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| Friends of Kirtland Temple | |
|---|---|
| Name | Friends of Kirtland Temple |
| Formation | 1960 |
| Headquarters | Kirtland, Ohio |
| Location | Kirtland, Ohio |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
Friends of Kirtland Temple is a nonprofit preservation and educational organization based in Kirtland, Ohio dedicated to the stewardship of the historic Kirtland Temple and interpretation of early Latter Day Saint movement history. Founded amid mid-20th-century preservation efforts, the organization interfaces with local, state, and national institutions to manage the site, curate collections, and facilitate public access. It operates at the intersection of religious heritage, architectural conservation, and American nineteenth-century history, collaborating with museums, archives, and faith communities.
The organization emerged during a period marked by landmark preservation initiatives such as the creation of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the work of the National Park Service, and movements to save historic religious structures like Trinity Church (Manhattan), Independence Hall, and Monticello. Its founding followed regional efforts involving the Ohio Historical Society and local stewards influenced by scholars associated with institutions like Case Western Reserve University, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian Institution. Early leaders corresponded with figures at Library of Congress, engaged with preservationists linked to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and navigated legal frameworks shaped by the Historic Sites Act of 1935 and state-level preservation statutes. The group has interacted with historians studying the Second Great Awakening, biographers of Joseph Smith, and curators familiar with artifacts comparable to those at Brigham Young University and the Museum of the American Revolution.
The organization's mission centers on conserving the Kirtland Temple complex, promoting historical research on the Latter Day Saint movement, and providing interpretive programming for visitors from institutions such as the Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Ohio State University, Yale University, Harvard University, and Princeton University. Activities include site stewardship akin to practices at Mount Vernon, archival management comparable to the New-York Historical Society, docent training modeled on Historic New England, and exhibition design following standards used by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It produces publications and collaborates with academic journals and presses tied to Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, University of Illinois Press, and regional publishers.
Governance mirrors nonprofit boards that work with entities like American Alliance of Museums, Council on Library and Information Resources, and Association of Religious Archives. The board comprises professionals from backgrounds similar to those at Columbia University, Duke University, Northwestern University, and legal advisors familiar with matters seen in cases involving the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Staff roles include curators, archivists, development officers, and volunteers comparable to those who serve at Historic New England and Plimoth Patuxet Museums. The organization adheres to standards promoted by American Institute for Conservation and reporting practices used by institutions such as the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Preservation projects have drawn on expertise from conservators who have worked on sites like Mount Rushmore, Independence Hall, and Frank Lloyd Wright homes, and coordination with agencies such as the Ohio State Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service. Restoration efforts address structural stabilization, period-appropriate material sourcing, and interpretive textile and artifact conservation, comparable to campaigns at The Hermitage (Nashville), Pioneer Village (Omaha), and Gettysburg National Military Park. Grants and funding partnerships have paralleled those obtained by organizations connected to the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Educational programming ranges from guided tours and school curricula inspired by classroom initiatives at Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and National History Day to scholarly symposia resembling conferences hosted by American Historical Association, Organization of American Historians, and religious studies associations that include participants from Vanderbilt University, University of Chicago Divinity School, and Brigham Young University. Outreach extends to digital initiatives similar to those by Digital Public Library of America and partnerships with local school districts and higher-education departments at Kent State University and Cleveland State University.
The organization collaborates with faith communities including leaders from Community of Christ, scholars associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints research programs, and ecumenical partners engaged with Interfaith Youth Core-style initiatives. It engages municipal entities like the Lake County, Ohio government, regional cultural organizations such as Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and tourism bureaus akin to Ohio Travel Association. Volunteer networks and preservation coalitions reflect models used by National Trust for Historic Preservation affiliates and local historical societies.
Notable events include anniversary commemorations comparable to rituals held at Salt Lake Temple, scholarly conferences drawing participants from Harvard Divinity School, Yale Divinity School, and publication launches in collaboration with presses like University of Utah Press and Signature Books. The organization's legacy is reflected in strengthened heritage tourism similar to outcomes at Colonial Williamsburg and enhanced academic study of nineteenth-century American religious movements paralleled by scholarship from Princeton University Press and researchers at Rutgers University. Its stewardship has influenced preservation policy discussions involving the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and served as a case study for collaborations between religious communities and secular preservation entities.
Category:Historic preservation organizations in the United States Category:Organizations based in Ohio