Anchorage Alaska Temple |
54th operating temple |
Phone Number: 907-348-7890.
Site: 5.4 acres (including adjoining meetinghouse).
Exterior Finish: Stone-clad Sierra white granite quarried from near Fresno, California.
Temple Design: Classic modern, single-spire design.
Number of Rooms: Two ordinance rooms and one sealing.
Total Floor Area: 11,937 square feet.
Groundbreaking and Site Dedication: 17 April 1998 by F. Melvin Hammond
Public Open House: 29–31 December 1998
Dedication: 9–10 January 1999 by Gordon B. Hinckley
Public Open House: 27–31 January 2004
Rededication: 8 February 2004 by Gordon B. Hinckley
Just five years after its dedication, the Anchorage Alaska Temple was rededicated after an expansion project that nearly doubled the building's square footage. The renovation included the addition of a second ordinance room, offices for temple staff, new men's and women's dressing rooms, a patron waiting room, a laundry facility, and an elevator.1
When President Gordon B. Hinckley announced the his concept of smaller temples in 1997, Anchorage topped the list of considerations for a pilot location. However, at the suggestion of architect Doug Green, Monticello, Utah, was selected for the prototype because of its location near Church Headquarters. From what was learned during construction, Brother Green was able to implement nearly 300 improvements and modifications to the Anchorage temple blueprints that included innovations such as heated stairs and an entrance canopy.2
1. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, "Anchorage Alaska Temple Ready for Public Tours," 26 Jan. 2004.
2. Chad Hawkins, The First 100 Temples (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 2001) 149–151.
