OUR VIEW: Remembering the Toaster’s golden years

We know there are dozens and dozens of LDS churches on street corner after street corner in Utah. Everyone is familiar with the four churches designated mainly for USU students that were constructed in a row to accommodate the massive LDS student population. With so many LDS churches scattered throughout the valley, each one stands out no more than a gas station. We expect LDS churches to surround us, given where we live. Undoubtedly, each LDS church member has emotional connections to his or her building of worship, though the architecture may be forgettable.

However, there is one building that not only allows those who attend it to have a place to experience spiritual enlightenment but has raised the eyebrows of passersby — a church building commonly referred to as “The Golden Toaster.” As many may know, The Golden Toaster, located east of the Fine Arts Building, will one day be replaced by a university building. USU owns this property, and therefore, may control what the space is used for. In our eyes, this building is iconic; it reminds us of a USU from a different decade, connecting us directly to the past.

As a quick review, The Golden Toaster was dubbed with this viral nickname because of its odd shape. The roof dips down creating two slots replicating, well, a toaster. About five years ago, the roof was painted from a distracting gold to something more neutral, and Cache Valley natives of all ages have fond memories of this building. We are nothing short of upset that this building will one day retire. By far, it is the LDS church building with the most personality, at least that we’ve seen. Note that we said it had the most personality, not that it was the most aesthetically pleasing to view. We do love that its original architect Fred von Neiderhausern had a vision so creative, so bold. Demolishing The Golden Toaster will take away a piece of this campus’ and the valley’s history. We will miss the interior’s odd wood paneling, the small auburn glass squares placed high on the walls that let streams of sunlight in and our sudden craving for warm, buttered toast every time we drive by.

After speaking with many individuals who attended church in The Golden Toaster, it is clear this structure is not simply a building. It is a place where husbands and wives met, where families came together, where service was rendered and students found a sense of belonging. To those of the LDS faith it will always be a somber day when a church must come down, because it left us so many memories. This building, in particular, with all its personality, will not only be missed by LDS members, but by all.

We understand that having this space to build on will be an asset to USU and trust that President Albrecht has our best interests at heart. But, we are sure there will be dozens who look upon the building with sorrow the day bulldozers recycle the toaster.