After more than 100 years of battling the elements, the Manti Temple is beginning to show telltale signs of age.
To the patrons entering the temple along the tree-lined street - some in wedding dresses, some shuffling feet, some sporting a farmer's tan - the temple probably appears as crisp and clean as the day it was dedicated in 1888. Most seem unaware of the scaffolding that lines the east tower."We expect these buildings made out of stone to last forever," said David Paulsen, a Temple Special Projects administrator. "But the truth is, these stones are subject to the elements just like the rocks of the Grand Canyon."
A two-year project is underway to restore the stone to its original quality. "There's no stopping the deterioration," said Brother Paulsen, "but the plan is to keep the deterioration from getting away from us."
The areas of most concern are the blocks along the ground level that are crumbling due to water from sprinkling systems, and the upper tier of blocks that are flaking away due to rain storms.
The early Scandinavian settlers of Sanpete County constructed the temple of a light, buff-colored limestone that was quarried several hundred yards from the temple site.
Set against the green of the hillside and the blue of the skies, the temple created a contrast that pleased the pioneers. But despite its beauty, the oolite limestone is soft and peels away in layers when water is left to settle in crevices and freeze. The cycle of freezing, then thawing, slices the stone like a hammer and chisel.
To offset the effects of the elements, the early settlers designed water tables, or ledges, that line the building to deflect the water away from the building to the ground. These water tables define each of the three stories of the temple and are tiered, with the lower table being the widest.
But after more than 100 years, water has gradually etched little pockets into the stone and worn away the effectiveness of the water tables.
Massive scaffolding has been erected so craftsmen can scale the 180 feet to the top of the east tower to restore the stone. Some stones suffer only surface damage, in which case the stone is ground back and the new surface is retooled to match the original, said Brother Paulsen.
In more severe cases, a patch is required. But when deterioration reaches deep into the stone, the damaged stone is chiseled out with a hammer and wedge. A replacement stone is cut from limestone out of the original quarry, then retooled to fit the exact dimensions. The new stone is then mounted in place and anchored with steel, Brother Paulsen explained.
The challenge, said Mark Hintze, project manager for the general contractor, Arnell-West, is to keep the temple open without disrupting the sacred nature of temple ordinances.
"Special tools, like chisels and a compressor, were designed to minimize the noise," he said. "The majority of stone is still adequate, but more than 1,400 blocks need replacing."
It's estimated by the construction crew that each stone - from quarry to chiseling - required up to 100 hours by the early settlers. Modern machinery has certainly eased the difficulty of cutting stone for the temple, but it hasn't necessarily made it easy. "Each stone is an individual project," said Jan Nielson, project superintendent for Arnell-West.
"I feel sorry for them," Keith MacKay, owner and president of State Stone, said of the pioneers. "We have power tools like jack hammers and chisels. They had basic tools and hand strength."
In addition to the stone work on the Manti Temple, similar work is nearing completion on the Logan Temple. The stone used in the Logan Temple, according to Ron Prince, a Temple Special Projects administrator, is a harder stone than than the Manti Temple stone and shows less deterioration.
Still, some stone cleaning is required and work is being done around the windows. The project should be completed before the spring of 1997.
