Obed Taylor (April 27, 1824 - August 2, 1881) was an architect who designed many notable buildings in early Utah that survive on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

. Taylor's works include the

Salt Lake Assembly Hall The Salt Lake Assembly Hall is a building owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) which sits on the southwest corner of Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. It has seating capacity for an audience of approxima ...

on Temple Square, the Salt Lake 18th Ward meetinghouse, and Ogden's Z.C.M.I. and First National Bank Block. Though Thomas L. Allen has been credited with being the architect of the Summit Stake Tabernacle, Taylor approved of the plans and likely assisted Allen who was untrained as an architect. Obed Taylor worked in partnership with William H. Folsom on many projects including the

Deseret National Bank Deseret may refer to: Places * Deseret, Utah, an unincorporated community ** Fort Deseret * Deseret Ranches, Florida, US * State of Deseret, a provisional US state, 1849-1851 Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Deseret'' (film), a 1995 experiment ...

ZCMI Zion's Co-operative Mercantile Institution (typically referred to as ZCMI) was an American department store chain. It was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 9, 1868 by Brigham Young. For many years it used the slogan, "America's First De ...

's cast-iron storefront (1876), and the Feramorz Little residence. He died at the height of his architectural career in 1881. Funeral services were held in the Salt Lake 18th Ward meetinghouse which he had recently designed. The Walker Opera House as well as a building at the

University of Deseret The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...

were designed by Taylor but completed after his death.Deseret News, August 2, 1881

Personal life

He was baptized into

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

by Parley P. Pratt and came to

Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...

in 1871.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taylor, Obed 1824 births 1881 deaths Architects from Utah Architects of Latter Day Saint religious buildings and structures 19th-century American architects American Latter Day Saints