Albion Masonic Temple

Located at 28 North 8th Street, Albion’s Masonic Temple is the home of Albion Chapter No. 237 whose convocations are held on the third Monday evening of each month.

The image to the left comes to us through the courtesy of Excellent Companion Earl W. Knight, Grand Master of the First Veil.

Bloomington Masonic Temple

Chicago – Jefferson Park Masonic Temple

Located at 5418 West Gale Street, the Jefferson Park Masonic Temple has been home to LaFayette Chapter No. 2 since December 2006. The cornerstone was laid 13 September 1912, and the temple was dedicated 4 January 1913.[1] Fellowship Chapter No. 235 met there until that chapter’s merger into Irving Park Chapter No. 195 on 17 January 1964.

Click here to see the exterior of Jefferson Park Masonic Temple.

[1] See Bruce Barnes, ed., “History and Rededication of Jefferson Masonic Temple,” The Hesperian (Chicago), vol. 70, no. 3 (July 2005): 1, 16.

Chicago – Scottish Rite Cathedral (in memoriam)

The cathedral was a complex of individual, yet abutting and interconnected, buildings facing Walton Place, Dearborn Street, and Delaware Place, all owned by the Scottish Rite Valley of Chicago. While the most prominent of the buildings was the limestone church at 935 North Dearborn Street [n.s.] (originally 235 Dearborn Avenue [o.s.]), the more significant building in the complex, from our perspective here, however, is the large structure built, and first occupied in 1905, by the Scottish Rite [2] in the centre of the block, adjoining the south side of the church, and accessing the street via a stone-faced corridor extension constructed in the vacated alleyway at 923 North Dearborn Street [n.s.] (originally 293-5 Dearborn Avenue [o.s.]).[3] The Valley’s so-called “Small Preceptory” occupied the third floor of this building in the centre of the block, and was the meeting place of LaFayette Chapter No. 2 until the complex was turned over to the property developers on 19 December 2006.[4]

Please click here for more images and information about the former Scottish Rite Cathedral.

[2] George W. Warvelle, LL.D., 33°, History of Scottish Rite Masonry in Chicago: From its introduction until the semi-centennial anniversary in the year 1907, Chicago: Oriental Consistory (1907): 38.

[9] American Guild of Organists, “Scottish Rite Cathedral, North Dearborn and West Walton Streets, Chicago, Illinois” The American Organist Magazine, date unknown: 3.

Decatur Masonic Temple

Located at 224 West Williams Street, Decatur’s Masonic Temple is the home of Macon Chapter No. 21 whose convocations are held on the third Thursday evening of each month. Click here to visit the Chapter’s website.

The image to the left, depicting the chapter hall, outfitted for the conferral of the Most Excellent Master degree, comes to us through the courtesy of Right Excellent Companion Richard E. Yena, Deputy Grand High Priest.

Please click here to see the temple’s other hall, configured for the Supreme Degree of Holy Royal Arch Freemason.

Please click here for our page featuring the exterior of the Decatur Masonic Temple.

Downers Grove Masonic Temple

Located at 923 Curtiss Street, the Downers Grove Masonic Temple is the home of West Suburban Chapter No. 207 whose convocations are held on the First Monday of the month in October through June, and the third Monday in September; the chapter is dark in July and August.

Evanston Masonic Temple

Located at 1453 Maple Avenue, the Evanston Masonic Temple is home to Evanston Chapter No. 144 whose convocations are held on the first Monday evening of each month.

The 1928 temple was designed by world-famous architect, the late Companion John A. Holabird, and replaced a previous temple built on the same site in 1889. Please click here for images of the exterior of Evanston Masonic Temple.

Hinsdale Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)

Located at 40 South Washington Street, the Hinsdale Masonic Temple was the home of Hinsdale Chapter No. 278 until its 1966 merger into Grove Chapter No. 230 in Downers Grove.

The middle and lower photographs to the left are from 1926 and 1930, respectively.  All three images come to us through the courtesy of Excellent Companion Paul A. Scheeler, High Priest of LaFayette Chapter No. 2 in Chicago, and Past Master of Hinsdale Lodge No. 934, A.F.&A.M.

Please click here for images of the exterior of Hinsdale Masonic Temple.