William and Caroline Weeks Home

In this home, the prophet Joseph Smith and the architect William Weeks worked together to realize the detailed design for the Nauvoo Temple. The House of the Lord was the spiritual center of the growing city of Nauvoo, intentionally designed as a gathering place for Latter-day Saints to learn of, worship, and draw closer to Jesus Christ.

The Weeks family lived in this home from at least 1841 to 1846. William Weeks and Caroline Allen met and married in 1839, constructing their Nauvoo home soon thereafter. William used the room adjacent to the parlor as a home office where he would meet with clients and draft architectural drawings.

William Weeks was an architect and builder from Massachusetts, where he discovered the restored gospel as a student. Caroline Allen converted with her family near their home in Dryden, New York before gathering to Nauvoo in 1839. While living in this home, William and Caroline lost two young children to illness. These tragic life events may have been somewhat softened by the emerging doctrine of eternal families and temple sealings being taught in Nauvoo in the 1840s.

What to Expect

The Weeks Home is a three-room guided tour that covers the parlor, office, and back bedroom. After the tour of the home, missionaries will walk you over to the Edward and Ann Hunter Home to continue the Temple City tour. During the summer season in Nauvoo, you may encounter a short live show exploring Caroline’s unique role.

360° Walkthrough