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Paris Tabernacle (Bear Lake Stake Tabernacle)
The Paris Tabernacle was designed by one of Brigham Youngs sons Don Carlos, this imposing Romanesque tabernacle was built between 1884 and 1889 by skilled local craftsmen. Swiss stone masons cut and carved red sandstone that horse and ox teams hauled from a canyon 18 miles away east of Bear Lake. In winter, sled loads of rock were pulled over ice across Bear Lake. Many stones were brought to Paris 20 years before construction started and stored until construction began. Shingles and other lumber came from nearby forests. The tabernacle is roughly 127 feet long, 73 feet wide and 110 feet to the tallest spire. The Paris Tabernacle cost $50,000 to build with much of the work done by locals who were often quite skilled in their trades. Specifically, James Colling Sr. used the designs of the hulls of sailing ships he built in England for the intricate woodwork of the unique ceiling. The tabernacle was dedicated in 1889. After a century of use this unaltered monument remains as a reminder of pioneer achievement. You can take a free, self-guided or guided tour to see the intricate wood ceilings and stone carvings. A small museum houses heirlooms and art left by the homesteaders.
Paris
This pioneer Idaho town was founded September 26, 1863, when a wagon train brought more than 30 families of Mormon colonizers. More pioneers soon followed, some living in huts of quaking aspen and others building log cabins for the mild first winter. Next spring 700 more people arrived in the valley. The second winter was terrible, but the settlers persevered. They thought they were in Utah until an 1872 boundary survey showed this was part of Idaho. When Bear Lake county was created in 1875, Paris became county seat.
