Historic Masonic Buildings Worldwide
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A view of the south side of the 100 block of W. Main looking east from Race St. The Tudor Revival style Bennett Building described in my previous post is seen on the corner. In addition to the Bennett Building, two other buildings in this block are contributing to the Downtown Urbana Historic District listed in 2019 on the National Register of Historic Places. These are the buildings at 133 W. Main (next to the Bennett Building) and 115 W. Main (four story building further down the block).
133 W. Main: Constructed in 1890, historically this building was a confectionary. Wood cladding now covers the first floor store front area. The building is mixed use with commercial space on the 1st floor and residential space on the 2nd floor.
115 W. Main: Completed in 1870, this building was originally an opera hall known as Tierman's Hall. In 1914, architect Joseph W. Royer did a complete terra cotta facade renovation of the building as part of its conversion to a temple for the Urbana Masonic Lodge. The first floor is now a restaurant known as Crane Alley, with office space on the second through fourth floors.
The buildings in this block all lie within Downtown Urbana Historic District and the Joseph W. Royer Arts and Architecture District. Seen in the next block is the tower of the beautiful Champaign County Courthouse, also designed by Royer and completed in 1901.
Urbana is the seat of Champaign County. Located in east central Illinois, the twin cities of Urbana and Champaign are the home of the University of Illinois. The population of Champaign County at the 2020 census was 205,865.
This former Masonic Temple at the northwest corner of W. Hill and N. Randolph St. was completed in 1913 for the Freemasons of Champaign, Western Star Lodge 240, A.F. and A.M. Architectural work was done by Nelson S. Spencer and Harry R. Temple, and the exterior of the building was designed by Charles Blakely Spenser.
The temple revives elements from classical architecture in what is commonly called the Beaux-Arts Style typical of late 19th and early 20th century buildings ----- from the rusticated stone foundation, to the stately columns, to the giant cartouche at the roof line which bares the Masonic emblem.
The Temple was sold in 1966 to the Thomas Jefferson Insurance Company, who renamed it the Jefferson Building and conducted business from this location for many years. In the fall of 2008 the building was purchased by businessman and philanthropist Robert Grossman, who fully renovated the building in 2009-10 and converted it to 19 one, two and three-bedroom luxury apartments. Grossman renamed the repurposed building The Lodge on Hill.
Located in Champaign County in east central Illinois, the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana are the home of the University of Illinois. The population of the City of Champaign at the 2020 census was 88,302, while Champaign County had a population of 205,865.
This photo, taken by me over ten years ago, shows the former Masonic Temple in downtown Litchfield. Located at the northeast corner of Ryder and Madison Streets, the temple was dedicated in 1924. It was built on the site of the old Snell Opera House which had been destroyed by fire two years earlier. No longer in use by the Masons, the former temple in recent years was repurposed as a banquet hall and, more recently, as a vintage mall which is now closed.
Litchfield, a city in Montgomery County, is located in South Central Illinois less than an hour drive from Illinois' Capital City of Springfield to the north, and St. Louis, Missouri to the south. Two separate alignments of historic U.S. Route 66 (a.k.a. the Mother Road ) run through Litchfield. It is a city known for its Route 66 icons, expansive lake, and lush landscapes. The population of Litchfield at the 2020 census was 6,605.
Philadelphia, PA
So, it didn't actually snow on this afternoon in Philly. I really like this brass railing in front of the city hall building and the green traffic light, but the man in the dark jacket makes it appear as if it is quite cold outside. Since I haven't done a Slider Sunday post in months, this one just screamed snow to me - so I added a texture. Happy Slider Sunday!
The former Binghamton Masonic Temple on Main Street could finally get new life under the vision of its newest owner.
John Diehl, of Binghamton, purchased the 74,299 square-foot landmark for $7,500 at the Broome County tax foreclosure auction on Feb. 21.
Diehl, 40, said he and a small group want to renovate the existing theater inside the building and use it to bring live music shows back to the area.
“There is a lot of desirability now for bands to play smaller venues,” Diehl said. “Talking to people in the industry, they want something here. People in the community want to see it here.”
In addition to renovating the theater, Diehl said he would like to create a community performing arts center in the building, with classrooms and opportunities for instruction for residents.
The six-story stone structure at 66 Main St. has sat vacant and deteriorating since the 1990s. Once a community gathering hub and the center of regional Mason activities, the building slid into disrepair after it was first foreclosed on in 1997.
The Grand Opera House, also known as The Grand or Masonic Hall and Grand Theater, is a 1,208-seat theater for the performing arts. The four-story building was built in 1871 by the Delaware Grand Lodge of Masons to serve as a Masonic Temple and auditorium.
Historically, the Grand hosted a variety of operas, symphonies, Victorian melodramas, minstrel shows, burlesque, vaudeville, and other exhibitions. For most of the twentieth century the Grand was operated exclusively as a movie theater, run by Warner Brothers from 1930 and eventually closing in 1967. It was reopened four years later and returned to programming emphasizing classical music, partnering with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, OperaDelaware, and the First State Ballet Theatre.
Maybe it was the aroma of marijuana, maybe it was the randomly sized and very disparate game pieces around the Municipal Services Building Plaza, maybe it was the humid warmth of the summer evening...whatever it was, this was a surreal vision of Center City Philadelphia.
The Warwick (Queensland) Masonic Temple. Known as the St. George's Lodge, it was designed by Warwick architect William Wallace and opened back in 1887. Must have been quite a building for that period in the city's history. It is considered to be one of the finest Masonic buildings in Queensland.
The Hebrew inscription on the front of the temple reads "We fear the Creator of the Universe".
According to the sign out front which is not in the photo, eight lodges still meet here and an Eastern Star group for women.
Here is the full history from Wikipedia if you are interested.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_George%27s_Masonic_Centre,_War...
Excerpt from www.easterntownships.org/things-to-do/4385/maison-de-la-c...:
The Maison de la culture de Waterloo’s mission is to promote performing and visual arts by creating openness to all forms of cultural knowledge and experience. Through its mission and social involvement in the community, the Maison de la Culture de Waterloo provides opportunities for people from all walks of life to attend performances and events. In addition, through its volunteers and various partnerships, the Maison de la Culture de Waterloo creates a sense of belonging to the community and engages the various speakers in the creative and organizational processes.
Now for something a bit different than my normal nature posts...
Five blocks from us is an architecturally unique building that has fallen into somewhat derelict condition of late. It is the Masonic Temple and was built in 1929, so 94 years ago. Built in Tudor Gothic style, the structure is impressive and made of Bedford limestone, known for its uniformity and purity, due to its 97% calcium carbonate substance.
I walked past it the other day, noticing the single open window and thought it would make a nice image.
I processed and framed it, resulting in what you see here.
Thanks for grabbing a look. From stluxury.com: Discover luxury living in the heart of St. Louis at The B on Lindell. Our stunning apartment homes are situated in the iconic New Masonic Temple building, just steps from Saint Louis University and minutes from Downtown.
The Hennepin Center for the Arts (HCA) was built in 1888 as a Masonic Temple. The structure was built by Long and Kees in the Richardsonian Romanesque architectural style. In 1978, it was purchased and underwent a renovation to become the HCA. It is located at 528 Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Currently, it is owned by Artspace and is home to more than 17 performing and visual art companies who reside on the building's eight floors.The eighth floor is the Illusion Theater, which hosts many shows put on by companies in the building.
HCA is now a part of the Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts (formerly the Minnesota Shubert Performing Arts and Education Center). The new performing arts center is a three-building complex that includes the renovated Shubert Theatre building (renamed the Goodale Theater) and a new glass-walled atrium connecting the two historic buildings and serving them both as a common lobby.
Excerpt from heritagemississauga.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Port-C...:
Masonic Temple
(c. 1845) 47 Port Street
One of the most important influences on Port Credit’s social and religious development was the introduction of Methodism. The primary leaders in the Methodist movement were Rev. Peter Jones, a Mississauga chief of Welsh and Native heritage, his brother John, and Egerton Ryerson, who would eventually establish Ontario’s public school system. The Jones brothers began preaching, in 1826, to the Native Mississaugas, who erected a shelter to serve as a chapel and a school. In 1828, the church was rebuilt as a log mission house, and then in the mid-1840s a new lime and lumber building was constructed on Lakeshore Road. In 1894, this building was moved to its present location where it was used as a community hall. The local Masonic lodge bought and renovated the building in 1915.
"Brother George Washington, Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, first President of the United States, and member of Alexandria Lodge (Fairfax County, Virginia), shows his Masonic Apron to Brother Benjamin Franklin, diplomat who negotiated French involvement in our independence, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and Master of Loge Les Neuf Soeurs in Paris. It was a gift from Brother General Lafayette, member of the Loge Contrat Social of Paris, who represented the French government and their commitment to American independence.
Sculpted by James West and donated to Our Country and Our Brothers."
Our town's Masonic Temple with light trails early one morning. The door in the centre leads to the actual temple upstairs. There are shops below, and I believe there always have been, even in the early days. There is a pet store and a bowling alley on the left and right sides, respectively. Trees on our main street are lit all year.
© AnvilcloudPhotography