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Map 		The Nauvoo Temple
The Nauvoo Temple.   Begun in 1841, the temple walls had risen to a height of fifty feet at the time of Joseph's death in June of 1844. Dedicated in 1846, the temple was the religious center of Nauvoo, and was the largest and most widely known structure for hundreds of miles. Built of native gray limestone, and Wisconsin timber, carefully floated down the Mississippi river, its construction had occupied the time, energies, and much of the means of church members for over five years.

The unique architecture is exemplified by the sunstones, moonstones, and starstones around the perimeter of the building.

In October 1848, the Nauvoo Temple was gutted by a fire attributted to arson. The three remaining walls were further weakened by a tornado in May of 1850. The ruined building was later dismantled and its huge stones were used by many in building cellers and buildings throughout the area.

So... what you are looking at is not an actual building, but a bit of trick photography. (I tried to simulate what I had seen in a postcard.) The city block upon which the temple once stood is owned by the LDS Church. There are stones laid in the ground outlining the original perimeter of the building. At one end of the site are some original sun and moon stones from the temple to indicate the size of the historic structure as well as a small model of what the temple looked like. The image above, is a photo of that model on display at the temple site.   ...Pretty cool, huh?