Red Brick Store

Besides its use as a general store, Joseph Smith’s Red Brick Store was an administrative headquarters for the Church in Nauvoo from 1842 to 1844. From his upstairs office, Joseph Smith conducted Church business and recorded revelation. In the large room on the second floor, the Prophet performed the first endowment ceremonies that were later performed in the completed Nauvoo Temple. Here he also organized the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo “after the pattern of the priesthood.”

The Red Brick Store was built in 1841 and opened for business on January 5, 1842. For the next three years, the building acted as Church headquarters and served as a general store, community gathering place, and private office space. Bishop Newel K. Whitney kept his private office and a tithing office downstairs, next to the general store. Upstairs, Joseph worked in his private office, which overlooked the river. Next to Joseph’s office, taking up most of the second floor, was a large meeting room used for assemblies, council meetings, and ceremonies. The building was torn down in 1890. The current brick structure is a replica that opened in 1980.

Two monumental events occurred in the Red Brick Store within months of each other. On March 17, 1842, in the large upstairs gathering room, the Prophet organized the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo, later known as the Relief Society. Then, on May 4, 1842, Joseph presented the first endowment ceremony to nine men on the upper floor of the Red Brick Store. Before the temple was finished, Joseph received a revelation about important ordinances which would one day be performed inside the temple. In the store’s upstairs room, he carefully recreated what he envisioned the interior of the temple would look like so the ordinances could be performed in a temple-like setting.

Read about the organization of the Relief Society and the restoration of temple ordinances in Saints, Volume 1, Chapter 37.

Joseph Smith’s Red Brick Store was owned and operated by Community of Christ as part of the Joseph Smith Historic Site. It transferred to Historic Nauvoo in 2024. We are grateful for the care of past stewards and for continuing collaboration with Community of Christ and other partners.

What to Expect

Visitors begin their tour on the first floor of the Red Brick Store. Missionaries will guide them through the store portion of the building before going upstairs. On the second-floor missionaries will share about the organization of the Relief Society, the introduction of the endowment, and the transfer of Priesthood Keys to guests while they are seated in the upper room. The tour group will then exit down the stairs and through the back (south) door.