Painting: St. George Temple dedication 1877

The LDS Church's Conference Center in Salt Lake City has numerous paintings on display, one of which is a piece entitled St. George Temple Groundbreaking:

If one inspects the above photo closely, a man to the far left of the painting appears similar to Edward Lloyd Parry:

Regardless of whether it is Edward Lloyd Parry or not, we know that he was the master stonemason of the St. George Temple and was present at its dedication. We also know that he knew President Brigham Young personally and was in frequent contact with him regarding the St. George Temple's construction.

The plaque to the side of the painting reads as follows:

St. George Temple Groundbreaking

J. Roman Andrus, (1907-1993)
Oil on canvas, 1942

Brigham Young broke ground for the St. George Temple in southern Utah in 1871 and presided over its dedication shortly before he died in 1877. The first completed in the American West, this temple was built of local materials by the commitment and sacrifice of Latter-day Saints who were struggling to survive on the raw frontier. The artist taught painting and printmaking at Brigham Young University for many years. 

Incidentally, Roman Andrus is my father's first cousin. Both are grandchildren of George Brooks, whom Edward Lloyd Parry adopted when he (George) was an 11-year-old pioneer orphan in 1856. With Andrus' connection to ELP, it seems likely that he would have included him in the painting.

Edward Lloyd Parry picture in the DUP Museum

The Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum in Salt Lake City is a treasure trove for written histories and some pictures of Edward Lloyd Parry. A portrait of ELP is on display there. To find it, go in the main entrance, down the staircase on the right, and walk toward the elevator. His portrait is hanging on the left. Here is what you should look for:

(click photos to enlarge)

Daniel H. Wells display - DUP Museum

LDS Apostle Daniel H. Wells (1814-1891) was a close associate of Edward Lloyd Parry. Their paths crossed numerous times throughout their lives, including the dedication of the Manti Temple in 1888.

Today my family and I were touring the Daughters of the Utah Pioneer Museum in Salt Lake City when we came upon a display case of Daniel H. Wells' belongings. We noticed two small stone carvings in the shape of books, one of which has ELP's name carved on it, and both of which came from Manti Temple rock. We wonder if this was perhaps some sort of gift from ELP to Brother Wells at the time of the Manti Temple's dedication. Here are the pictures:

(click to enlarge)

Video Tour of the Edward Lloyd Parry home in Manti

Additional information comes from descendant Bill Parry who writes the following:

"I recognized most of the architecture from when I was a child living in the home. The back addition with the smoothed stone was constructed by my father Thomas H Parry when I was just a few year old. The stone is remainder from the sawed stone that was used to construct the present Sanpete County Courthouse. In fact, the doors to that addition when I lived there were from the previous courthouse building or so we were told. The stone structure at the back of the lot with the steel I-beam was built by my father, my brother Beven and I. The purpose was to build concrete burial vaults which we sold and installed in graves in cemeteries throughout Sanpete County. The I-beam and chain blocks were used to hoist the vaults and move them from the construction forms to storage and then to the bed of a truck for delivery to the installation site. I'm really surprised to learn that you found a tool box with stone mason tools. I also had found one when my father passed, which I donated to the Manti Temple. The Temple president then was Wilbur Cox, the son of my father's construction company Roy Cox. We moved from that home to the home just to the south, which had originally been built by Bernard son of ELP for his old maid sisters Hattie and Emma. That home was extensively remodeled and enlarged by my father."

Thanks, Bill, for that interesting information!

Parry Brothers Stone Quarry - Manti, Utah

Here is a photo of the Parry Brother Stone Quarry workers in action. The photo was donated by my dad's cousin, Janet Parry Kubin (thank you, Janet!) We logically assume that the three men pictured are the Parry brothers, Edward Thomas Parry (1859-1938), John Lloyd Parry (1864-1916), and Bernard Parry (1873-1940). In the background one can see the derrick used to move the immense stones onto the train. The photo was taken in approximately 1912. Attributed to the West Coast Art Company of Los Angeles, California. The original photo measures roughly 24" x 10".

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

Photo Engraving of Edward Lloyd Parry

This is a scan of a photo engraving of Edward Lloyd Parry. While it is in poor shape, it still has remarkable detail (click and zoom in on it). It is 3-1/2" high and 3" wide at the shoulders. It appears to have been cut from a larger picture or template, hence the uneven edges. It is mounted on some sort of thin sheet metal. I acquired it from my wonderfully generous cousin Winnifred. If anyone has further information on this remarkable piece, please contact me at elephantnavel@gmail.com.

What is photoengraving? Special thanks to the Sunflower Lady for bringing this article about it to my attention: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photoengraving

LDS Articles on Edward Lloyd Parry

Edward Lloyd Parry, as head stone mason of the St. George Temple, is mentioned in two articles published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS, Mormon). Enjoy:

Article #1 - "The St. George Temple: One Hundred Years of Service," Ensign, March 1977: http://www.lds.org/ensign/1977/03/news-of-the-church/st-george-temple-one-hundred-years-of-service?lang=eng&query=parry%20temple&cid=email-shared

Article #2 - "The St. George Temple," Ensign, May 1978: http://www.lds.org/ensign/1978/05/the-st-george-temple?lang=eng&query=parry%20temple&cid=email-shared