PINE VALLEY — From downed motel signs near freeway entrances in Cedar City to neighborhoods overwhelmed with tumbleweeds in Hurricane, last weekend’s windstorm left a wake of damage throughout Southern Utah.

In Pine Valley, a strong windstorm snapped three mature pine trees located at the front of the Pine Valley Chapel. Irene Caso, spokeswoman for The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints, said no injuries were reported and only minor damage occurred to the building.

“While the building didn’t suffer any major damage, crews are working on repairing a few damaged handrails, removing the fallen trees and inspecting the remaining ones for damage,” she said. “We anticipate completing the cleanup by this Saturday.”

Resident Mary Esther Putnam told St. George News there was also damage to the hearts of longtime residents. Despite the cold, crowds gathered to take photos and reminisce about the “old, toppled trees.”

“We had quite an event happen on the chapel grounds,” she said in a text message. “The people out taking pictures are rampant.”

Former Pine Valley Fire Chief Steve Shakespear said the trees were planted in 1960 and estimated to be between 50-60 feet tall, requiring a massive cleanup. 

“They were snapped in two about 8 to 10 feet off the ground,” he said. “Same thing happened down at the campground a few years back during a microburst, but it was 15 to 20 trees that time.”

While there are those with many memories at the campground, there are also numerous with fond recollections of going to services and walking up the chapel steps under the cover of pine trees.

On March 3, the day after the windstorm, Pine Valley residents had to commute to Veyo to Latter-day Saints’ services for the first time in over 150 years.

“The building didn’t take too much damage,” Shakespeare said. “But some of the debris came down on the front steps and blocked the front door. We all attended service in Veyo the next morning.”

According to the National Weather Service, wind speeds in the midnight hours between March 2-3 reached up to 55 mph.

In a feature story from 2020, St. George News reported construction of the Pine Valley Chapel building was completed in 1868.

Ebenezer Bryce, who later became the namesake of Bryce Canyon, was given the task of being the architect and supervisor of the construction of the combination school and church house in 1867.

A shipbuilder by trade, Bryce didn’t have much experience building such a structure and said he built it as if it were an overturned ship, essentially with the attic constructed as the hull. The story goes that if the ship were righted, it would float.

The lower floor served as the school and recreation hall, while the upper floors were used for church services. The school was discontinued in 1919.

The chapel, along with the adjacent Tithing Office, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. It stands today as the oldest LDS meeting house in continuous use.

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