Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site
Encyclopedia
The Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site is a historic site located in the village of Palmyra
, Wayne County
, New York
, United States
. The historic site includes the E. B. Grandin Building and some neighboring structures. It was in the E. B. Grandin building that Egbert B. Grandin printed and sold the first copies of the Book of Mormon
. Because of the building's historical significance to Mormonism
, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) purchased it in 1978. In the mid-1990s the church restored the Grandin building, while remodeling and adding to some neighboring structures to create a visitors' center
.
and bookshop was located in the western most building of a complex originally known as Thayer and Grandin Brick Row, and later as Exchange Row. The complex of buildings was constructed in 1828, between Palmyra's Main Street and the newly finished Erie Canal
(which has since been moved north), by Joel Thayer, Levi Thayer, and Phillip Grandin. Phillip Grandin was the older brother of E. B. Grandin, and soon after the complex was completed E. B. Grandin moved his business into what would become known as the E. B. Grandin Building.
Grandin's bookshop and office were housed on the building's first floor, his book bindery and an attorney's office on the second floor, and the printing equipment — including two printing presses — on the third floor. In 1829 when Grandin was asked to publish the Book of Mormon
, he was the publisher of The Wayne Sentinel
newspaper. Eventually Grandin closed his bookshop and printing service, and the building has since housed numerous businesses. Both the building's interior and exterior were remodeled and updated several times through the years, including building additions, adding walls, new stairwells, dropped ceilings
, plumbing, electrical systems, etc.
The E. B. Grandin Building, along with a neighboring structure, was purchased by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in October 1978 from Paul Cherry. Soon after the purchase, the first floor in both buildings were remodeled to serve as a visitors' center. During Palmyra's Canal Days celebration, computers with access to FamilySearch
databases were set-up in the building to allow visitors to research their genealogy
.
announced the visitors' center would close sometime the following year to allow the building to be restored, and the visitors' center improved. On November 20, 1994 the center was closed, to allow final research to be completed and work to begin on the restoration.
Prior to the building's closure, and during the restoration, extensive historical and archaeological
research was completed. As the archaeological investigations were underway in the building, it was found that much of the original plaster and woodwork remained, along with original floors and windows. The layout of the building was discovered by looking at wear patterns left in the original wooden floor. Ink smudges were also discovered on the walls of the third floor, and are believed to date to the period when the building was occupied by Grandin.
On the exterior of the building, non-original Italianate style decoration, such as architrave
moldings, were removed. Old layers of paint were also removed, and it was found that originally the brick had been painted in a red glaze with painted mortar joints; this gave the building a uniform, crisp look. A similar red glaze with white mortar joints was painted on the building during the restoration. Older additions were removed from the rear of the building, and a new addition, to be part of the visitors' center, was constructed in their place.
On March 26, 1998, the anniversary of when the Book of Mormon went on sale, Gordon B. Hinckley
president of the LDS Church, dedicated the restored building and adjoining visitors' center. The building is open free of charge, for daily tours given by church missionaries
.
When Joseph Smith, Jr. originally requested that Grandin print the Book of Mormon, he refused to do so, believing it to be a risky financial venture and considered the book to be fraudulent. Smith then sought a printer in nearby Rochester
to do the job. There he found printer Elihu F. Marshall, who was willing to publish the book. But prior to signing an agreement with Marshall, Smith once again appealed to Grandin, telling him the publication would occur anyway. Grandin then agreed to print 5,000 copies of the book. Later after more worries arose, Grandin halted publication until he received a USD
$3,000 security payment. Martin Harris, a well-to-do farmer and early believer in Smith's revelations, mortgaged his farm for the required $3,000 security payment, effectively ending his marriage.
On June 26, 1829, the twenty-three-year-old Grandin announced in the Wayne Sentinel that he intended to publish the Book of Mormon, once the translation was complete. Oliver Cowdery
prepared a copy of the book's manuscript, and Grandin bought 500 pounds of small pica type for use in the publication. The chief compositor, John H. Gilbert, found that the manuscript was "closely written and legible, but not a punctuation mark from beginning to end." Gilbert said that he added punctuation and capitalization in the evenings. To print the book, Grandin used a Smith Improved Printing Press, which had first appeared on the market about 1821 and was the most up-to-date press available to the small printer of the day. The original press used by Grandin to print the Book of Mormon, is currently located in the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah
.
In October, Smith wrote that local citizens were "very much excited" by the prospect of publication, but their excitement was not the sort that he had hoped for. The Palmyra Freeman called the prospective book "the greatest piece of superstition that has come to our knowledge." In September, Abner Cole
began a weekly newspaper, the Palmyra Reflector, and because he used Grandin's press, Cole had access to the unbound sheets and reprinted mocking excerpts until Smith threatened legal action. Many of the local citizens saw the Book of Mormon as blasphemous and not inline with orthodox Christianity. Because of this, many of them had tried to persuade Grandin to stop the book's publication. Unsuccessful, they agreed to boycott the book by not purchasing the printed copies.
On March 26, 1830 the Wayne Sentinel announced that Book of Mormon was now on sale at Grandin's bookstore. It had taken eight men and boys working 12 hours a day, six days a week, for almost eight months to print the 5,000 copies. After the book went on sale, the boycott began. It was successful and few books were sold, Martin Harris, who had mortgaged his farm to pay for the publication, desperately tried to sell the books himself but lamented that "no Body [sic] wants them." Today copies of Grandin's first publication of the Book of Mormon are a popular collector's item. In 1999 a copy of the first edition of the Book of Mormon sold for $58,000; in 2000 another copy was sold for $44,000; and in 2007 a copy was sold at auction for $180,000.
Palmyra (village), New York
Palmyra is a village in Wayne County, New York, United States. The population was 3,490 at the 2000 census. The village, along with the town, is named after Palmyra in present-day Syria.The Village of Palmyra is in the Town of Palmyra...
, Wayne County
Wayne County, New York
Wayne County is a county located in the US state of New York. It is part of the Rochester, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area and lies on the south shore of Lake Ontario, forming part of the northern border of the United States with Canada. The name honors General Anthony Wayne, an American...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The historic site includes the E. B. Grandin Building and some neighboring structures. It was in the E. B. Grandin building that Egbert B. Grandin printed and sold the first copies of the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
. Because of the building's historical significance to Mormonism
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) purchased it in 1978. In the mid-1990s the church restored the Grandin building, while remodeling and adding to some neighboring structures to create a visitors' center
Visitor center
A visitor center or centre , visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to the visitors who tour the place or area locally...
.
Building History
Egbert B. Grandin's printing pressPrinting press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
and bookshop was located in the western most building of a complex originally known as Thayer and Grandin Brick Row, and later as Exchange Row. The complex of buildings was constructed in 1828, between Palmyra's Main Street and the newly finished Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
(which has since been moved north), by Joel Thayer, Levi Thayer, and Phillip Grandin. Phillip Grandin was the older brother of E. B. Grandin, and soon after the complex was completed E. B. Grandin moved his business into what would become known as the E. B. Grandin Building.
Grandin's bookshop and office were housed on the building's first floor, his book bindery and an attorney's office on the second floor, and the printing equipment — including two printing presses — on the third floor. In 1829 when Grandin was asked to publish the Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
, he was the publisher of The Wayne Sentinel
The Wayne Sentinel
The Wayne Sentinel was a weekly newspaper published in Palmyra, New York beginning in 1823, and continuing at least until 1863. In the late 1820s, the newspaper was one of the first media sources to report on the spiritual claims that were made by Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint...
newspaper. Eventually Grandin closed his bookshop and printing service, and the building has since housed numerous businesses. Both the building's interior and exterior were remodeled and updated several times through the years, including building additions, adding walls, new stairwells, dropped ceilings
Dropped ceiling
A dropped ceiling is a secondary ceiling, hung below the main ceiling. They may also be referred to as a drop ceiling, false ceiling, or suspended ceiling, and are a staple of modern construction and architecture. The area above the dropped ceiling is called the plenum space, as it is sometimes...
, plumbing, electrical systems, etc.
The E. B. Grandin Building, along with a neighboring structure, was purchased by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in October 1978 from Paul Cherry. Soon after the purchase, the first floor in both buildings were remodeled to serve as a visitors' center. During Palmyra's Canal Days celebration, computers with access to FamilySearch
FamilySearch
FamilySearch is a genealogy organization established and run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the largest genealogy organization in the world. FamilySearch consists of a collection of records, resources, and services designed to help people learn more about their family...
databases were set-up in the building to allow visitors to research their genealogy
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
.
Restoration
During December 1993 the LDS Church's First PresidencyFirst Presidency (LDS Church)
The First Presidency is the presiding or governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It is composed of the President of the Church and his counselors. The First Presidency currently consists of President Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors, Henry B...
announced the visitors' center would close sometime the following year to allow the building to be restored, and the visitors' center improved. On November 20, 1994 the center was closed, to allow final research to be completed and work to begin on the restoration.
Prior to the building's closure, and during the restoration, extensive historical and archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
research was completed. As the archaeological investigations were underway in the building, it was found that much of the original plaster and woodwork remained, along with original floors and windows. The layout of the building was discovered by looking at wear patterns left in the original wooden floor. Ink smudges were also discovered on the walls of the third floor, and are believed to date to the period when the building was occupied by Grandin.
On the exterior of the building, non-original Italianate style decoration, such as architrave
Architrave
An architrave is the lintel or beam that rests on the capitals of the columns. It is an architectural element in Classical architecture.-Classical architecture:...
moldings, were removed. Old layers of paint were also removed, and it was found that originally the brick had been painted in a red glaze with painted mortar joints; this gave the building a uniform, crisp look. A similar red glaze with white mortar joints was painted on the building during the restoration. Older additions were removed from the rear of the building, and a new addition, to be part of the visitors' center, was constructed in their place.
On March 26, 1998, the anniversary of when the Book of Mormon went on sale, Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
president of the LDS Church, dedicated the restored building and adjoining visitors' center. The building is open free of charge, for daily tours given by church missionaries
Missionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
.
Publication of the Book of Mormon
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
to do the job. There he found printer Elihu F. Marshall, who was willing to publish the book. But prior to signing an agreement with Marshall, Smith once again appealed to Grandin, telling him the publication would occur anyway. Grandin then agreed to print 5,000 copies of the book. Later after more worries arose, Grandin halted publication until he received a USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
$3,000 security payment. Martin Harris, a well-to-do farmer and early believer in Smith's revelations, mortgaged his farm for the required $3,000 security payment, effectively ending his marriage.
On June 26, 1829, the twenty-three-year-old Grandin announced in the Wayne Sentinel that he intended to publish the Book of Mormon, once the translation was complete. Oliver Cowdery
Oliver Cowdery
Oliver H. P. Cowdery was, with Joseph Smith, Jr., an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836, becoming one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's golden plates, one of the first Latter Day Saint apostles, and the Second Elder of...
prepared a copy of the book's manuscript, and Grandin bought 500 pounds of small pica type for use in the publication. The chief compositor, John H. Gilbert, found that the manuscript was "closely written and legible, but not a punctuation mark from beginning to end." Gilbert said that he added punctuation and capitalization in the evenings. To print the book, Grandin used a Smith Improved Printing Press, which had first appeared on the market about 1821 and was the most up-to-date press available to the small printer of the day. The original press used by Grandin to print the Book of Mormon, is currently located in the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
In October, Smith wrote that local citizens were "very much excited" by the prospect of publication, but their excitement was not the sort that he had hoped for. The Palmyra Freeman called the prospective book "the greatest piece of superstition that has come to our knowledge." In September, Abner Cole
Abner Cole
Abner Cole , also known by his pen name Obadiah Dogberry, Esq., was a 19th-century American newspaper editor. He is notable as one of the earliest critics of the spiritual claims of Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, having commented on the "Golden Bible" before it was...
began a weekly newspaper, the Palmyra Reflector, and because he used Grandin's press, Cole had access to the unbound sheets and reprinted mocking excerpts until Smith threatened legal action. Many of the local citizens saw the Book of Mormon as blasphemous and not inline with orthodox Christianity. Because of this, many of them had tried to persuade Grandin to stop the book's publication. Unsuccessful, they agreed to boycott the book by not purchasing the printed copies.
On March 26, 1830 the Wayne Sentinel announced that Book of Mormon was now on sale at Grandin's bookstore. It had taken eight men and boys working 12 hours a day, six days a week, for almost eight months to print the 5,000 copies. After the book went on sale, the boycott began. It was successful and few books were sold, Martin Harris, who had mortgaged his farm to pay for the publication, desperately tried to sell the books himself but lamented that "no Body [sic] wants them." Today copies of Grandin's first publication of the Book of Mormon are a popular collector's item. In 1999 a copy of the first edition of the Book of Mormon sold for $58,000; in 2000 another copy was sold for $44,000; and in 2007 a copy was sold at auction for $180,000.
External links
- Book of Mormon Publication Site - LDS.org - Historic Sites
- Book of Mormon Publication Site - Hill Cumorah Visitors' Center
- Mormon Historic Sites Registry - E. B. Grandin Building
- Historic Discoveries at the Grandin Building - Ensign Magazine