Harold W. Burton

Who is Harold W. Burton?

Harold W. Burton was an early 20th-century architect with architectural works throughout the western United States and Canada. Burton was one of the most prolific architects of chapels, meetinghouses, tabernacles and temples for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 1910 he opened an architectural firm with Hyrum Pope in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were particularly fond of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School architectural style. As young architects, Pope & Burton won design competitions for two of their better-known works, the Cardston Alberta and Laie Hawaii temples of the LDS Church. Burton moved to Los Angeles, California in 1927 to set up another office in the firm with Pope. After Pope unexpectedly died in 1939, Burton established a new firm with his son Douglas W. Burton. Together they continued to design many buildings, including some for the church. In 1955, Harold became the chief supervising architect for the LDS Church. One of his final works was the Oakland California Temple. Aside from places of worship, Burton also designed civic buildings and homes.