Site Acquisition History

The temple is built on about 1.7 acres of ground adjacent to the Anchorage, Alaska Stake Center on Brayton Drive in the south part of Anchorage. The narrative that follows describes how the site was originally acquired.

The History of the Acquisition of the Anchorage, Alaska Temple Site

The first chapel owned and dedicated by the church in Anchorage was downtown at 11th and E Street, it is still in use. It was designed as a small, two ward chapel and was not adequate for a stake center. In 1961, when the Alaska Stake was organized, one of the first needs was to build a suitable stake center.

This was a substantial task for the local people. First, it was a small stake with barely enough members to be a stake. There were three wards in Anchorage, one in Palmer about 50 miles north, and two small wards in Fairbanks over 400 miles north of Anchorage.

In the mid-60s, the church required that the local members come up with 30 percent of the cost of the building. In addition, the locals were expected to spend significant time building the chapel. With a very small stake and with building costs at that time several times higher than in Utah, this was a huge undertaking.

A site was located and eventually the Maplewood Chapel was built. By the time it was complete, however, both buildings were full. The prospect of building another chapel was overwhelming.

Eventually the growth of the church in Anchorage was so great, this need could no longer be ignored. A five-acre parcel was selected and purchased.

There was considerable debate over the size of the property. The church was insistent that stake centers, this was to be a new stake center, be located on no more than four acres. However, the stake president, Charles L. Welling, convinced the church to purchase five acres to accommodate snow storage.

Finally, authorization was received to design and build the church. R. Dan Farr, with McClure, Nixon, Farr Architects then a counselor in the stake presidency, and myself, Melvin R. Nichols, a civil engineer with DOWL Engineers and then the stake clerk, were hired as the architect and civil engineer.

We were immediately concerned when we saw a property map of the site. It was a triangle and not conducive for development of a church standard plan. We were concerned whether the building could be constructed on the property. (See Dickinson Oswald Walch Lee Engineers (DOWL) drawing 80-56, dated March 19, 1974 following this narrative. The area outlined in yellow is the original, triangle parcel.)

DOWL Engineers was engaged to do a boundary and topographic survey and another problem was found. There was a survey error on the plat that created the parcel. There was 40 feet less property along the west boundary then the plat showed. This definitely made the parcel too small for the chapel.

To everyone's frustration the project was facing a delay of up to a year to find a solution. The initial reaction was that a new site would have to be found. However, I thought it might be possible to purchase additional land from the adjacent property owner.

Ms. Sue Smith owned all the property to the north, east, and south. Ms. Smith was the daughter of Mr. Vernon Huffman who originally homesteaded the property and left it to her in his will.

At the time there was no development surrounding the site. However, it was prime residential land and it was expected that soon it would be developed. That was one of the reasons this site was selected for a chapel.

However, to create a regular shaped tract from an irregular parcel requires adding an irregular piece of property that impacts the seller's residual land. The site could not be reshaped to make it more useable unless Ms. Smith was willing to sell the church some of her property, which in turn would make her property irregularly shaped. Given the high demand for her land it seemed unlikely, and against her best interest, to sell the church additional land.

I knew Ms. Jean Smith, the real estate agent who represented Ms. Sue Smith (they are not related). I explained the Church's problem. I detailed the serious over crowding that existed in the two other chapels in Anchorage and the need for the church to move quickly to build another building.

Ms. Smith graciously listened and after some thought agreed to sell a triangular piece of property that would solve the problem. (See property outlined in blue on attached, referenced drawing.)

Not only did Ms. Smith agree to sell, but she offered the land at a price that was more than fair and considerably less than the church would have been willing to pay. She knew she could demand a premium, but chose not too. It was a gracious and kind thing for her to do.

Now there was far more property than the church needed. DOWL Engineers did a re-plat of the property, Tract B-1 and B-2 (see attached drawing). Tract B-1 was prime property and was sold by the church to a developer which was the beginning of a nice residential subdivision to the north.

Tract B-2 became the Brayton Chapel Stake Center site. However, at 5.6 acres, it was larger than authorized by the Church. After the chapel was laid out and developed, there was a residual 1.1 acre, triangular tract (see pink high light on attached drawing) in the southeast corner of the property that was surplus.

The church pressured me and the local leaders to sell this extra land. However, I argued strongly that this property, which was lovely and heavily wooded, would provide an excellent buffer between the church and anticipated residential development, and might well have an important future use for the church. I felt strongly that this land should not be sold. I had an premonition that someday it would be put to good use by the church, though I admit I was not thinking of a temple at the time.

Finally after some debate, stretched over several months, the church backed off and retained the property. That is now the site of the Anchorage, Alaska Temple. It fits perfectly and allows duel use of the parking lot and still provides an acceptable buffer to the neighbors and room for adequate landscaping. As is so often in human events, what appeared at the time to be an obstacle was the gentle hand of the Lord, directing His affairs for the betterment of His Saints.

Melvin R. Nichols
DOWL Engineers
Anchorage, Alaska