The Masonic Temple of Des Moines is a historic

Beaux Arts style Beaux-Arts architecture ( , ) was the academic architectural style taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, particularly from the 1830s to the end of the 19th century. It drew upon the principles of French neoclassicism, but also incorpora ...

building located in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

. Constructed in 1913, 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 ...

(NRHP) in 1997 (under the name "Masonic Temple of Des Moines"). It was designed by the Des Moines-based architectural firm

Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson Proudfoot & Bird was an American architectural firm that designed many buildings throughout the Midwest region of the United States. Originally established in 1882, it remains active through its several successors, and since 2017 has been known as ...

. The building was listed on the NRHP for its architecture, as part of a 1988 multiple property submission. It was then one of 25 known surviving Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson buildings in Des Moines and is one of two known lodge buildings designed by the firm. As originally constructed, the building consisted of retail and office spaces on the first three floors, with Masonic meeting rooms on the fourth floor. In 2001 the Masons vacated their rooms on the fourth floor, which were converted into a venue for performing arts, culture entertainment and learning, billed as the Temple for Performing Arts.

References

Clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa Buildings and structures in Des Moines, Iowa Beaux-Arts architecture in Iowa Masonic buildings completed in 1913 Former Masonic buildings in Iowa National Register of Historic Places in Des Moines, Iowa 1913 establishments in Iowa {{DesMoinesIA-stub