Pine Valley Utah

      It was 109* AGAIN in St. George, so it was the perfect time to drive up in the mountains to Pine Valley and see the chapel built upside-down.
Pine Valley was discovered by a cow.  Jacob Hamblin's brother, "Gunlock" (because he fixed everybody's guns) and Isaac Riddle were driving their cattle up the creek into cooler weather.  They awoke one morning to find one cow missing.  Bill (Gunlock) stayed with the herd and Isaac went looking for the cow.  The cow had found this incredible valley with grass up to it's belly surrounded by the best Pine trees.  They named it Pine Valley and used the Pine trees for much of the building in St. George, includung the temple and Tabernacle.
      Where there are Mormons, there should be churches.  They needed one and no one knew how to build a church. Ebenezer Bryce was a shipbuilder who was asked to be in charge of the ship....church.  The roof of the church was built using his knowledge.  He built an upside-down ship.

The couple there giving us the tour let me play the pump organ!!!  I chose "Master the Tempest is Raging" and it sounded awesomely historical.  They still meet as a branch in this chapel and still use the pump organ! So cool.

The chairs on the stand were made over 200 years ago!  Charlie's grandfather built one like these back in the day, gave it to Charlie's Dad who gave it to Brent Ross Davis.  I hope he appreciates it!

The stage sits behind the stand.  You can't see it here, but the kitchen is up there off to the right of the stage.

The doors on either side of the stand were hand painted by a Mr. Milne to look like different kinds of wood.  You really can't appreciate them unless you see them up close.

The last stop on the tour was  the attic.  You could see the shiplat and mud they used, the 10 foot, humongous beams, and yes, the curves of the 'ship's' hull.  Upside-down.  So cool!