Built in 1910 and designed by architects Cannon & Fetzer, with a significant remodel in 1937, the Fifth Ward Meetinghouse has long been a defining presence in its neighborhood. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and designated as a Salt Lake City Landmark, the red-brick structure has adapted repeatedly to meet community needs over more than a century.

Originally constructed as an LDS chapel, the building later housed a photography studio, music venue, office space, and even goth and industrial nightclubs. In 2004, it became home to the Tibetan Buddhist temple Urgyen Samten Ling Gonpa following volunteer-led restoration efforts. Despite its architectural and cultural significance, the building experienced periods of vacancy and deterioration.

In 2024, an unauthorized partial demolition of a portion of the historic assembly hall heightened the urgency of preservation efforts. The incident underscored the vulnerability of historic resources amid rapid redevelopment and prompted increased public attention and municipal oversight.