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The Masonic Temple is a historic
Masonic
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
building in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
. Located at 1 North Broad Street, directly across from
Philadelphia City Hall
Philadelphia City Hall is the seat of the municipal government of the City of Philadelphia. Built in the ornate Second Empire style, City Hall houses the chambers of the Philadelphia City Council and the offices of the Mayor of Philadelphia. ...
, it serves as the headquarters of the
Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, Free and Accepted Masons. The Temple features the Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania, and receives thousands of visitors every year to view the ornate structure, which includes seven lodge rooms, where today a number of Philadelphia lodges and the Grand Lodge conduct their meetings.
The Temple was designed in the medieval
Norman style by
James H. Windrim, who was 27 years old at the time he won the design competition.
The massive granite cornerstone, weighing ten tons, was leveled on St. John the Baptist's Day, June 24, 1868. The ceremonial gavel used on that day by Grand Master
Richard Vaux was the same gavel used by President
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...
in leveling the cornerstone of the nation's Capitol building in 1793.
The construction was completed five years later, in 1873. The interior, designed by
George Herzog, was begun in 1887 and took another fifteen years to finish.
The bold and elaborate elevations on Broad and Filbert Streets, especially the beautiful portico of Quincy granite, make it one of the great architectural wonders of Philadelphia. The exterior stone of the building on Broad and Filbert Streets is Cape Ann
Syenite from Syne in Upper Egypt.
[Masonic Temple: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Publ. by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.]
On May 27, 1971, the Temple was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
.
It was designated a
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 1985. It was cited in its landmark designation as one of the nation's most elaborate examples of Masonic architecture.
Gallery
Image:Loggia-22.jpg, The cornerstone
File:Masonic Temple Philadelphia front facade.jpg, Front facade
File:Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, PA - DSC06820.jpg, Entrance
File:Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.jpg, South facade
File:Masonic Temple NHL.jpg, National Historic Landmark Plaque
Image:Loggia-01.jpg
Image:Loggia-02.jpg
Image:Loggia-03.jpg
Image:Loggia-04.jpg
Image:Loggia-05.jpg
Image:Loggia-06.jpg
Image:Loggia-07.jpg
Image:Loggia-08.jpg
See also
*
James H. Windrim (architect of the Masonic Temple)
*
William Rush (sculptor)
William Rush (July 4, 1756 – January 17, 1833) was a U.S. neoclassical sculptor from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is considered the first major American sculptor. Rush was born in Philadelphia, the fourth child of Joseph Rush, a ship's carp ...
*
Joseph A. Bailly (sculptor)
*
List of National Historic Landmarks in Philadelphia
There are 67 National Historic Landmarks within Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
See also the List of National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania, which covers the 102 landmarks in the rest of the state.
Current listings
...
*
References
External links
Philadelphia Masonic Temple WebsiteListing and photographs
at the Historic American Buildings Survey
Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...
Listing
at Philadelphia Architects and Buildings
{{National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Philadelphia
Masonic buildings completed in 1873
National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania
Masonic buildings in Pennsylvania
Museums in Philadelphia
Masonic museums in the United States
Pennsylvania state historical marker significations
Market East, Philadelphia