In 1846 the Mormons abandoned Nauvoo, Illinois, and made their west to Utah. Among the many buildings left behind was the Nauvoo Temple. The temple, which was considered sacred space, was destroyed by arson and tornado, so that nothing of the original survived. This paper examines the history of the fifteen decades of the property after the Mormons left. During this time the lot served as profane space--a site for private residences; various business ventures, including a service station, saloons and a theater; a number of religious buildings; as well as a lighted baseball diamond. Beginning in the 1930s the Mormon Church began to re-acquire ownership of the lot, succeeding in this effort by the 1970s. At the end of the twentieth century they rebuilt the temple, reproducing the exterior appearance of the original structure, restoring the lot to its original function as sacred space.
Lisle G Brown, "Nauvoo's Temple Square," Brigham Young University Studies, 41/4 (2002): 5-45.