Wells Ward was created in June 1919 and religious services were held in the new Wells Ward Amusement Hall from March 1920 until 1926 at which time the Wells Ward Chapel addition was built. The “preliminaries” (preliminary designs) for the chapel had been developed in 1920 by Rutherford and Ashton. However Francis Rutherford moved to California in 1921 and the Rutherford & Ashton chapel “preliminaries” were used as a basis for the 1926 Ashton & Evans chapel design (Jackson, Pacific Coast Architecture).

Construction of the chapel was begun in April 1926 and the cornerstone was laid in May 1926. The cornerstone included a history of the ward, a photo of the bishopric, a copy of the Deseret News, and other “miscellaneous matter” (Wells Ward lays cornerstone).

The chapel design was a “rather flamboyant …. neo-Jacobean style” built of red brick with concrete for foundation and trim. This color contrast helped accentuate the extensive detailing of the building which included splayed door bays with decorative precast concrete frames and panels of leaves and flowers. The large frontal window was Tudor-arched with some of the most ornate tracery in the state (2024 most endangered, Historic Preservation Research Office). The chapel had a seating capacity of 1000, and the addition also included a bishop’s office, rest rooms, and four new classrooms.

The interior was finished in oak with hardwood floors (Wells Ward chapel, Wells Ward lays cornerstone) and stained, recessed windows (Historic Preservation Research Office). The well-known bas-relief “Christ at the Well” by Torlief S. Knaphas was installed behind the podium. The dedication was held on October 17, 1926, and as was typical for Utah-area chapels, the Latter-day Saint president Heber J. Grant gave an address. The program included accolades to the architects: “Too much praise cannot be given to the Architects, Messrs. Ashton and Evans, for the wonderful plan of the building, and for their painstaking care in supervising its construction” (Wells Ward.).

The entire Wells Ward complex was severely damaged in the 2020 earthquake. The building was condemned and after 18 months of analysis, the LDS church decided to sell it with the stipulation that the builder demolish the structure. Unfortunately, the structure burned in May 2024 before any sales went through (2024 most endangered).