In
May 1944, more than sixteen hundred Bahá'ís gathered
at the Temple to observe the centenary of the Declaration
of the Báb, the Prophet Who heralded Bahá’u’lláh.
Attention then turned to ornamentation of the interior.
Architect Alfred P. Shaw finalized the design, and
the Earley Studio completed the concrete panels
by March 1951. In July of that year, Mr. Hilbert
Dahl’s design for the gardens was approved, and
the first stage of landscaping was finished in 1952.
The public dedication of the completed House of
Worship took place on May 2, 1953. Amatu’l-Bahá
Rúhíyyih Khánum, wife of Shoghi Effendi, dedicated
the Temple on his behalf. The service, which received
widespread media coverage, was held three times
to a full auditorium.
