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Rexburg Council screens Tabernacle documentary, highlights century of local stewardship
Summary
A city-funded documentary tracing the Rexburg Tabernacle’s 1911 construction and community stewardship premiered at the City Council meeting; presenters credited local fundraising, architecture and the city’s role after flood damage for preserving the building.
The Rexburg City Council on March 20 viewed a short documentary tracing the history and community role of the city’s 1911 Tabernacle, a historic gathering place now stewarded by the city.
Jed Platt, the city’s cultural arts director, said the film was produced with a grant from the Idaho Humanities Council and involved local students and the Soapbox agency. ‘‘We received a grant last year from the Idaho Humanities Council to produce a short film,’’ Platt said as he introduced director Bryson Bigler and museum curator Alicia Tietjen and invited the council to watch the final cut.
Director Bryson Bigler told the council he worked on the project for about a year and that the process changed his understanding of the building’s significance. ‘‘Looking up at the building, it just kind of changed my perspective of what the building stands for and what it is,’’ Bigler said.
Presenters recounted the Tabernacle’s construction by local donors in 1911, the use of locally quarried stone, the building’s dedication in January 1912, and its addition to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Staff outlined how the city acquired the structure after the 1976 Teton Dam flood damaged the basement and said that municipal stewardship has focused on preserving the Tabernacle as a community performance and meeting venue.
Council members praised the film and thanked the production team. The screening coincided with a Tabernacle performance night featuring the Heritage Youth Symphony and Madison High Choirs, which presenters said demonstrates the building’s ongoing role as a community hub.
The council did not take formal action on the film itself; staff and volunteers involved in the Tabernacle legacy campaign said the documentary will support ongoing preservation and fundraising efforts.
