Zion City Plot

Mormon History 1830-1844

Zion—City Plot

Joseph Smith's design for the city of Zion.
Plot of Zion	An explanation of the plot of the city of Zion, sent to the brethren in Zion, the 25th of June, 1833:	TS 6 no. 2 (Feb. 1, 1845): 786–787.
One square mile Lots of ten acres laid out in squares	This plot contains one mile square, all the squares of the plot contain ten acres each, being forty rods square. You will observe that the lots are laid off alternately in the squares; in one square running from the south and north to the line through the center of the square; and in the next, the lots run from the east and west to the centre line. Each lot is four perches in front, and twenty back, making one half of an acre in each lot, so that no one street will be built on, entirely through the street; but, one square the houses will stand on one street, and on the next one, another, except the middle range of squares, which runs north and south, in which range are the painted squares.	TS 6 no. 2 (Feb. 1, 1845): 786–787.
	The lots are laid off in these squares north and south, all of them; because these squares are forty perches by sixty, being twenty perches longer than the other, their greatest length being east and west, and by running all these squares, north and south, it makes all the lots in the city of one size.	perch: a rod, or 16.5 feet
Public squares Contain 15,000 to 20,000 persons 24 houses of worship, schools	The painted squares in the middle are for public buildings. The one without any figures is for store houses for the bishop, and to be devoted to his use. Figure first is for temples for the use of the presidency; the circles inside of the square, are the places of the temples. You will see it contains twelve figures, two are for the temples of the lesser priesthood. It is also to contain twelve temples. The whole plot is supposed to contain from fifteen to twenty thousand people: you will therefore see that it will require twenty four buildings to supply them with houses of worship, schools &c.; and none of these temples are to be smaller than the one of which we send you a draft. This temple is to be built in the square marked figure first; and to be built where the circle is, which has a cross on it; on the north and south of the plot where the line is drawn, is to be laid off for barns, stables, &c., for the use of the city; so that no barns or stables will be in the city among the houses; the ground to be occupied by these, must be laid off according to wisdom.
Farms	On the north and south are to be laid off the farms for the agriculturist, and sufficient quantity of land to supply the whole plot; and if it cannot be laid of without going too great a distance from the city, there must also be some laid off on the east and west.
Homes in town Streets 8 rods wide	When this square is thus laid off and supplied, lay off another in the same way, and so fill up the world in these last days; and let every man live in the city for this is the city of Zion. All the streets are of one width, being eight perches wide. Also, the space round the outer edge of the painted squares, is to be eight perches between the temple and the street on every side.
One house per lot, of brick and stone, setbacks, gardens	No one lot, in this city, is to contain more than one house, and that to be built twenty five feet back from the street, leaving a small yard in front, to be planted in a grove, according to the taste of the builder; the rest of the lot for gardens, &c.; all the houses to be built of brick and stone.
Temple names	The names of the temples to be built the same as written, June 24th, except a transposition under Num. 19, 20, and 21, thus: house of the Lord, the law of the kingdom of heaven, and messenger to the people; for the high priesthood after the order of Aaron.
Plat scale	The scale of the plot is forty perches to the inch.
First House of the Lord	A description of the house of the Lord, which is to be built first, in Zion:
For the First Presidency Dimensions, pews, aisles	This house of the Lord for the presidency, is eighty seven feet long, and sixty one feet wide, and ten feet taken off of the east end for the stairway, leaves the inner court, seventy eight feet by sixty one, which is calculated and divided for seats in the following manner, viz: The two aisles four feet wide each; the middle of the pews, are eleven feet ten inches long, and three feet wide each; and the two lines drawn through the middle, are four inches apart; in which space a curtain is to drop at right angles, and divide the house into four parts if necessary. The pews of the side blocks are fourteen and a half feet long and three feet wide. The five pews in each corner of the house, are twelve feet six inches long. The open spaces, between the corner and side pews are for fire places; those in the west are nine feet wide, and the cast ones are eight feet and eight inches wide, and the chimney carried up in the wall where they are marked with a pencil.
Pulpits for High Priesthood Choir seats	The pulpit in the west end of the house is to be occupied by the high priesthood, as follows: Number one, is of the president and his council. Number two, is for the bishop and his council. Number three for the high priests; [487] and number four for the elder: each of these are eight feet long, containing three coves or stands of the respective speakers; and those seats opposite them are for visiting officers, who are to occupy seats according to their respective grades. The two spaces in the middle are stairs two feet wide. The middle pulpit is to be elevated; the first seats one foot, the second two feet, the third three feet, and the fourth four feet. And those upon each side are also to be elevated: the first one eight inches, the second sixteen, the third twenty four, the fourth thirty two inches. The corner seats are to be occupied by singers and elevated; the first seat six inches, the second twelve, the third eighteen, the fourth twenty four, and the fifth thirty two inches.
Lesser priesthood pulpit	The pulpit in the east end of the house is to be occupied by the lesser priesthood. Number one is for the presidency of the lesser priesthood; number two for the priest: number three for the teachers: and number four for the deacons; and the seats by their sides, are also to be occupied by visiting officers; each on opposite his respective grade, &c. The pulpits are to be done off with panel work, in the best workmanlike manner, and the building to be composed of stone and brick of the best kind. The side view represents five windows in each story. The windows are to have each forty eight lights, of seven by nine glass, six one way and eight the other; the sides and lintels of the windows to be of hewn stone; and on the top of the lintel is to be a gothic top, as you see, but the windows must have a lintel; and so with the outside doors, all with gothic tops.
Structure	Make your house fourteen feet high between the floors. There will not be a gallery but a chamber; each story to be fourteen feet high, arched over head, with an eliptic arch, over each of the stories. Let the under part, or foundation of the house, be of stone, let it be raised sufficiently high to admit of banking up so high as to admit of a descent every way from the house, so far as to divide the distance between this house, and the one next to it. On the top of those stones, and above the embankment, let there be two rows of hewn stone, and then commence the brick on the hewn stone. The entire height of the house, twenty eight feet, each story being fourteen feet; make the wall a sufficient thickness for a house of this size.
Pulpits, pews	Observe particularly that as there are pulpits at each end of the house, the backs of the congregation must be to one of them, and they will want occasionally to change. In order for this, the house must have pews instead of slips, and in the pews let the seats be loose, so as to slip from one side of the pew to the other, so as to face either pulpit, as occasion may require.
Windows	The end view represents five windows of the same size as the side, the middle windows excepted, which is to be the same, with the addition of side lights. This middle window is designed to light both above and below, as the upper floor is to be laid off in the same way as the lower, and arched overhead, with curtains, or veils, as before mentioned.
Veils	You will be careful to have hooks and rings to suspend your veils on, so that they can be let down or raised at any time, at pleasure. Also, as you see, the pulpits are to have four seats, one rising above another; for instance, the elder's seat is the lowest, next comes the high priests, next the bishop's; so each of these must have a vail that is suspended on the upper floor, so as to be let down; which will at any time when necessary be let down, and shut off each stand or seat by itself.
Doors, roof, belfry	The doors are to be five feet wide, and nine feet high, and to be in the east end of the house. The west end is to have no doors, but in other respects to be like the east, except the windows are to be opposite the alleys which run east and west. The roof of the house to have one pitch, the door to have gothic top, as the windows. The shingles of the roof to be painted before they are put on. There is to be a fan light, as you see. The windows and doors are all to have venetians; a belfry in the east end, and a bell of very large size. June 25th, 1833.
	Zion Regulations Zion—the New Jerusalem Temples of the New Jerusalem Jackson County Missouri