Washington D.C. Temple | ||||
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Number | 16 | |||
Dedication | November 19, 1974, by Spencer W. Kimball | |||
Site | 52 acres (21 ha) | |||
Floor area | 156,558 sq ft (14,544.7 m2) | |||
Height | 288 ft (88 m) | |||
Official website • News & images | ||||
Church chronology | ||||
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Additional information | ||||
Announced | November 15, 1968, by David O. McKay | |||
Groundbreaking | December 7, 1968, by Hugh B. Brown | |||
Open house | September 17 – November 2, 1974. April 28, 2022 - June 11, 2022.[1] | |||
Rededicated | August 14, 2022, by Russell M. Nelson[2] | |||
Designed by | Fred L. Markham, Harold K. Beecher, Henry P. Fetzer, and Keith W. Wilcox | |||
Location | Kensington, Maryland, U.S. | |||
Geographic coordinates | 39°0′50.68440″N 77°3′56.24639″W / 39.0140790000°N 77.0656239972°W | |||
Exterior finish | Reinforced concrete sheathed in Alabama white marble | |||
Baptistries | 1 | |||
Ordinance rooms | 6 (stationary) | |||
Sealing rooms | 14 | |||
Clothing rental | Yes | |||
Visitors' center | Yes | |||
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The Washington D.C. Temple (known as the Washington Temple until 1999) is the 18th constructed and 16th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is located in Kensington, Maryland, United States, just north of Washington, D.C., near the Capital Beltway. The intent to build the temple was announced on November 15, 1968, by church president David O. McKay. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on December 7, 1968, with the dedication by Spencer W. Kimball on November 9, 1974. The temple was dedicated after an open house that attracted over 750,000 people. The temple was the first built by the church east of the Mississippi River since 1846, when the original Nauvoo Temple was dedicated.[3]
The Washington D.C. Temple is known for its six gold-tipped spires and 18-ft tall gold statue of the angel Moroni.[3] Built at a cost of about $15 million in 1968, the temple is the church's tallest; its easternmost spire is 288 feet (88 m) tall. Its floor area of 160,000 square feet (15,000 m2) is the third largest among church temples. Its design emulates the Salt Lake Temple with six spires, three on each end, and the building is encased in white Alabama marble.
The temple was closed in 2018 for renovations and was rededicated by Russell M. Nelson on August 14, 2022.