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- The historic Brigham City tithing office was demolished to create an amphitheater for the Fine Arts Center.
- Lisa Wyatt, manager of the center, highlighted the importance of providing a safe space for community art activities.
- The center preserved building relics and is selling bricks to fund the project, aiming for completion by summer's end.
BRIGHAM CITY — An historic building formerly used as a tithing office for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was demolished on Tuesday to make room for a community nonprofit amphitheater and green space on the property.
The property was donated to the Fine Arts Center, a 25-year-old nonprofit community arts venue, in April 2024. After looking into restoring the long uninhabited building, the center decided it would be best to tear it down and turn the property into an amphitheater for puppet shows, theater productions, summer camp activities and other outdoor art projects.
"It is a little sad to see what is left of this historical building come down, but it is worth it to have this property safe again for the kids who attend the center," said Lisa Wyatt, manager of the Fine Arts Center.
Although the building wasn't kept in its original condition since it was erected, some key components were preserved over the years and were reclaimed upon its demolition. The capstone and other pioneer-era relics were reclaimed by the Church of Jesus Christ, and stonework around the windows were reclaimed by the center to donate to a community historic society. The center also kept a number of the original bricks from the building and is selling them with a historic description card for $10, the proceeds of which will help fund the renovation and expansion project.
The manpower and cost of the demolition and preparation for the new outdoor area was donated by Whittaker Construction. The center is still seeking donations to finish the project, including asphalt, concrete, sod and more. Those who wish to donate can find more information on the Fine Arts Center website. The center aims to have the area ready to use before the end of the summer.
Wyatt emphasized that the purpose of the renovated outdoor area — and the arts center as a whole — is to enhance the community through art and provide a resource for children and adults to discover the arts.
"Our purpose really is empowering life through the arts, helping kids and their mental health and preventing suicide here in Brigham City," Wyatt said. "We're just trying to help people have a healthy, empowered life where they feel confident and they have a safe place to be."
Located at 64 S. 100 West in Brigham City, the building was originally built as a two-story Latter-day Saint tithing office in the 1870s when farmers and merchants in the area would typically pay their one-10th tithe in the goods they produced rather than money. Over time, it became more common to pay tithing with cash, and the building was no longer needed to house tithed goods, so the building was sold to Alfred and Marie Fawson in 1937. The Fawsons tore down the second story of the house and repurposed the bricks and building materials to expand the first story, altering the original structure but maintaining historic elements. The property sat unused for a number of years before it was donated to the Fine Arts Center.
The Fine Arts Center, located next door at 58 S. 100 West, was founded in 1999 by Susan and Dave Neidert. The nonprofit seeks to provide affordable art activities to children and families, including live performances, art classes and art exhibitions. Most notably, the center claims to have one of the most unique puppet museums in the world that includes over 200 puppets from over 16 countries from around the world. Upcoming events and other scheduling can be found here.
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