This historic meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was built by settlers of the valley in 1873. Latter-day Saints in the area continue to meet in the building each week for worship services. During the summer, tours of the building are given daily. These tours highlight the dedication of the early Saints in Pine Valley and the construction and ornamentation techniques they used during the building’s construction. The tours also include a visit to the nearby tithing office, which was constructed in 1886. In the chapel, only the first floor is accessible for visitors in wheelchairs.
Settlers came to Pine Valley in 1856 to harvest timber. The construction and operation of successful lumber mills brought additional settlers. The mills provided timber for several Latter-day Saint construction projects, including the St. George Temple, the St. George Tabernacle, and the pipes for the organ in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. Settlers began using local resources to build a chapel in 1872. They finished after a year of hard work. Local settler and shipbuilder Ebenezer Bryce is often credited with designing the chapel’s roof using shipbuilding techniques. Although Bryce may have assisted with the construction of the chapel, the roof was constructed using normal building methods of the time. The first floor was often used as a community center and schoolroom. The second floor functioned as the primary worship space. Prominent leaders, including Wilford Woodruff, visited the area and probably gave sermons in the chapel.
The two-story building has undergone several renovations and restorations, but the original structure remains. The roof and windows have been replaced, and other modern conveniences have been added. An attic room added after the building’s completion now contains historical artifacts, including photographs of local Church leaders since the early days of the settlement.
The chapel and tithing office were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. The chapel was dedicated in 2005 by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who has ancestors from Pine Valley.