The Quincy Masonic Temple was a historic Masonic temple at 1170 Hancock Street,

Quincy, Massachusetts Quincy ( ) is a coastal U.S. city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county and a part of Greater Boston, Metropolitan Boston as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in 2020 was 1 ...

. It was built in 1926 and added to 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 v ...

in 1989. The building was home to three "Blue" Masonic Lodges, two Appendant Bodies:

York Rite The York Rite, sometimes referred to as the American Rite, is one of several Rites of Freemasonry. It is named for, but not practiced in York, Yorkshire, England. A Rite is a series of progressive degrees that are conferred by various Masonic ...

Grotto A grotto is a natural or artificial cave used by humans in both modern times and antiquity, and historically or prehistorically. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high ti ...

, and two Youth Groups:

DeMolay DeMolay International is an international fraternal organization for young men ages 12 to 21. It was founded in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1919 and named for Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar. DeMolay was incorporat ...

and Rainbow. Rural Lodge was founded in 1801. Macedonian Lodge was founded in 1892. Milton Lodge was founded in 1922.

Architectural significance

The Quincy Masonic Temple was an outstanding example of a Neoclassical building. It had three floors, which included a theater/ballroom, three separate lodge rooms, elaborate ante-rooms, and an oak-paneled library. The imposing main entrance is set on a high basement of regular

ashlar Ashlar () is finely dressed (cut, worked) stone, either an individual stone that has been worked until squared, or a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, generally rectangular cuboid, mentioned by Vitruv ...

blocks, with a flat roof hidden by a shaped parapet. Dominating the facade is a projecting pavilion composed of four giant Ionic columns in antis supporting an architrave replete with

Masonic symbols Masonic ritual is the scripted words and actions that are spoken or performed during the degree work in a Masonic lodge. Masonic symbolism is that which is used to illustrate the principles which Freemasonry espouses. Masonic ritual has appeared ...

. A large cascade of steps leading up to the main entrance is flanked by metal tripod tables each on a base decorated with a griffin on a terracotta plaque. The main lobby was remarkable for its Egyptian styling, featuring battered entranceways, papyrus ornaments and sphinxes. This lead via two sets of doors to the large Main Lodge room, which was used for Rural Lodge meetings and other large events, and featured neoclassical furniture and furnishings and a classical landscape fresco signed by the artist, Carroll Bill. The architects, J. Williams Beal, Sons, designed other nearby landmark buildings in downtown Quincy, including the Art Deco Granite Trust, The Patriot Ledger Building and the neo-Gothic Bethany Congregational Church which is adjacent to the Richardson Thomas Crane Public Library. The organ was a regularly used and fully working EM Skinner opus 661 of 1927, with 470 pipes. The building was infrequently open to the public, but visitors were invited to see the building interior at two annual open houses. . Quincy Masonic Temple during Blizzard Nemo 2013

Quincy Masonic Temple during Blizzard Nemo 2013

The building was heavily damaged during a 4-alarm fire which occurred on September 30, 2013 after insulation caught fire while employees were working on a basement heat line. Most of the structure's interior and contents were destroyed, but the building's Longleaf Pine and

Douglas Fir The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three va ...

joists were able to be salvaged and recycled into flooring. The joist lumber was originally purchased from the Geo. McQuesten Company of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

.Only the front façade of the building remains. It is hoped the entrance and facade will be preserved and incorporated into any future redevelopment of the site.

References

External links

Rural Lodge Official WebpageMilton Lodge Official WebpageMacedonianlodge.org Webpage
Masonic Temple Quincy MA 02

{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts Neoclassical architecture in Massachusetts Masonic buildings completed in 1926 Masonic buildings in Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Quincy, Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Quincy, Massachusetts

Architectural significance

See also

References

External links