Old Stafford Road going between Smith frame home and Sacred Grove
For some years prior to 1996, the Church had made attempts to buy the land just north and west of the Joseph Smith home without success. This was the last remaining piece of the 100-acre Smith Homestead. Owning that property would enable the Church to have Stafford Road moved from in front of the home to behind it. This had become a major safety issue, because tourists walking to and from the Sacred Grove to the frame home had to cross that major road with traffic whizzing by at 60 miles per hour. That property belonged to Ted Bellefontaine, who was not interested in selling.
In 1995 Elder Charles Canfield was called as the Site Director. One of his hobbies
was hunting and fishing. One of the site couples encouraged him to get
acquainted with Ted Bellefontaine, who was known to hunt and fish, since Elder
Canfield wanted to meet someone who knew the area and who might want a
hunting and fishing companion. So introductions were made. Ted soon
complained that the only reason Elder Canfield wanted to meet was to get him to
sell his property. Elder Canfield told him he was not after Ted's property, but just
wanted to do some hunting and fishing with him. Then shortly after, Elder
Canfield was impressed to ask Ted under what conditions he would be willing to
sell.
Along with naming a price, Ted asked if the Church would be willing to build him a
home on some other land he owned up in Nova Scotia.
After some back and forth
negotiations with the Church through Elder Canfield, it was agreed that Ted
would sell his property for the price he asked, along with the Church building him
a home on some property in the Palmyra area. Ted would live in this home rent-
free for the duration of his life and upon his death, the home would revert to the
Church. So, the home was built to Ted's specifications right up on the hill exactly
where the Palmyra Temple now sits. Just before the home's completion, Ted
went up to his Nova Scotia property to do some snowmobiling and was killed in
an accident.
That was in 1996. So, the new Facilities Management Manager, Ruel Reeder, and
his large family were moved into that home. Then, the Palmyra Temple was
announced and in late May of 1999, ground was broken just a little south of where the Temple now sits. It was a wet and very cold day. I observed President
Hinckley standing, looking out the kitchen window of that home toward the
Sacred Grove, warming up with some hot chocolate in his hands, prior to going
out for the ground breaking. I think that may have been the moment it was
revealed to him that the Temple needed to be right where the house sat, so that
patrons could stand inside the Temple and look out at another holy place, the
Sacred Grove. Subsequently, this house had to be moved a little
down the road to the east. In 2003, it became the Temple President's Home.
—As told by Sis. Ann Black, former Palmyra Temple matron
