The state Board of History has nominated the 64-year-old structure to be listed on the National Historic Register.

If the walls of Copperton's St. Paul United Methodist Church could talk, tales would tumble forth about the angst connected with two dangerous professions: mining and soldiering. Historically, those two communities sought comfort and strength inside this humble structure.

"I'm elated, and I'm shaking," said the Rev. Carol Loftin after the unanimous Nov. 30 vote. "We love our church and its charm."

The historic designation brings with it several benefits that Loftin's diminutive but dedicated congregation - two dozen members and growing - could not provide on its own.

"It means we'll get more publicity and assistance through loans and grants, and can maintain the integrity of the building and keep up with repairs," Loftin said.

The simple rectangular wood structure, 1 1/2 stories tall, is reminiscent of New England Protestant meeting houses. It has a front-gabled roof and centered steeple topped by a wooden cross.

Inside, the pews and altar are original, dating back to 1942 when crews built the chapel at Kearns Army Base, three miles to the east. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers trained at "Camp Kearns" over the course of World War II. Denominational lines blurred as they came together to worship in a time of national crisis.

By late 1946, the base was closed, and the chapel could have easily ended in the scrapheap - as did other structures from the temporary military facility.

However, as noted in the St. Paul application to the history board, the structure was destined to take on new life.

In 1947, church members from the western Salt Lake Valley mining communities of Copperton, Bingham Canyon and Lark discussed moving the Camp Kearns chapel to Copperton to replace the Methodist church erected in Bingham Canyon in 1874.

Of particular interest is a number stamped inside the sanctuary, noted Pam Todd, founder of Kearns Historical Society. That number, 1398, was government code stating that the building was a chapel (98) that occupied block 13 at the Kearns base.

Todd launched her research of Camp Kearns over three decades ago and fears that some of its history could be lost forever since much of that generation is dying off.

Between 1999 and 2003, Salt Lake City served as hub for World War II reunions, and one of Todd's favorite activities was to transport carloads of veterans to Copperton to see the church one last time.

"Coming down the highway you can see the steeple . . . you round the corner and the men get their first look," Todd wrote in her history of the Kearns base. "It is truly a humbling experience. They have all been amazed that the church looks as good as it does - just as it was when they last saw it."

Rose Park resident Allen Jackson, now 103 years old, served in the Army Air Corps during World War II and trained at Camp Kearns. He remembers the chapel well, although he didn't set foot inside it until this April when Loftin hosted an open house.

In the 1940s, segregation dominated the culture - Jackson, who is black, said that he worshipped in a warehouse at Camp Kearns instead of one of the four chapels.

Dressed in his Sunday best, Jackson was on hand Thursday for the historic nomination, which seemed fitting.

"After the war, I returned to close Camp Kearns," he said, adding that on Nov. 26, 1946, he was the last one out, locking the gates behind him.

cmckitrick@sltrib.com

The Copperton church

* The Colonial Revival-style chapel was one of four constructed at Kearns Army Base, 1942.

* The base, also known as "Camp Kearns" closed on Nov. 26, 1946.

* The chapel was purchased by St. Paul United Methodist Church and moved to 410 E. Hillcrest Road, Copperton, 1948.

* The church was threatened with closure in early 2006 because of its shrinking membership. Once thriving, many members had died or moved away from the somewhat isolated community on the far west side of the Salt Lake Valley. A Feb. 27 story in The Salt Lake Tribune about the church sparked a resurgence, and imminent closure was no longer a threat.

* In recent years, portions of the television show Touched by An Angel were filmed at St. Paul. Also, filmmakers used it for Dark Matters, a movie to be released during January's Sundance Film Festival.