The Scottish Rite Temple in

Guthrie, Oklahoma Guthrie is a city and county seat in Logan County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City Metroplex. The population was 10,191 at the 2010 census, a 2.7 percent increase from the figure of 9,925 in the 2000 census. First kno ...

, is a

Masonic temple A Masonic Temple or Masonic Hall is, within Freemasonry, the room or edifice where a Masonic Lodge meets. Masonic Temple may also refer to an abstract spiritual goal and the conceptual ritualistic space of a meeting. Development and history In ...

that serves as the home of the

Scottish Rite The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction in the United States often omits the ''and'', while the English Constitution in the United Kingdom omits the ''Scottish''), commonly known as simply the Sco ...

in the Guthrie Valley, Oklahoma Orient, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, Southern Jurisdiction, U.S.A. This is actually a complex consisting of two buildings on a plot of ground on Oklahoma Avenue in downtown Guthrie that was originally named Capitol Park.

NRHP Assessment

The Scottish Rite Temple of Guthrie is architecturally and historically significant because it is one of the best examples of large scale, Neo-Classical Revival style in Oklahoma; it is the largest, most elaborately designed and constructed Masonic Temple in the state; and because of its importance historically to the Masonic fraternal organization in Oklahoma.

Also "it has been recognized as the center of state-level Masonic activities since 1923, when first used even before completion. It is ... the site of the Mason's statewide functions. ... "

Description

Original building and park

The original building in this complex, now named the East Annex, was constructed in 1908 by the city of Guthrie and called Convention Hall. It was intended as the meeting place for the Oklahoma State Legislature. It was a rectangular brick structure with two two-story wings flanking a two-story atrium having a gallery promenade. A basement completed the internal space. The East Annex was used for one regular session of the Legislature in 1909 and one special session in 1910. After the Legislature agreed to move the state capital from Guthrie to Oklahoma City in 1910, the city of Guthrie offered to sell the Convention Hall complex, including Capitol Park, to the Scottish Rite Masons, who wanted to construct a temple in Guthrie. A deal was concluded with the Parr & Hawk, an Oklahoma City architectural firm, to design the western building (designated as the Temple), and the James Stewart Construction Company began construction in May 1920. It is "one of the world's largest Masonic Centers". The building was designed by architects and built in 1919 in

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 ...

style. It was listed on the U.S.

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 1987. From the NRHP nom: It is located at 900 E. Oklahoma in Guthrie. There is a museum, the Guthrie Scottish Rite Museum, there.

References

Clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Oklahoma Masonic buildings in Oklahoma Neoclassical architecture in Oklahoma Masonic buildings completed in 1919 Residential buildings completed in 1919 Buildings and structures in Logan County, Oklahoma Guthrie, Oklahoma National Register of Historic Places in Logan County, Oklahoma 1919 establishments in Oklahoma {{Freemasonry-stub