--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Cardon, P. V. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 29 number: 1 published: 1925-11 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Cardon, P. V., “Beautifying Manti Temple Grounds,” *Improvement Era* 29, no. 1 (November 1925): 67–68." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2901unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera2901unse start_page: 67 end_page: 68 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1925-11) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2901unse publication_year: 1925 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1925, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Beautifying Manti Temple Grounds BEAUTIFYING MANTI TEMPLE GROUNDS By P. V. Cardon, Utah Agricultural College Experiment Station Many communities in Utah are able to point with a measure of pride to one or more tracts of land — a tabernacle square, cemetery, playground, tourist park, school grounds, courthouse block, memorial grove, or the grounds about a private residence — improved in recent years under the personal supervision of Emil Hansen, landscape archi- tect, with the Extension Service of the Utah Agricultural College. The whole state is the college campus to the extension workers of this institution, and Emil Hansen in his own way is striving diligently and unselfishly to make this campus beautful. Inconspicuous at first, his efforts were little appreciated, except by those with whom he was in close contact and who had seen and Were being guided by the plans he had drawn. But, with the trees and shrubs he planted several years ago now attaining size and lending grace to the tracts they adorn, people generally are taking account of the great public work he is doing, and his services are in demand the state over. Years hence, many an attractive touch of landscape gardening will stand a fitting monument to the service which Emil Hansen is rendering Utah. It would be difficult to decide which one of all his improvement projects stands out supreme; perhaps, time alone can tell. But in the mind of the artist himself, the proposed beautification of the Manti temple grounds ranks in prospect as his very best work. To this task he is giving his best thought, fully expecting it to be his crowning achievement. The setting of the Manti temple lends itself admirably to beautification at the hands of an experienced landscape architect. Against a lofty background formed by the Sanpete mountains to the east, this temple, topping the brow of a bench, looks out over the Sanpete Valley and is visible to almost every town and community, whether north, south or west. Indeed, one cannot enter the Sanpete Valley but his eye soon is drawn to the temple so prominently is it situated. Running at various angles, but completely enclosing the temple grounds, are high retaining walls of native stone, taken from the very hill upon which the edifice stands. From the country road which parallels the front line of the grounds, a long flight of stone steps rises to meet the main entrance of the temple which, also, is constructed of native stone — a rare stone of enduring quality and creamy whiteness, taken from a nearby quarry. Architecturally the Manti temple com- pares favorably with any so far erected by the Church. South of the temple grounds proper, a sharp break in the slope of the hill leaves a comparatively level tract which is to become a Proposed plan for improvement of property of Manti Temple, by Emil Hansen, U. A. C. Extension Service. The hill east of Temple to be planted with varieties of evergreens. Planting to be done irregular. picturesque picnic ground. This tract is set off from the temple grounds by a wall running in a southerly direction. Since the temple is built upon a ledge of solid rock, of the same general nature as that used in the construction of the retaining walls; and since this ledge underlies all of the tract to be improved, it will be necessary to resort to blasting in order to make suitable beds for the shrubs and trees to be planted. And when it is known that the plan for improvement calls for about five hundred trees and as many shrubs, the amount of blasting to be done can be appreciated. Subse- quent to the blasting, of course, will come the hauling away of the broken stone and the hauling in of the soil with which to fill the blasted holes — all of which means labor and expense. Most of this, however, will be contributed by the hundreds of Saints who take pride in their temple. The long lines drawn by the retaining walls will be broken by vines (Ampetopsis Engetmanni) which will cling to the walls without support. The steep appearance of the front steps will be relieved by shrubbery. Where the retaining walls form sharp angles, trees will replace shrubs in order to avoid the ugliness of narrow, abrupt rises in elevation. To relieve the monotony of expansive lawns, a few trees, including some evergreens will predominate. With the plan approved by President L. R. Anderson of the Manti temple, the architect expects to begin work this fall in the hope of being able to complete the project next spring. After that, time and attention will be required to bring full realization of the beauty in the plan which the artist has conceived. Logan, Utah.