The Masonic Temple Building, located at 217 South Capitol Avenue in

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, making ...

, is a former Masonic building constructed in 1924. It 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 v ...

in 1980.Michigan State Historic Site

History

Lansing's Masonic community was established in 1849. They constructed their first temple at the turn of the twentieth century, and constructed this much larger one in 1924. The building was designed by Lansing architect Edwyn A. Bowd. The building was purchased by

Cooley Law School Western Michigan University Cooley Law School ("Cooley") is a private law school in Lansing, Michigan and Riverview, Florida. It was established in 1972. At its peak in 2010, Cooley had over 3,900 students and was the largest US law school by enr ...

in 1974. They continued to use the building until 2008, and put it up for sale in 2014.

Description

The former Lansing Masonic Temple is a seven-story,

Classical Revival Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing style ...

structure clad with limestone in the front and buff-colored brick on the sides and rear. The main facade has a lower basement containing a recessed entry, above which is a pedimented, antae-decorated block.

Anthemion The palmette is a motif in decorative art which, in its most characteristic expression, resembles the fan-shaped leaves of a palm tree. It has a far-reaching history, originating in ancient Egypt with a subsequent development through the art o ...

and acroterion motifs are repeated along the roofline and metal grills in the pediment frieze. The temple's interior was extensively altered by Cooley Law School to house classrooms and offices.

History

Description

References

See also