919 the town was abandoned. These books donated by Jason Anderson remind visitors of Giles’ short existence.

Part of the trouble in preserving the building is that the bricks were handmade. For each brick, someone had to collect the mud, add straw and rocks, form and then fire the bricks into the solid material needed for the building. They are steady parts of the tithing house, but also much more fragile than modern materials used today. Looking at the building all can see it was fashioned after a plan, unfortunately this has been lost in the intervening years.

The tithing house will be open on the 24th from 10 am to 1 pm. (Visitors can contact Marsha Chappell at 435/836-2614 or Ramona Brown at 435/633-5970 for tours at other times.)

You can also contact any member of the Loa DUP to purchase a raffle ticket for the beautiful quilt Marsha Chappell created for this fund raiser. The raffle will be held on the 24th as well. Any donations are gratefully received and well used to preserve this historic building.