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CHURCH ARCHITECT
It was during the construction of the Theatre that Folsom was called to the office of the First Presidency of the Church. He had been in this office many times, but was shocked by the request those in authority made of him on this occasion, for they had called him to be the Church Architect! He was sustained at the October Conference in 1861.
Truman O. Angell had served the Church faithfully and efficiently all during the difficult years following the arrival of the Saints in the Valley. He was left with so many problems of ways and means to accomplish his work, and now he was in ill health. From the diary of Truman O. Angell we read, under the date of April 1867:
"My health so left me that I resigned to W. H. Folsom and went out on my farm ... but alas I found I must stop, and what could I do to live. I pondered for days and came to the conclusion I would try joiner work on the new Tabernacle. I did so and while the warm weather of 1866 lasted I was enabled to do a fair summer work, but the cold days of late fall sent me from this back to the farm. Here I stand till spring of April Conference, some 5 months and did not do a days work, but at conference I was called and voted to take the office of Architect again. I accepted the mission.
Members of the Folsom family and friends were pleased that William H.
Folsom was gaining recognition, but they soon learned what a tremendous responsibility now rested on his shoulders. Folsom had had much experience working for and with individuals, but now he was rapidly gaining experience in dealing with voluntary labor. Sometimes he worried and lost sleep, which immediately aggravated his asthmatic condition. This was not due to lack of architectural ability, but rather from trying to cope with the personal temperament of members of the numerous building committees throughout the Church. Although he had the loyalty of the workmen, it was still a tremendous responsibility. This was before the advent of the railroad and he either walked, rode a horse, or traveled long distances by team and wagon – sometimes in very severe weather.
St. George, Utah, was to erect a large meetinghouse -- later called the Tabernacle. From a history of the erection of the building, written by Hazel B. Bradshaw, we read that “Brother Folsom was Church architect at this time and lent considerable aid in planning and designing the building." (Carter, Heart Throbs of the West, 3:64.)
In a personal letter to Nina Folsom Moss, Mrs. Bradshaw stated that Miles Romney, who was superintendent of the construction of this building, gave her the information concerning the aid which William H. Folsom rendered.
On March 8, 1862, the West Jordan meetinghouse was reported near completion. This project had demanded some of Folsom's attention. And as the population increased with the arrival of more Saints, so did the responsibilities of the Church Architect as he was called upon to assist with plans, means of construction, and many, many other problems connected with the building of edifices to accommodate them.