Santa Clara Tithing Granary

Built in 1902-1903 by the Santa Clara First Ward of the St. George Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Santa Clara Tithing Granary served as a depository for members' tithing during Utah's pioneer era, when many gave a 10 percent equivalent of crops or livestock rather than money. The granary had upper compartments for storing grain, primarily wheat and corn, and a basement with an earthen floor that provided cooler storage for fruits and vegetables. Its main door was on the east, with a window on the south in the upper part of the building, while the basement had small windows on the east and west and was reached by steps descending on the south. The Church owned the granary until about 1927, when it was sold to Emil Gubler along with the nearby tithing barn, with a stipulation allowing Adolph Hafen to buy the front part of the property to build the Santa Clara Merc grocery store. After taking possession, Emil removed all but one of the upper bins to create more storage space, while the basement bins remained intact, and local lore later recalled teenage boys spearing apples through the west windows after the roof over the fruit cellar steps collapsed and was never replaced.

Santa Clara, Utah · United States