The Nevadaville Masonic Temple is the Masonic lodge building in the

ghost town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * Ghost Town (1936 film), ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * Ghost Town (1956 film), ''Ghost Town'' ...

Nevadaville, Colorado Nevadaville was a gold-mining town in Gilpin County, Colorado, United States. It was also known in the 1860s and 1870s as Nevada City. The post office at Nevadaville was called the Bald Mountain post office, to avoid confusion with other Nevadas ...

, just outside of

Central City, Colorado The historic City of Central, commonly known as Central City, is a home rule municipality located in Gilpin and Clear Creek counties, Colorado, United States. Central City is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Gilpin County. ...

History

The building has served and continues to serve one lodge of

Freemasons 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 ...

, that of Nevada Lodge No. 4 A.F. & A.M. The lodge was founded by several Masons, with Andrew Mason, one of the early settlers of the American Midwest in search of gold, serving as the lodge's first

Worshipful Master In Craft Freemasonry, sometimes known as Blue Lodge Freemasonry, every Masonic lodge elects or appoints Masonic lodge officers to execute the necessary functions of the lodge's life and work. The precise list of such offices may vary between the j ...

. Nevada Lodge No. 4 was originally granted dispensation as Nevada Lodge U.D. (also called Nevada Lodge No. 36) in the

Kansas Territory The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the Slave and ...

by the

Grand Lodge of Kansas The Grand Lodge of Kansas Ancient Free & Accepted Masons is the governing body that supervise Freemasonry in the U.S. state of Kansas. The Grand Lodge of Kansas is headquartered in Emporia, Kansas. History In 1854, three Wyandot Indians and five ...

on December 22, 1860. When the Kansas Territory became the

Colorado Territory The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado. The territory was organized in the w ...

in 1861, the Grand Lodge of Colorado was formed, and chartered Nevada Lodge No. 4 by Rev.

John Chivington John Milton Chivington (January 27, 1821 – October 4, 1894) was an American Methodist pastor and Mason who served as a colonel in the United States Volunteers during the New Mexico Campaign of the American Civil War. He led a rear action ...

, the first Grand Master of Colorado Masons. The lodge originally met in an upper room of the Ira H. Morton building in Nevadaville (then called Nevada City) until the town burned in September 1861. Following this the lodge purchased two lots on Main Street (now Nevadaville Road) to build their new building. The entire building cost $7,140, and is credited to M. S. Burhans as the contractor. They also purchased the lot of the former lodge building, which then housed the Order of Red Men. The ground floor of the new Masonic Hall had rental space for shops (such as a meat market and a barbershop), and the upper story contains the 22 foot by 45 foot lodge room along with the Tiler's room and preparation room; the remainder of the second floor was for offices and sleeping quarters. The exterior is primarily load-bearing stone, with a cast-iron storefront. After the turn of the century the population of Nevadaville began to decline, owing to a gold boom in

Leadville, Colorado The City of Leadville is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Statutory city, statutory city that is the county seat, the most populous community, and the only List of municipalities in Colorado, incorporated municipality in Lake County, Colorad ...

and elsewhere. Nevadaville practically became a ghost town during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The Nevada Lodge No. 4 ceased using the building, and began to meet in the Central City Masonic Hall, which was final by July 1942. In June 1965 the brethren of Nevada Lodge No. 4 entertained the idea of holding regular lodge meetings once again in the building in Nevadaville, with the purpose of raising funds for restoring the building.Lodge History - Nevada Lodge No. 4: History
The Nevadaville Masonic Temple is still actively used by the lodge members, who continue to restore the building. Nevadaville Lodge Room

References

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External links

Nevada Lodge No. 4
Buildings and structures in Gilpin County, Colorado Masonic buildings in Colorado