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Aledo’s 1910 Masonic temple (no chapter at present)
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Constructed on the town square at
101 Southwest 3rd Street
in 1910, Aledo's Masonic temple was the home of
Cyrus Chapter No. 211.
See
Aledo Lodge No. 252: "150 Years of Community Service".
The first photograph to the left was captured by
Flickr contributor Tourismguy (Bruce Wicks).
The second photograph is from
Google Streetview.
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Alton’s (Upper Alton’s) Franklin Masonic Temple

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Located at
1513 Washington Avenue,
in what was formerly Upper Alton,
Franklin Masonic Temple (named for Franklin Lodge No. 25) is the home of
Franklin Chapter No. 8, whose
convocations are held on the third
Wednesday in January, April, July, & October, at 7:30 p.m.
The images to the left were captured by
Google Streetview.
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Alton’s old Masonic temple (no chapter at present)

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Constructed in 1918, at
300 State Street,
in the city's
Christian Hill Historic District,
this is the former home of
Franklin Chapter No. 8, who now meet at
1513 Washington Avenue.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The old structure is now home to
Temple Banquet Centre and Spirits Lounge,
and is No. 78001165 on the
National Register of Historic Places.
The first image was captured by Flickr contributor, Seth Gaines.
Click here to see Mr. Gaines' extraordinary portfolio.
The second image is from a postcard, courtesy of the
Illinois Lodge of Research’s Louis L. Williams Masonic Library.
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Arcola’s 1895 former Masonic temple
(no chapter at present)
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Constructed on the
the south side of the 200 block of East Main Street
in 1895, Arcola's former Masonic temple featured a lodge/chapter hall on
the third storey. It was the home of
Arcola Chapter No. 163.
Arcola's Masonic organisations moved directly across the street to
213½ East Main Street.
The first photograph to the left was
captured by
Flickr contributor Tourismguy (Bruce Wicks). The second image
is a close-up form the same photograph.
The third image is a satellite view from
Google Maps. Note the prominent impression of the
chapter/lodge hall in the roof structure.
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Auburn Masonic temple
(no chapter at present)
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Constructed in 1913 at
217 North 5th Street,
Auburn's Masonic Temple was the home of
Auburn Chapter No. 92,
from that time until the chapter merged into
Springfield Chapter No. 1, of
Springfield, on 3 January 1951.
The photographs to the left come to us from
Facebook site, "Historic Masonic Lodges and Temples (A Photo Tour)". |
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Aurora’s current Masonic Temple

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Located at
1513 Washington Avenue,
Aurora's current Masonic Temple is home to
Aurora Chapter No. 22,
who meet on the third Wednesday of January, April, July, and October, at 7:30 p.m.
The image to the left was captured Google Streetview.
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Aurora’s former Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Aurora’s abandoned Masonic Temple, located at
104 South Lincoln Avenue,
was home to
Aurora Chapter No. 22.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The chapter now meet at
Aurora's new Masonic Temple,
on the third Wednesday of January, April, July, and October, at 7:30 p.m.
The second photograph was taken by
Waymarking user BruceS. |
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Beardstown’s former Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Beardstown's former Masonic Temple, located at the
east corner of South State Street and East 6th Street,
was home to
Clarke Chapter No. 29.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The cornerstone was laid on 3 September 1920, and the temple was dedicated on 14 September 1921.
Clarke Chapter merged into
Lusk Chapter No. 20 on
28 July 2006.
The second photograph is a postcard of the then-new temple,
produced by
Curt Teich & Co.
and is available from the
Illinois Digital Archive. |
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Belleville Masonic Temple

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Located at
225 East A Street,
the Belleville Masonic Temple is home to
Belleville Chapter No. 106, who meet on the second Wednesday of each month.
The first image was captured by Flickr contributor, Courtney Chesley.
Click here to see Ms. Chesley's portfolio.
The second image is from a postcard, courtesy of the
Illinois Lodge of Research’s Louis L. Williams Masonic Library.
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Belvidere Masonic Temple (no chapter at present) |
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Belvidere's Masonic temple,
located at
107 West Lincoln Avenue,
began life as the First National Bank Building and predates the 3 April 1911 purchase by
Belvidere Lodge No. 60
of the second and third storeys for US$4,000. The lodge spent another US$10,000
to remodel the building before it was dedicated on 11 April 1912.
See
History of Belvidere Lodge No. 60.
Kishwaukee Chapter No. 90 purchased a
life lease of the lodge room from
Belvidere Lodge
for US$3,000 on 20 May 1912.
Ibid.
The chapter merged into
Winnebago Chapter No. 24 of
Loves Park on 27 July 2001.
The combined chapter subsequently removed to
Rockford.
The first image comes to us from
Belvidere Lodge No. 60.
The second image was captured by
Google Streetview. |
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Bement Masonic Temple
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Located at
151 East Bodman Street,
Bement Masonic Temple is the home of
Bement Chapter No. 65, whose convocations are held on the second Monday
of each month at 8:30 p.m.
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview.
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Bloomington Masonic Temple



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Located at
302 East Jefferson Street,
the temple is the home of
Bloomington Chapter No. 26 whose convocations are held on
the third Wednesday evening of each month.
Please click here for images of Bloomington Chapter’s hall (known as the “Gold Room”) in the Bloomington Scottish Rite
Cathedral.
The first image comes courtesy of the
Scottish Rite Valley of Bloomington.
The second image is from a postcard, courtesy of the
Illinois Lodge of Research’s Louis L. Williams Masonic Library.
The third and fourth photographs were captured by
Companion David Miley on 21 September 2008.
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Blue Island’s former Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Blue Island's former Masonic Temple, located at the
12750 South Western Avenue,
was home to
Fairview Chapter No. 161 and
Calumet Chapter No. 203.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Notice the columns and archway, capped with a keystone. Difficult to see
in these photographs are the square & compasses on the base of each
column, and the Mark of Hiram on keystone.
Fairview Chapter No. 161 merged into
Calumet Chapter No. 203
on 12 March 1975. The combined chapter subsequently merged into
Logan Chapter No. 196 of
Oak Lawn on 13 June 1983.
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Bridgeport Masonic Temple
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Located at
201 Washington Street,
Bridgeport’s Masonic Temple has been the home of
Henry Godeke Chapter No. 38
since the chapter removed from the
Olney Masonic Temple on 25 May 2008.
Henry Godeke Chapter’s convocations are held on the fourth Monday evening of each month.
Click here to visit the chapter’s website.
The imagery to the left come to us through the courtesy of the
Bridgeport York Rite bodies. |
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Cahokia Masonic Temple
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Located at
815 Water Street,
Cahokia Masonic Temple is the home of
Cahokia Chapter No. 156, whose convocations are held on the third Wednesday
of each month at 7:00 p.m., apart from July and August when the chapter is dark.
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview.
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Cairo Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)

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Located at
900 Poplar Court,
Cairo Masonic Temple was the home of
Cairo Chapter No. 71 who surrendered their charter on
16 July 1999.
The image to the left was captured by
Flickr user Eridony.
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Canton’s current Masonic Temple

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Located at
1165 North Main Street,
Canton Masonic Temple is the home of
Eureka Chapter No. 98, whose convocations are held on the
first Wednesday
of each month at 7:30 p.m.
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview.
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Canton’s former Masonic Temple & opera house (no chapter at present)
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Straight down Main Street from the town's current Masonic Temple, one can find
Canton's former Masonic Temple and opera house, at
45 East Side Square.
The building now houses offices and is known as Opera House Professional Center.
The image to the left was posted by
Waymarking
user
gladtobehere
and published by
Waymarking
user
Math Teacher.
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Carlinville Masonic Temple
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Located at
257 North Broad Street,
Carlinville Masonic Temple is the home of
Macoupin Chapter No. 187, whose convocations are held on the
Monday evening of each month, at 7:30 p.m.
The images to the left were captured by
Google Streetview.
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Carthage’s 1925 Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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The cornerstone of Carthage's current Masonic Temple, was laid in 1925 at
700 Main Street.
This temple was home to
Carthage Chapter No. 33.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The chapter merged into
LaHarpe Chapter No. 111 of
LaHarpe
on 14 January 1956.
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Carthage’s 1887 former Masonic temple (no chapter at present)
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Carthage's former temple, located at
73 South Adams Street,
was constructed in 1887 by
N.P. McKee and
Hancock Lodge No. 20.
This temple was home to
Carthage Chapter No. 33 until 1924 when a three-alarm
destroyed most of the interior and necessitated extensive
exterior reconstruction as well.
Mississippi Valley Telephone
purchased the building's remains that year and rebuilt it without architect
George W. Payne's
original arched windows and pyramidal roof. Carthage's Masonic bodies built
a new, larger temple in the following year.
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Cary Masonic Temple
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Located at
28 South Northwest Highway,
Cary Masonic Temple is the home of
Cary-Grove Chapter No. 36, whose convocations are held on the
first Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m.
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview.
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Centralia Masonic Temple
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Located at
203 South Poplar Street,
Centralia Masonic Temple is the home of
Centralia Chapter No. 93
whose convocations are held on the second Tuesday in January, June, & October.
The image is from a postcard, courtesy of the
Illinois Lodge of Research’s Louis L. Williams Masonic Library.
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Champaign’s 1912 Masonic Temple (in memoriam)

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Constructed in 1912 at
109½ North Neil Street,
Champaign's former downtown Masonic Temple was the home of
Champaign Chapter No. 50 whose convocations are held on
the first Wednesday evening of each month in
Champaign's current temple, built sixty years later.
The Neil Street site is now a parking lot.
The first image is from a postcard, courtesy of the
Illinois Lodge of Research’s Louis L. Williams Masonic Library.
The second photograph depicts the building's cornerstone, now displayed in front of
Champaign's current Masonic Temple, and was captured by
Companion David Miley on 14 September 2008. |
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Champaign’s 1972 Masonic Temple


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Located at
14 Bel Air Court,
Champaign's Masonic Temple is the home of
Champaign Chapter No. 50
whose convocations are held on the first Wednesday evening of each month.
These photographs were captured by Companion David Miley on 14 September 2008. |
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Chicago – American Merchants’ United Express Co. Building (in memoriam)
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The upper floors of the American Express Building at
72-74-76-78 Monroe Street [o.s.] (23 to 33 West Monroe Street [n.s.])
were a Masonic temple complex of
several halls and allied rooms,
one or two of which were home to
La Fayette Chapter No. 2, and
Wiley M. Egan Chapter No. 126.
Designed by Henry Hobson Richardson for the American Express Company
(f/k/a American Merchants’ Union Express Company), the building was
constructed in 1872 in the aftermath of the
Great Fire of 1871.
Each of the four halls boasted lavish ornamentation, murals, detailed mouldings, and powerful pipe organs. One
of the halls featured what may have been the first horse-shoe balcony in a Freemason hall in the United States.
Despite being equipped with a 4,000-gallon reservoir in its attic, and a basement steam pump capable of propelling
water fifty feet above the roof, building was gutted by fire on 17 June 1930.
Please click here for more details and cited references.
Please click here to see the interior.
La Fayette Chapter’s monthly convocations are now held on the fourth Tuesday evening of each month at
Jefferson Park Masonic Temple.
Click here to visit the chapter’s website.
The photograph on the left depicts the exterior of the American Express Building dressed for the
1910 Triennial Conclave of the
Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the U.S.A. See the reflection of the
Majestic Building’s distinctive terra cotta lower walls in the American Express Building’s windows.
Photo courtesy of Apollo Commandery No. 1, Knights Templar.
Click here to see ninety
more photographs of Chicago hosting the 1910 Triennial Conclave. |
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Chicago – Auburn Park Masonic Temple (no chapter at present) |
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The former Auburn Park Masonic Temple, located at
7832 South Union Avenue, in Chicago,
was the home of
Chicago Chapter No. 127,
later relocated to
Evergreen Park and renamed
United Chapter No. 127, and
before merging into
Logan Chapter No. 196 of
Oak Lawn on 14 January 1988.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The former temple is now a charter high school, the
Community Youth Development Institute.
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview. |
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Chicago – Central Masonic Temple (in memoriam)
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The cornerstone of the Central Masonic Temple formerly located at
912 North LaSalle Drive
was laid 14 October 1909 by the
Grand Master of Illinois,
Most Worshipful Brother A. B. Ashley, following a grand parade to the site.
The temple was home to
Corinthian Chapter No. 2,
Wiley M. Eagan Chapter No. 126,
Lincoln Park Chapter No. 177, and
Saint Cecilia Chapter No. 220.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Wiley M. Eagan Chapter merged into Corinthian Chapter who reassumed their
former name, La Fayette Chapter No. 2.
They currently meet on the fourth Tuesday evening of each month at
Jefferson Park Masonic Temple.
Click here to visit the chapter’s website
St. Cecilia Chapter merged into Lincoln Park Chapter, who now meet at
Mont Clare Masonic Temple.
Please click here to see the interior.
The second photograph shows the cornerstone ready for its laying on 14 October 1909.
Click
here for more photographs of the laying ceremony and the procession thereto.
The third photograph was taken during construction in early 1910. |
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Chicago – Corinthian Hall (in memoriam)
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Formerly located at
185 to 189 East [o.s.] 56 West [n.s.] Kinzie Street,
Corinthian Hall was home to
Corinthian Chapter No. 69.
Please click here to see interior photographs of the interior of Corinthian Hall.
To the left is a woodcut depicting a westward view along the Chicago River, South Water Street (now Wacker Drive) and Kinzie Street, from
Rand McNally's 1893 Bird's-Eye Views and Guide to Chicago.
Corinthian Hall is in the upper right corner, at the northwest corner of the intersection of Kinzie and Dearborn Streets. Dearborn is identified by the second bridge from the top (west).
The webmaster is attempting to secure a photograph or more detailed
drawing of Corinthian Hall's exterior. If you have images of this long lost building, please
email them to the webmaster.
Thank you. |
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Chicago – Grand Crossing Masonic Temple (no legitimate chapters at present)
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Located at
7439 South Ingleside Avenue,
Grand Crossing Temple was home to ... wait for it ...
Grand Crossing Chapter No. 219.
The chapter merged into
Pullman Chapter No. 204, at
Pullman Masonic Temple,
on 17 November 1959.
The temple is now the headquarters of a
clandestine grand lodge.
The image the left was captured by
Google Streetview. |
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Chicago – 1912 Jefferson Park Masonic Temple


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Constructed in 1912 at
5418 West Gale Street,
Jefferson Park Masonic Temple has been home to
La Fayette Chapter No. 2 since the chapter’s
removal from the
Chicago Scottish Rite Cathedral in 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.
La Fayette Chapter’s monthly convocations are held on the fourth Tuesday evening of each month.
Click here to visit the chapter’s website.
Please click here for images of La Fayette Chapter’s hall in Jefferson Park Masonic Temple.
The mid-construction photograph and the blueprints, both shown to the left, come to us through the courtesy of
Hesperia Lodge No. 411,
A.F.&A.M.
[1]
See Bruce Barnes, ed.,
“History and Rededication of Jefferson Masonic Temple,” The Hesperian (Chicago), vol. 70, no. 3 (July 2005): 1, 16. See also
Edward E. Gaunt, A Historical Account of the First 100
Years of Providence Lodge No. 711, A.F.&A.M., (date unknown [c. 1968?]).
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Chicago – Logan Square Masonic Temple (no chapter at present) |
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Located at
2451 North Kedzie Avenue,
in Chicago's
Logan Square neighbourhood, this temple was home to
Logan Square Chapter No. 238.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Logan Square Chapter merged into
Lincoln Park Chapter No. 177
who now meet at
Mont Clare Masonic Temple.
The former Logan Square Masonic Temple is now known as Armitage Baptist Church.
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Chicago – Masonic Temple (in memoriam) |
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The upper floors of the Chicago Masonic Temple at
47-59 State Street [o.s.] (151 to 167 North State Street [n.s.])
were a Masonic temple complex of several halls and allied rooms, one of which was home to
Washington Chapter No. 43.
The twenty-two storey building, designed by
John Wellborn Root of
Burnham and Root, was constructed in
1892. Below the Masonic floors were offices.
The lower nine floors featured shops surrounding an open court. The lodge halls served also as theatres,
but the building's elevators, barely sufficient for daily commercial activity, were woefully inadequate for the theatre crowds.
The building, with its lacklustre utility services and elevators, struggled to retain commercial tenants. The building's death knell
was the
construction of the State Street subway
(now part of the
Red Line), which would have
necessitated prohibitively expensive upgrades to the structure's foundation. Consequently, the temple was razed in 1939.
Please click here to see Washington Chapter's insurance policy for their
furnishings at this temple, dated 7 January 1903.
The photograph on the left depicts the exteriors of
the Chicago Masonic Temple and its neighbour to the south, Marshall Field & Company, dressed for the
1910 Triennial Conclave of the
Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the U.S.A.
Click here to see ninety
more photographs of Chicago hosting the 1910 Triennial Conclave. |
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Chicago – Mont Clare Masonic Temple
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Located at
6910 West Grand Avenue,
Mont Clare Masonic Temple is the home of
Irving Park Chapter No. 195
whose convocations are held on the second Tuesday evening of each month, less July and August when the chapter is dark.
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Chicago – Myrtle Masonic Temple (no chapter at present) |
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Located at
4240 West Irving Park Road,
in Chicago's
Old Irving Park neighbourhood,
Myrtle Masonic Temple was home to
Irving Park Chapter No. 195.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Lincoln Park Chapter No. 177 merged into
Irving Park Chapter in 1978.
The chapter, having readopted the Lincoln Park name and number in 2009, now meet at
Mont Clare Masonic Temple.
The former Irving Park Masonic Temple is now a church.
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Chicago – Oriental Hall (in memoriam)

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Formerly located at
122 [o.s.] 18 North [n.s.] LaSalle Street, in Chicago,
Oriental Hall was home to
Washington Chapter No. 43.
Please click here to see the interior of Oriental Hall.
Please click here to read Washington Chapter's 5 March 1878 letter to Oriental Lodge No. 33, inquiring about becoming a tenant.
The woodcut on the left depicts the exterior of Oriental Hall, circa 1873,
as it appeared in The Land Owner, Vol. 4, No. 10, Chicago: J. M. Wing (Oct. 1872), at 173.
Click on it to see a
high-resolution image.
The photograph on the left, from the archives of
Oriental Lodge No. 33,
depicts the exterior of Oriental Hall, sometime after the 1894 completion of
Louis Sullivan’s
Chicago Stock Exchange
(on the right edge of the image, immediately north of Oriental Hall on the other side of the
Calhoon Place alley, but prior to the 1909 demolition of the hall and the
LaSalle Building (left edge of the photo, abutting the hall to the south) to make room for
Holabird & Roche’s
Hotel LaSalle. Click on it to see a
high-resolution image.
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Chicago – Paul Revere Masonic Temple (no chapter at present) |
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The former
Paul Revere Masonic Temple,
located at
1521 West Wilson Avenue, in Chicago,
was the home of
Loyal Chapter No. 223.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Paul Revere Chapter No. 260
also resided in this temple until its 28 February 1935 merger into
Loyal Chapter.
Please click here for a history of the temple from its former owner,
Paul Revere Lodge No. 998, AF&AM.
Following the building's sale, Loyal Chapter formally removed to
Evanston
and became effectively dormant until being resurrected at
Franklin Park
on 17 July 2006. Having been renamed M.I.B. Red Chapter on 1 August 2008, the
chapter removed on 29 June 2012 to
Elmhurst where their convocations are held on the
third Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m..
The building is now a Buddhist temple, and is a mere block east of another former
Masonic temple at
4605 North Paulina Street.
The first image was captured by
Google Streetview,
and shows the structure in its current state.
The second image was taken by Robert W. Krueger in
1985, and is available from the
Chicago Public Library's digital collections. |
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Chicago – Pullman Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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This former temple was built by
Brother George Pullman
at
614 East 113th Street,
as part of his
eponymous company town.
It was home to
Pullman Chapter No. 204. See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Pullman Chapter merged into
Calumet Chapter No. 203 of
Blue Island
on 11 July 1975. The combined chapter then merged into
Logan Chapter No. 196 of
Oak Lawn
on 13 June 1983.
After years of neglect, the former temple is now the offices of the
Historic Pullman District Foundation.
The photograph on the left was captured by
Picasa user Bob Cafarelli (a/k/a Flickr user caferhead). |
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Chicago – Scottish Rite Cathedral (in memoriam)




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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. The most prominent of the buildings was the limestone church at
935 North Dearborn Street [n.s.] (235 Dearborn Avenue [o.s.]),
built by Collier’s Unity Church,[2]
an offshoot of the Unitarians,[3] beginning with the laying of its cornerstone on
29 August 1867, and later purchased by the Medinah Shriners on 30 April
1903.[4]
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[5] 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.] (293-5 Dearborn Avenue [o.s.]).[6] 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
La Fayette Chapter No. 2 from the 1960s until the complex was turned over to the property developers on 19 December
2006.[7] The structure was carefully razed over the course of several weeks in
September and October 2007;[8] care and precision were required in order not to
damage the surrounding structures.
Despite it having been constructed by the Scottish Rite, rather than a Holy Royal Arch chapter or other York Rite entity, notice the keystone design of the apex of
the west wall in the second photograph on the left. In later years, large ductwork obscured the view of the keystone shape.
Both buildings face Washington Square Park, popularly known in the early 20th Century as “Bughouse Square.”
[9]
The colourised postcard to the left depicts both Medinah Shriners’ church building and the Scottish Rite’s structure (albeit with the entrance to the latter
erroneously coloured as brick, rather than as its actual grey stone), sometime between 1905 and 1911, C.E. The monochromatic photograph of the Scottish Rite
structure and the 1891 George B. Carpenter mansion comes to us by the courtesy of the
Scottish Rite Valley of Chicago. The aerial or orbital photographs of the complex are copyright by
MapQuest and are used herein pursuant to the fair use doctrine. The areal photograph of the demolition
were captured by Companion Stanley W. Smith of La Fayette Chapter No. 2 on 13 September 2007. The ground-level
photographs were captured by Companion David A. Miley, also of La Fayette Chapter No. 2 on 15 September and 1 November 2007.
Please click here for our page about La Fayette Chapter’s hall in the former Scottish Rite Cathedral.
Please click here for more images and information about the former
Scottish Rite Cathedral.
[2] Sam Loiacono & Harry Strouse, eds., Scottish Rite Cathedral Tour, Valley
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois: Scottish Rite Valley of Chicago (2003): 1.
[3] Alphonse Cerza, 33°, A History of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite in
Illinois, 1846-1965, Bloomington, Illinois: Illinois Council of Deliberation (1966): 65-66.
[4] Id.
[5] 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.
[6] Id. at 19.
[7] Companion Gregory R. Klemm,
MEPGHP, 33°, “Scottish Rite - Valley of Chicago change of address” email message, Chicago:
Scottish Rite Valley of Chicago (12 Dec. 2006).
[8] Companion Stanley W. Smith
(La Fayette Chapter No. 2), email statement to
Companion David A. Miley (La Fayette Chapter No. 2), (17 Sep. 2007); Companions Stanley W.
Smith & David A. Miley (La Fayette Chapter No. 2), personal
observations and photographic records (17 Sep. - 1 Nov. 2007).
[9] Electronic
Encyclopaedia of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Historical
Society (n/k/a Chicago History Museum), at http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/
pages/178.html
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Chicago – United Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located 1.6 km (1 mile) due south of the
Scottish Rite Cathedral is the
Oriental Theatre Building, originally the Chicago United Masonic Temple,
at
32 West Randolph Street.
The temple was designed by prominent theatre architects
Cornelius W. Rapp and George L. Rapp,
and was built on the tragic site of the
ill-fated Iroquois Theatre.
When dedicated in 1926, the temple was the home of
La Fayette Chapter No. 2,
Wiley M. Egan Chapter No. 126,
Hyde Park Chapter No. 240, and
Temple Chapter No. 252. No
Masonic bodies meet there at present.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The first photograph on the left is a post card from the
Curt Teich Postcard Archives of the Lake County Discovery Museum.
The second photograph was captured by the Chicago Architectural
Photographing Company and is found among the
University of Illinois’ Northwest Architectural Archives (American Terra Cotta Company Photographs).
The tall, dark building, seen half a block to the east, is the
Daniel Burnham-designed
Masonic Temple Building (1892-1939).
The third image is the cover of the temple’s leather-bound dedication book, and is a part of the
archives of La Fayette Chapter No. 2.
The final image comes to us from
Planet99.com.
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Chicago – West Chicago Masonic Temple (no chapter at present) |
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Despite its somewhat confusing name, West Chicago Masonic Temple was not located in
West Chicago, but rather on the west side of the City of Chicago, at
12 South Oakley Boulevard [n.s.] (105 South Oakley Boulevard [o.s.]).
The temple was the home of
Washington Chapter No. 43,
Wiley M. Eagan Chapter No. 126, and
York Chapter No. 148,
when it opened in 1907. Wiley M. Egan Chapter removed nineteen years later to the
United Masonic Temple downtown.
All three of the chapters each gradually merged into what is now
La Fayette Chapter No. 2.
The temple is currently home to a church.
A formal cornerstone laying occurred on 2 November 1907, yet the northeast corner is bare of markings. Whether there is a ceremonial cornerstone elsewhere on the
structure is currently under investigation.
The photographs were captured by Companion David Miley.
The image of the commemorative fob image comes courtesy of Companion Paul A. Scheeler, Past High Priest of
La Fayette Chapter No. 2. Click on
the fob image to see an enlarged view of the reverse side shown;
click here to see an enlarged view of the obverse side. |
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Chicago – 1501 North Harding Avenue (no chapter at present) |
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The former Masonic temple located at
1501 North Harding Avenue, in Chicago,
was the home of
York Chapter No. 148, which later
merged into
Wiley M. Egan Chapter No. 126 on 21 June 1974.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The building is currently home to a Baptist church.
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview. |
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Chicago – 4605 North Paulina Street (no chapter at present) |
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The former Masonic temple located at
1501 North Harding Avenue, in Chicago,
was the home of
Columbia Chapter No. 202,
which later merged into Maine Chapter No. 257 of
Park Ridge;
the combined chapter merged into
Wilmette Chapter No. 253 of
Wilmette
on 10 December 1982.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The building currently houses the
American Indian Centre of Chicago,
and is only a block west of the former
Paul Revere Masonic Temple at 1521 West Wilson Avenue.
The images to the left were captured by
Google Streetview. |
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Chicago – 3900 North Damen Avenue (no chapter at present) |
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The former Masonic temple located at
3900 North Damen Avenue, in Chicago,
was the home of
Fort Dearborn Chapter No. 245.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Fort Dearborn Chapter merged into
Irving Park Chapter No. 195 on
23 July 1969. Irving Park Chapter, into which
Lincoln Park No. 177
had merged in 1978, restored that name and number on 31 July 2009, and is now located at Chicago's
Mont Clare Masonic Temple.
The interior space of this temple was reconfigured into loft apartments.
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview. |
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Chicago – 1350 West 103rd Street (no chapter at present) |
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This building, located at
1350 West 103rd Street, in Chicago,
was the home of
America Chapter No. 250.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
America Chapter removed to
Tinley Park before merging into
Blue Island Chapter No. 203
on 11 December 1975. The combined chapter merged into
Logan Chapter No. 196 of
Oak Lawn, on 13 June 1983.
The building currently houses the
Bowman Dairy Company and
Universal Family Connection.
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview. |
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Clinton Masonic Temple
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Located at
926 East Main Street,
Clinton's Masonic Temple is home to
Goodbrake Chapter No. 59,
whose convocations are held on the third Tuesday evening of each month.
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Collinsville Masonic Temple
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Erected in 1912 C.E. (2442 A.I.) at
213 West Clay Street,
Collinsville’s Masonic Temple is home to
Unity Chapter No. 182,
whose convocations are held on the second Friday evening of each month at 7:00 p.m., less July and August when the chapter is dark.
These photographs were captured by
Waymarking user BruceS.
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Danville Scottish Rite Cathedral (no chapter at present)
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M.W. Grand Master Ralph H. Wheeler laid the cornerstone of the cathedral of the
Scottish Rite Valley of Danville
on 26 April 1916. Located at
109 West North Street,
the cathedral was the home of
Vermilion Chapter No. 82
until that chapter’s 2004 merger into
Champaign Chapter No. 50.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The first and third photographs to the left come to us from
Facebook site, "Historic Masonic Lodges and Temples (A Photo Tour)".
The second image is from a postcard, courtesy of the
Illinois Lodge of Research’s Louis L. Williams Masonic Library. |
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Decatur’s 1928 Masonic Temple


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Located at
224 West Williams Street,
Decatur’s Masonic Temple's cornerstone was laid on 24 March 1928.
It 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.
Please click here for images of Macon Chapter’s hall in the Decatur Temple.
Please click here for images of the alternate hall in Decatur Temple, configured for the supreme degree of
Holy Royal Arch Mason.
The images of the token commemorating the 24 March
1928 cornerstone laying ceremony come to us through the courtesy of eBay seller
LakeTownTreasures. |
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DeKalb Masonic Temple

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Located at
402 East Fairview Drive,
DeKalb's Masonic Temple is the home of
DeKalb Chapter No. 52
whose convocations are held on the fourth Thursday of each month.
Please click here to visit the chapter’s website.
Please click here for our page featuring DeKalb Chapter's Holy Royal Arch furnishings in their chapter hall within DeKalb Masonic Temple.
Please click here to visit the chapter’s website.
The imagery to the left was captured by
Google Streetview.
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Delavan’s former Masonic Hall (no chapter at present)
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Located on the
southwest corner of 4th and Locust Streets,
Delavan's former Masonic Hall was home to
Crossman Chapter No. 155
until the chapter merged into
Pekin Chapter No. 25, of
Pekin,
on 15 February 1940.
The building was later deconsecrated. The Masonic bodies of Delavan now utilise
a smaller cinder block temple
two blocks away at
205 East 3rd Street.
The first photograph to the left was captured by
Waymarking contributor Tourismguy (Bruce Wicks).
The second photograph was published in
Federal Writers' Project, Delavan, 1837-1937: A Chronicle of 100 Years, Delavan, Illinois: City of Delavan (1937), at 41. |
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Downers Grove Masonic Temple

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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.
The imagery to the left come to us through the courtesy of
Grove Lodge No. 824,
A.F.&A.M.
Please click here for our page featuring West Suburban Chapter’s hall in the Downers Grove Masonic Temple.
Please click here to visit the chapter’s website. |
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Edwardsville’s 1927 Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
131 Hillsboro Avenue,
Edwardsville's Masonic temple was home to
Edwardsville Chapter No. 146.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Edwardsville Chapter merged into
Franklin Chapter No. 8, of
Alton,
on 16 April 1964.
The first photograph to the left was captured by
Bing.
The second photograph comes to us from
Flickr contributor gambleg42. |
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Effingham Masonic Temple
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Located at
300 South 5th Street,
Effingham Masonic Temple is the home of
Effingham (f/k/a Norton Ewing) Chapter No. 87, whose convocations
are held on the second Monday evening of each month, at 8:00 p.m.
The first image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview.
The second image to the left was captured by
Flickr user plasticfootball.
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El Paso’s current Masonic Temple (no chapter at present) |
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Located at
40 East Main Street,
El Paso's current Masonic Temple was the home of
Mackey Chapter No. 130, until
their 1 August 2008 merger into
Bloomington Chapter No. 26 of
Bloomington.
The temple is essentially due south of
El Paso's former Masonic temple.
The images to the left were captured by
Google Streetview.
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El Paso’s former Masonic temple & Grand Opera House (no chapter at present) |
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Located on the
eastern edge of East Front Street's Block 43,
this temple was home to both El Paso's Masonic bodies – including
Mackey Chapter No. 130 – but
town's Grand Opera (not to be confused with the City Opera House, a block to the west) as well.
Mackey Chapter relocated to
El Paso's current Masonic Temple,
almost directly due south of this former temple, before merging on 1 August 2008 into
Bloomington Chapter No. 26 of
Bloomington.
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Elgin – the old Home National Bank Building (in memoriam) |
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In 1887, John Lee Borden installed elaborate Masonic quarters on the
newly added fourth floor of
the Home National Bank building,
then located at
Chicago and Douglass Streets in Elgin.
See
Cathy
Newby, "Masonic Temple", James McDunn, ed., Postcards From the Past: A Brief History of Elgin Illinois.
Loyal L. Munn Chapter No. 96 had been chartered
on 5 October of the preceding year. Investigation is on-going to determine whether the chapter
resided in the Home National Bank Building.
The building was razed for the construction of the
1929 Home National Bank Tower
(now known as the Elgin Tower) on the same parcel.
The vintage photograph on the left can be viewed in detail at
The Stickling Foundation. |
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Elgin – Monitor Masonic Temple (in memoriam) |
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This former temple was built on
Spring Street in Elgin
by Monitor Lodge No. 522 (now
Barrington Lodge No. 522 of
Barrington).
It was home to
Loyal L. Munn Chapter No. 96
until the building was consumed by fire on 16 November 1920.
See
Cathy
Newby, "Masonic Temple", James McDunn, ed., Postcards From the Past: A Brief History of Elgin Illinois.
The image on the left is a vintage postcard, available for viewing from the
Illinois Lodge of Research's Louis L. Williams Masonic Library. |
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Elgin’s 1923 former Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
310 East Chicago Street,
Elgin’s former Masonic temple was home to
Loyal L. Munn Chapter No. 96.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Following the 16 November 1920 fire that destroyed
Monitor Temple,
approximately 1,200 Freemasons – the largest gathering of men ever in the history of
the city – met at the
Elgin State Hospital
on 24 November, to deliberate about a new temple, and to form a committee to make a recommendation.
The cornerstone was laid on 9 June 1923, and the temple was constructed at an estimated cost of
US$200,000.
See
Cathy
Newby, "Masonic Temple", James McDunn, ed., Postcards From the Past: A Brief History of Elgin Illinois.
The costs of maintaining the large, aging temple eventually became untenable for its
resident Masonic bodies. The building was sold on 22 March 1991 for US$163,000.
Ibid.
The former temple was subsequently converted into a fundamentalist low-Protestant church.
On 10 October 2007, the
Elgin City Council approved 5-2 the church's request to alter the historical landmark by
removing the cornerstone, square & compasses, and other Masonic symbols from its exterior,
on the condition that the removal be performed by professionals under the city's supervision.
The materials were placed in the custody of the
Elgin Historical Society and Museum.
The convocations of
Loyal L. Munn Chapter No. 96
are now held in
Palatine
at 7:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday evening of each month, aside from July and
August in which the chapter is dark.
The first and third photographs to the left were captured by
Flickr contributor, Seth Gaines.
Click here to see Mr. Gaines' extraordinary portfolio.
The second photograph is a vintage postcard from
James
McDunn's site, Postcards From the Past: A Brief History of Elgin Illinois. |
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Elmhurst’s 2012 Masonic Temple

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A former Lutheran Church, and located at
159 West North Avenue,
Elmhurst Masonic Temple is the home of
M.I.B. Red Chapter No. 233, whose convocations
are held on the third Monday evening of each month, at 7:30 p.m.
Please click here for images of the interior of Elmhurst Masonic Temple.
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Equality Masonic Temple
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Located at
210 Lane Street,
Equality Masonic Temple is the home of
Equality Chapter No. 6, whose convocations are held on the
fourth Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m.
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview.
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Evanston Masonic Temple


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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. It is also home to Stanley J. Harris Chapter No. 60, of the
Prince Hall Grand Chapter.
The 1928 temple was designed by world-famous architect, the late
Companion John A. Holabird, and replaced a previous temple built downtown in 1889.
Note that the temple's street address, 1453, is equal to the number of
columns supporting the First Temple (i.e., King Solomon's Temple) in Jerusalem.
Please click here for our page featuring Evanston Chapter’s “Doric Hall”.
The second photograph on the left is a screen capture from
Toth and Parsons Productions’ The Freemasons: The Mystery, Myth and Truth (1995, 2005),
which was filmed almost entirely in and around Evanston Masonic Temple,
Medinah Shriners’ former ‘mosque’ in Chicago,
and the
former Scottish Rite Cathedral in Chicago.
The third photograph was captured by Companion David Miley. |
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Evergreen Park Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
9407 Trumbull Avenue,
Evergreen Park's former Masonic temple was the home of
Normal Park Chapter 210.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Normal Park Chapter merged into
Chicago Chapter No. 127
on 29 November 1967. The combined chapter merged into
Logan Chapter No. 196 of
Oak Lawn
on 14 January 1988.
The former temple is now a United Methodist church.
The images to the left were captured by
Google Streetview. |
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Fairbury Masonic temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
114½ East Locust Street,
Fairbury's Masonic Temple was home to
Fairbury Chapter No. 99.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Fairbury Chapter merged into
Bloomington Chapter No. 26, of
Bloomington, on 27 July 2007.
The photograph to the left comes to us from
Wikimedia Commons user Ivo Shandor. |
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Flora Masonic temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
103½ East North Avenue,
Flora's Masonic Temple was home to
Flora Chapter No. 154
who merged on 18 November 1957 into
Henry Godeke Chapter No. 38, then of
Olney (now of
Bridgeport).
The first photograph to the left was captured by
Google Streetview.
The second photograph was captured by
Flickr contributor, Tourismguy (Bruce Wicks).
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Franklin Park – Laurel Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
2401 Ernst Street in Franklin Park,
Laurel Masonic Temple was the home of
Loyal Chapter No. 233 (renamed
M.I.B. Red Chapter No. 233
on 1 August 2008) from its 17 July 2006 rebirth until relocating to
Elmhurst on 29 June 2012.
Click here to visit the chapter’s website.
This photograph was captured by Companion David Miley. |
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Freeport Scottish Rite Cathedral

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Located at
305 West Stephenson Street,
the
Freeport Scottish Rite Cathedral
is home to
Freeport Chapter No. 23.
Freeport Chapter’s monthly convocations are held on the first Tuesday evening of each month, less July and August when the chapter is dark.
The upper image is from a postcard, courtesy of the
Illinois Lodge of Research’s Louis L. Williams Masonic Library.
The lower image is from the
website of the Valley of Freeport.
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Galena’s current Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
212 North Bench Street, Galena's Masonic Temple was the home of
Jo Daviess Chapter No. 51
until their charter arrested 3 May 2011 due to inactivity.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview. |
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Galena’s former Masonic temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
319 South Main Street,
Galena's former Masonic Temple and Galena National Bank building towers over the town's historic and romantic downtown.
The temple was home to
Jo Daviess Chapter No. 51
until the Masonic bodies vacated the building in favour of
their current smaller temple.
The first photograph to the left was captured by
Flickr contributor Moonlight Cocktail Photography (Johanna).
The second photograph comes to us from
Flickr contributor johnriley (John Riley).
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Galesburg’s former Masonic temple (in memoriam?)
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Galesburg's former Masonic temple was the home of
Galesburg Chapter No. 46.
The chapter now hold their convocations at
Knoxville
at 7:30 p.m., on the fourth Thursday evening each month.
The image to the left is a vintage postcard which comes to us from
the ILGenWeb Project,
by the courtesy of Bob Miller. |
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Geneseo Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
313 West Elk Street,
Geneseo's Masonic Temple was the home of
Geneseo Chapter No. 12
until the chapter surrendered their charter on 18 July 1997.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview. |
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Geneva’s current Masonic Temple



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The upper portion of the two-storey commercial building located at
10 South 2nd Street,
has held Geneva's Masonic Hall since the temple association purchased
the structure in 1944. It is home to
Fox River Chapter No. 14
whose monthly convocations are held on the 2nd Thursday evening of each month,
less July and August when the chapter is dark.
See "Geneva Masonic Lodge 139 History".
Click here to visit the chapter's website.
The first image, looking roughly south-west shows
both the building's Main Street façade and 2nd Street side. The second photo,
facing essentially west, reveals the 2nd Street entrance for the stairs up to
the chapter hall on the 2nd storey. An illuminated sign on the building's
north-east corner, announces which body is meeting. At the bottom is the
plaque on the north edge of the east wall, proclaiming the lodge and chapter.
These four photographs were captured by
Companion Dave Miley, on 27 June 2010 during the town's annual
Swedish Days festivities.
Click on any of the images for a high-resolution
version.
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Geneva – J.C. Peterson’s 1907 hall (no chapter at present)
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Located at
223 West State Street,
J.C. Peterson's Hall was the home of
Fox River Chapter No. 14 from
December 1907 until 1923.
The building replaced
Peterson's original hall
which served as Geneva's Masonic temple from 1881; it was into the earlier building which
the chapter removed from
Saint Charles in 1882, to join
Geneva Lodge No. 139
there.
See
"Geneva Masonic Lodge 139 History".
The first photograph to the left was captured by
Google Streetview.
The second photograph was captured by
Bing.
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Geneva – 204 West State Street (no chapter at present)
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The building at
203 West State Street,
is immediately adjacent to
Geneva's current Masonic Temple.
Fox River Chapter No. 14
relocated there in May 1892, and remained until removing in December 1907.
See
"Geneva Masonic Lodge 139 History".
The first photograph
to the left (204 West State Street is the green building; the
current temple is the white building)
was captured by
Panoramio contributor samyost.
The second photograph was captured by
Bing.
At the bottom-left (white building, black roof) is the
current Masonic Temple.
Immediately next to it is 204 West State Street. At the top-right (grey roof) is the former
Peterson's Hall.
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Girard’s 1923 former Masonic temple (no chapter at present)
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Constructed in 1923 at
223 West Madison Street,
Girard’s former Masonic temple was home to
Girard Chapter No. 132.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968). See also
Girard Historical Committee, History of Girard, Illinois, "from Then 'til Now," 1855-1955, Girard (Ill.): Girard Historical Committee (1955), at chapter 6.
The chapter's convocations are now held at the
Virden American Legion Hall on the
second Wednesday evening of each month, at 8:30 p.m., less July and August when
the chapter is dark.
The first photograph to the left was captured by
Google Streetview.
The second photograph was captured by
Flickr contributor, Seth Gaines.
Click here to see Mr. Gaines' extraordinary portfolio.
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Glenview Masonic Temple

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Located at
1450 North Lehigh Avenue,
the Glenview Masonic Temple is home to
Oracle Chapter No. 180.
Oracle Chapter’s monthly convocations are held on the second Thursday evening of each month.
Click here to visit the chapter’s website.
The images were captured by
Companion, Richard E. Yena,
Most Excellent Past Grand High Priest,
Right Excellent Grand Secretary
(Right Excellent Deputy Grand High Priest at the time),
on 12 January 2008.
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Granite City Masonic Temple
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Located at
1940 Cleveland Boulevard,
the Granite City Masonic Temple is home to
Granite City Chapter No. 221.
Granite City Chapter’s monthly convocations are held on the first Thursday evening of each month, less July and August when the chapter is dark.
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Hamilton Masonic Temple & City Hall (no chapter at present)
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Located at
10th & Broadway Streets,
the ground floor of this building is Hamilton's City Hall, and the second storey is
their Masonic temple. It was home to
Tecumseh Chapter No. 152,
30 April 1988 when the chapter surrendered their charter. Despite the chapter's demise,
their enunciator lamp with its fading
Mark Master keystone still hangs
on the building's corner.
The photographs to the left were captured by
Flickr contributor, Tourismguy (Bruce Wicks). |
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Harrisburg’s 1925 former Masonic temple (no chapter at present)
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Constructed in 1925 at
206 North Main Street,
Harrisburg’s former Masonic temple was home to
Saline Chapter No. 165.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The chapter merged into
Marion Chapter No. 100, of
Marion, on 12 February 1973.
The building was vacated in 2008 and a new temple was dedicated by
Grand Master Richard Swaney in November of the following year.
See
Brian DeNeal,
"Lodge Dedicated in Ancient Tradition",
The Daily Register,
Harrisburg, Illinois: Temple Publishers (9 Nov. 2009).
The photograph to the left was captured by
Flickr contributor DClemm. |
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Harvard Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
66 North Ayer Street,
Harvard’s former Masonic temple was home to
Harvard Chapter No. 91.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Harvard Chapter merged into
Woodstock Chapter No. 36
on 14 July 1969. The chapter was subsequently renamed
Cary-Grove Chapter No. 36 and is located in
Cary.
The former temple is now an antiques store.
The first photograph to the left was captured by
Bing.
The second photograph comes to us from the
McHenry County Historical Society and Museum.
The third photograph is a vintage postcard from
eBay seller paper-collectibles-4sale, showing a view circa 1950s, when much of today's parking
space was vegetation. |
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Harvey Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
15300 Lexington Avenue,
Harvey's former Masonic Temple was the home of
Harvey Chapter No. 232.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The chapter merged into
Chicago Heights Chapter No. 218
on 5 March 1976 who removed first to
Lansing, and later to
Homewood
on the 31st anniversary of the aforestated merger. The combined chapter merged into
West Suburban Chapter No. 207 of
Downers Grove on 30 July 2010.
The former temple now houses
Catholic Charities'
South Suburban senior services centre.
The images to the left were captured by
Google Streetview. |
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Havana Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
224 West Main Street,
Havana's Masonic Temple was the home of
Havana Chapter No. 86
until 23 March 2010, when their charter was arrested for dormancy.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Havana Chapter's companions then affiliated with
Springfield Chapter No. 1 of
Springfield.
The photographs to the left were captured by
Flickr contributor gambleg42. |
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Highland – John Wildi Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
721 9th Street,
Highland's John Wildi Masonic Temple was the home of
Highland Chapter No. 169
until the chapter merged into
Granite City Chapter No. 221
on 15 October 1984.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
John Wildi commissioned M. O. Ulrich to build a French revival-style home and
carriage house for his family. Upon his death in 1910, Wildi’s widow, Louise,
continued living in the home. Then in 1920, Mrs. Wildi deeded her home in a trust
to the brothers of
Highland Lodge No. 583.
Mrs. Louise Wildi also donated $10,000.00 to the lodge if they could match it for
the purpose of adding on a dining room and
lodge/chapter hall. On 4 March 1922 the addition was dedicated. In 1933 Mrs. Wildi
set up an endowment trust fund for the maintenance and upkeep of the building.
Please click here for a much more detailed history of John Wildi Masonic
Temple.
The first photograph to the left comes to us from
Highland Lodge No. 583.
The second photograph was captured by
Bing. |
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Highland Park – Hundley Memorial Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
461 Laurel Avenue in Highland Park,
Hundley Memorial Masonic Temple was the home of
Highland Park Chapter No. 226
until the chapter merged into
Libertyville Chapter No. 272
on 31 May 1991.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
This photograph was captured on 8 May 2010 by Companion David A. Miley. |
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Hillsboro Masonic Temple
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Located at
903 South Main Street,
Hillsboro Masonic Temple is the home of
Hillsboro Chapter No. 197, whose convocations are held on the
second Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m., less July and August when the chapter is dark.
Click here to see the chapter hall configured to confer the supreme degree of Holy Royal Arch Mason.
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview.
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Hinsdale Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)



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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.
Please click here for our page featuring Hinsdale Chapter’s former hall.
Please click here to read more about the history of Hinsdale Masonic Temple.
The colourised postcard images to the left depict the temple circa 1909 and,
like the modern photograph of the front door, come to us through the courtesy of
Companion Paul A. Scheeler, Past High Priest of
La Fayette Chapter No. 2 in
Chicago, and Past Master of
Hinsdale Lodge No. 934,
A.F.&A.M.
The monochromatic photograph depicts the temple circa 1920 and comes to us by the courtesy of
Hinsdale Lodge No. 934,
A.F.&A.M. |
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Homer Masonic Temple (no chapter at present) |
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Homer Masonic Temple, constructed in 1892 at
104 East Wabash Avenue,
was the home of
Homer Chapter No. 94.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Homer Chapter merged into
Champaign Chapter No. 50, of
Champaign, on 31 July 2009.
Please click here to see a lovely collection of photographs depicting the temple's
beautiful old lodge hall. The east features stained glass windows in symbolic and
capitular themes.
The first image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview.
The second image is a vintage postcard, available to view on
Flickr by the Homer Historical Society.
The third image, depicting the temple's cornice, was captured by
Greg Knott
and comes to us from
Homer Masonic Lodge No. 199. |
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Hoopeston Masonic Temple (in memoriam)
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Hoopeston’s Masonic Temple & Commercial Club was the home of the former
Hoopeston Chapter No. 181 who merged into
Vermilion Chapter No. 82, then of
Danville, on 30 December 1952.
This image is from a postcard, courtesy of the
Illinois Lodge of Research’s Louis L. Williams Masonic Library. |
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Illiopolis’s 1958 Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Illiopolis' 1958 temple is located at
the south end of the 400 block of 5th Street,
two lots south of the former
Masonic Opera House which had burned to the ground eight years earlier.
The temple was home to
Kedron Chapter No. 138 only briefly.
The chapter merged into
Mount Pulaski Chapter No. 121
on 6 February 1960.
See:
Gene Hall, "More Than You Probably Want to Know About Illiopolis Illinois", 1984;
Kinahan Rule, "Speech Given to the Sangamon County Historic Society", circa 1994.
The images to the left were captured by
Waymarking contributor, gladtobehere. |
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Illiopolis’ 1899 Masonic Opera House (in memoriam) |
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The cornerstone of Illiopolis Lodge No. 521's Masonic opera house was laid in the
400 block of 5th Street,
on 30 August 1899, and opened for use in February 1901.
The temple's footprint was 40'×86', and consisted of three storeys and a basement.
The theatre had a seating capacity of 500, and featured a large stage equipped with scenery
from Sassnian & Landes of Chicago. The temple was consumed by a gas fire on 4 July 1950.
The third floor was home to the Masonic bodies, including
Kedron Chapter No. 138, with a large hall, dining room, and reception rooms.
See:
"Supplement", The State Center Record, 11 Jan. 1901;
Gene Hall, "More Than You Probably Want to Know About Illiopolis Illinois", 1984;
Kinahan Rule, "Speech Given to the Sangamon County Historic Society", circa 1994.
The image to the left shows the then-new Masonic Opera House, and was published in the
The State Center Record's 11 January 1901 Supplement. |
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Jacksonville Masonic Temple

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Constructed in 1932 at
345 West College Avenue,
Jacksonville’s Masonic Temple is the home of
Jacksonville Chapter No. 3
whose convocations are held on the second Monday evening of each month.
The first photograph to the left are here through the courtesy of
Companion Franklin E. Cline,
Most Excellent Past Grand High Priest.
The remaining three photographs are here through the courtesy of
Facebook site, "Historic Masonic Lodges and Temples (A Photo Tour)". |
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Jerseyville Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
116 West Pearl Street,
Jerseyville's Masonic Temple was the home of
Jerseyville Chapter No. 140, until the chapter merged into
Franklin Chapter No. 8, of
Alton, on 7 January 1964.
The photographs to the left were captured by
Flickr contributor, Tourismguy (Bruce Wicks). |
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Joliet’s 1967 Masonic Temple

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Located at
350 North Midland Avenue,
Joliet’s current Masonic Temple, the cornerstone of which was laid in 1967, is the home of
Joliet Chapter No. 27
whose convocations are held on the fourth Thursday evening of each month, at 7:30 p.m.
These images were captured by
Waymarking user JBDiver. |
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Joliet’s 1890 Masonic Temple (in memoriam)
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Formerly located on the north side of
Jefferson Street, east of Michigan Street,
the cornerstone of this temple was laid in 1890, and was the home of
Joliet Chapter No. 27.
The temple's cornerstone is displayed outside of
Joliet's current Masonic Temple.
The property where the temple and the adjacent buildings formerly sat is now
Silver Cross Field, hosting the
Joliet Slammers and the
University of St. Francis'
baseball team.
The first two images to the left are vintage postcards.
The third image was captured by
Waymarking user JBDiver. |
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Joliet’s 1849 Masonic Temple (in memoriam)
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Formerly located on the northwest corner of
West Jefferson Street & North Bluff Street,
this temple was constructed in 1849 by
A.W. Strong and Edmond Wilcox, and was the home of
Joliet Chapter No. 27.
Although built of wood, it stood the ravages of time and was in fairly
good condition as late as 1935, having been continuously occupied since erection.
Masonic,
Odd Fellows, and
Good Templars lodges met there.
The property where the temple and the adjacent buildings formerly sat is now
a park.
The photograph to the left was captured in 1935.
It is contained within the
M.V. Hartong Glass Plate Slide Collection of the
Plainfield Historical Society
and available from the
Illinois Digital Archives.
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Kankakee Masonic temple

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Located at
124 South Harrison Avenue,
Kankakee Masonic Temple is the home of
Kankakee Chapter No. 78, whose convocations are held on the
second Tuesday of each month, less July and August when the chapter is dark.
The image to the left was captured by
Flickr contributor, Courthouselover.
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Kewanee Masonic temple

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Located at
112 South Chestnut Street,
Kewanee Masonic Temple is the home of
Kewanee Chapter No. 47, whose convocations are held on the
fourth Thursday in August, November, February, and May, at 8:00 p.m.
This image is from a postcard, courtesy of the
Illinois Lodge of Research’s Louis L. Williams Masonic Library.
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Knoxville Masonic Temple
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Located at
149 North Public Square,
Knoxville's Masonic Temple has been the home of
Galesburg Chapter No. 46
since the chapter removed from
Galesburg.
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview. |
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Lanark Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
106 South Broad Street,
Lanark's Masonic Temple was the home of
Lanark Chapter No. 139 until they surrendered their charter in 1977.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The temple is now the
Lanark Herritage Centre.
It remains in Masonic usage by
Lanark Lodge No. 423.
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview. |
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Lincoln Masonic Temple

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Located at
2022 North Kickapoo Street,
Lincoln's Masonic Temple is the home of
Lincoln Chapter No. 147
whose convocations are held on the third Thursday evening of each month, at 7:30 p.m.,
exclusive of July and August when the chapter is dark.
The images to the left were captured by
Google Streetview. |
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Litchfield Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
121 West Ryder Street,
Litchfield's former Masonic temple was the home of
Elliott Chapter No. 120.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The chapter merged into
Hillsboro Chapter No. 197, of
Hillsboro, on 21 July 1995.
The building is now a banquet hall.
The first image to the left is a photograph captured by
Flickr contributor, myoldpostcards.
The second image is a vintage postcard viewable at the
Illinois Lodge of Research's Louis L. Williams Masonic Library. |
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Loves Park Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
6780 North 2nd Street,
Loves Park's Masonic Temple was the home of
Winnebago Chapter No. 24
until the chapter removed back to
Rockford.
The image to the left comes to us from
Rockford Lodge No. 102. |
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Macomb Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
133 South Randolph Street,
adjoining Courthouse Square, is
Macomb's Masonic Temple. This temple was the home of
Morse Chapter No. 19
until the chapter merged into LaHarpe Chapter No. 111 on 14 July 2000.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The image to the left was captured by
Flickr user, Lights in the Old Farmhouse. |
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Marion’s joint Masonic & Knights of Pythias temple (in memoriam?)
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Marion's combined Masonic and
Knights of Pythias temple was a former home of
Marion Chapter No. 100.
The chapter now hold their convocations at
Marion's current Masonic temple
at 7:30 p.m., on the second Wednesday evening in February,
April, June, August, October, and December.
The image to the left is a vintage photograph which comes to us from the
Marion High School Class of 1986's reunion committee. |
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Marshall Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
302 South 6th Street,
Marshall Masonic Temple. This temple was the home of
Marshall Chapter No. 70
until the chapter merged into
Edgar Chapter No. 32
on 12 December 1977.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The images to the left are postcards viewable on the
Illinois Lodge of Research's Louis L. Williams Masonic Library website. |
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Mattoon’s 1929 former Masonic Temple (no chapter at present) |
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The cornerstone of Mattoon's former Masonic temple,
located at
1421 Charleston Avenue,
was laid by Grand Master Louis L. Emerson on 15 June 1929, and opened for use on 29 November of that year.
See
Mattoon Lodge No. 260,
One Hundredth Anniversary 1858-1958 (Kip Torp, 2002 transcriber), 1958.
It was the home of
Mattoon (née William F. Gammill) Chapter No. 85.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The chapter and lodge left the temple in 1991, having erected a
smaller, more manageable temple at 116 North 1st Street.
See
House Resolution 1365,
"150th Anniversary Masons Mattoon", 95th General Assembly, 30 May 2008.
The first image comes to us from
The Association for the Preservation of Historic Coles County,
and shows the structure in its current state.
The second image is a vintage postcard, viewable at
The Illinois Lodge of Research's Louis L. Williams Masonic Library. |
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Mattoon’s 1991 Masonic Temple (no chapter at present) |
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Located at
116 North First Street,
Mattoon's current was the home of
Mattoon Chapter No. 85
from the building's 1991 construction until the chapter merged into
Tuscola Chapter No. 66 of
Tuscola on 28 July 2006.
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview. |
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Mendon Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located on the
southeast corner of Collins Street & South State Road,
Mendon's Masonic Temple was the home of
Mendon Chapter No. 157 until the chapter
was declared defunct on 15 March 1935.
The photograph on the left was captured by
Google Streetview. |
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Mendota Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)

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Located at
810 Washington Street,
Mendota's Masonic Temple was the home of
Mendota Chapter No. 79, who merged into
Shabbona Chapter No. 37 of
Ottawa in 1994.
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview.
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Metropolis’ current Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
111 East 3rd Street,
Metropolis' Masonic Temple was the home of
Metropolitan Chapter No. 101.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The chapter was dispensed on 31 October 2011 to merge into
Murphysboro Chapter No. 164, of
Murphysboro. The merger was officialised on 27 July 2012.
The photograph on the left was captured by
Google Streetview. |
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Metropolis’ 1894 Robert W. McCartney Music Hall (in memoriam)
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Constructed in 1894 at
116 East 4th Street,
Metropolis' Robert W. McCartney Music Hall was the home of
Metropolitan Chapter No. 101,
and also served as the town's first library.
This facility was replaced by
Metropolis' current Masonic Temple, approximately one block to the south-west.
The photograph on the left was captured during the
Illinois Historic Structures Survey (1971-1975), and comes to us from
Darius Bryjka, "What a Loss", Mesker Brothers, 11 November 2011. |
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Moline Scottish Rite Cathedral

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Located at
1800 7th Avenue,
the cathedral of the
Scottish Rite Valley of Moline is the home of
Rock Island Chapter No. 18, whose convocations are held on the
fourth Monday evening of each month at 7:00 p.m.
Click here to view the chapter hall.
The image to the left was captured by
Panoramio contributor, embryojoe.
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Morris’ former Masonic temple (no chapter at present) |
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Located at the
intersection of Fulton and West Jefferson Streets,
this former Presbyterian church subsequently served as Morris' Masonic temple. It was home to
Orient Chapter No. 31.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Orient Chapter merged into
Joliet Chapter No. 27 of
Joliet on 25 January 1978.
The first image to the left was captured by
Flickr contributor Tourismguy (Bruce Wicks).
The second image is a vintage photograph, viewable at
The Illinois Lodge of Research's Louis L. Williams Masonic Library. |
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Mount Carmel Masonic Hall & Palace Theatre (no chapter at present)
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Located in the
200 block of North Market Street,
Mount Carmel’s former Masonic Hall and Palace Theatre was the home of
Mount Carmel Chapter No. 159 who merged into
Henry Godeke Chapter No. 38
on 23 March 1989.
This image is from a postcard, courtesy of the
Illinois Lodge of Research’s Louis L. Williams Masonic Library. |
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Mount Pulaski Masonic Temple
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Located in the
200 block of North Market Street,
Located at
119A South Lafayette Street,
Mount Pulaski’s Masonic Hall is the home of
Mount Pulaski Chapter No. 121 whose convocations are
held on the second Thursday evening of each month at 7:30 p.m..
This photograph was captured by
Waymarking user JBDiver. |
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Mount Vernon Masonic Temple
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Located at
124 North 10th Street,
Mount Vernon’s Masonic Temple is home to
Andrew D. Webb Chapter No. 160
whose convocations are held on the fourth Thursday evening of each month at 7:30 p.m.
This image was captured by
Companion Patrick B. Jones,
then our Excellent Grand Principal Sojourner, on 11 February 2012. |
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Murphysboro Masonic Temple
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Located at
1115 Chestnut Street,
Murphysboro’s Masonic Temple is home to
Murphysboro Chapter No. 164
whose convocations are held on the fourth Monday evening of each month, at 7:30 p.m.
These images were captured by
Waymarking user Math Teacher. |
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Naperville Masonic Temple


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Located at 34 West Jefferson Avenue, this
temple is the home of Euclid Chapter No. 13 whose convocations are held on the second Tuesday evening of each month.
The cornerstone was laid in an elaborate ceremony on 9 September 1916. The following is the newspaper account from the 13 September 1916 issue of the former
Naperville Clarion:
Corner Stone Laid For Masonic Temple
The corner stone of the new Masonic Temple in this city was laid on Saturday afternoon with impressive Masonic ceremonies, before a large assemblage of residents
and Masons of the city and from surrounding counties. Bro. Ralph H. Wheeler, Grand Master of
Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Illinois, officiated, assisted by an occasional Grand Lodge
composed as follows: Brothers H. H. Benjamin, Deputy Grand Master; C. W. Reed, Senior Grand Warden; C. A. Ashley, Junior Grand Warden; Claude V. Leffler, Grand
Treasurer; Isaac Cutter, Grand Secretary; A. E. Randell, Grand Orator; Harry Woodward, Grand Chaplain; C. V. Wellner, Senior Grand Deacon; Edward Enck, Junior
Grand Deacon; Wm. H. Bird, Grand Marshall; C. F. Wm. Schultz, Grand Pursuiviant; John Eisele, Senior Grand Steward; Earnest Rich, Junior Grand Steward; Ralph
Steele Shepardson, Grand Architect; C. S. Gurney, Grand Tiler; John A. Bell, Master of Oldest Lodge.
The Most Worshipful Grand Master was escorted from the depot to the Masonic Hall by
Aurora Commandery No. 22,
Knights Templar, under Commander F. Merritt Pepper and Captain-General C. E.
Cooley, which was headed by the Lounge Factory Band and the G. A. R.
Drum Corps of Aurora.
The Grand Lodge was then convened at the Masonic Hall where together with a delegation of Master Masons, the procession was again formed, the line of march being
east on Jefferson Ave. to Washington St., south to Water St., west to Main St. to Jefferson Ave., and east to the Temple site. The Grand Lodge then
counter-marched through the line of procession and assumed their places on a tastefully decorated platform, erected for the occasion.
Worshipful Master Sankey S. Good, after a few introductory remarks, then requested the Most Worshipful Grand Master and the Grand Lodge, on behalf of
Euclid Lodge No. 65, to officiate at the ceremonies of the laying of the corner
stone, which was performed with Masonic honors. The occasion was most impressive and will never be forgotten by those who were priveleged to witness it.
Appropriate vocal selections were rendered in the course of the ceremonies by the Oriental Quartet of Chicago and a feature most appreciated was an oration
delivered by Rev. A. E. Randell, the gist of which was the relation and benefits of Masonry to society in general and the fact that the importance and
desirability of any edifice to a community, no matter how beautiful architecturally, rested absolutely on the nature of the institution which it houses.
The corner stone was the gift of Bro. Arthur R. Beidelman, a member of
Euclid Lodge No. 65; it is exceptionally beautiful in design and will be a lasting
and worthy monument to Masonry and to the beneficence of Bro. Beidelman.
Please visit the history section of Euclid Chapter’s website to see the buildings
that formerly served as their temple.
Please click here for our page featuring images of the interior of Euclid Chapter’s hall.
These images are presented through the courtesy of
Euclid Chapter No. 13. |
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Naperville – DuPage County Cash Store (no chapter at present)
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The third floor of the former DuPage County Cash Store building, located on what was then River (now
40 Chicago Avenue),
was the original home of
Euclid Chapter No. 13
from 1851 thru 1852. The related
Euclid Lodge No. 65
was organized in 1848 in the frame building to the left of the store.
The wording on the front of the building, between the second and third floors, reads “Crockery Hardware Dry Goods Groceries”.
From the Naperville Historic Walking Tour, courtesy of the
Naper Settlement Museum:
Henry Peaslee, 1850. This is one of Naperville’s oldest commercial buildings, similar to
[214 North Ellsworth Street].
The building housed a grocery and dry goods store, with dances and social gatherings held in a hall on the third floor.
Please visit the history section of Euclid Chapter’s website to see the other
buildings that formerly served as their temple.
The picture to the left shows the first lodge hall building as it looks as of April 2007.
These images are presented through the courtesy of
Euclid Chapter No. 13. |
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Neoga’s 1904 Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
661 Chestnut Avenue,
Neoga's Masonic former temple was home to
Neoga Chapter No. 150.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Neoga Chapter merged into
Mattoon Chapter No. 85, of
Mattoon,
in 1978. The combined chapter merged into
Tuscola Chapter No. 66, of
Tuscola, on
28 July 2006.
The former temple is now used by commercial enterprises.
The photographs to the left were captured by
Flickr contributor Tourismguy (Bruce Wicks). |
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Oak Lawn Masonic Temple
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Constructed in 1954 at
9420 South 52nd Avenue,
Oak Lawn Masonic Temple is the home of
Logan Chapter No. 196, whose convocations are held on the
second Friday evening of each month at 7:00 p.m.
The first image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview.
The second image, showing the cornerstone, was captured by Companion
David A. Miley on 5 January 2013.
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Oakland’s Masonic Temple & Post Office (no chapter at present)
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Located at the
northeast corner of Main and Pike Streets,
the Masonic hall is on the second storey. When still new, it was home to
Oakland Chapter No. 153, until
25 October 1883 when the chapter was declared defunct.
The first photograph to the left was captured by
Bing.
The second photograph comes to us from
Flickr contributor Ray Cunningham |
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Olney Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at 405 South Fair Street,
Olney’s Masonic Temple was the home of
Henry Godeke Chapter No. 38,
until that chapter’s removal to
Bridgeport Temple on 26 May 2008.
Click here to visit the chapter’s website.
Please click here for an image of Henry Godeke Chapter’s former hall in Olney Masonic Temple, configured
for the conferral of the supreme degree of Holy Royal Arch Mason.
This image comes to us through the courtesy of the
Bridgeport York Rite bodies.
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Oregon Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Constructed in 1900 at
117½ South 4th Street,
Oregon’s Masonic Temple
was the home of
Rock City Chapter No. 151
until their 30 June 1942 merger into
Tyrian Chapter No. 61 of
Polo.
The combined chapter merged into
Nachusa Chapter No. 56 of
Dixon on 5 November 1963.
The three-story, yellow brick façade was designed in the
Classical Revival
style, and features ivory brick accents to create a
quoin effect
on the upper storeys. The second storey windows are consist of sets of three lights
surrounding a smaller central light. Above the triangular pediment is a stone shield
bearing the year 1900 and a
Mark Master capstone.
Following the departure of the chapter and other bodies,
Oregon Lodge No. 420
refurbished and repainted the old enunciator globe lights to commemorate the
lodge and memorialise John C. Berger.
See
the temple's National Register of Historic Places registration form;
Wikipedia article, "Masonic Temple Lodge No. 420" [sic].
The first image to the left was captured by
Flickr contributor Teemu008.
The second image is a close-up view of the same photograph.
The third photograph, showing the globe lamps, was
captured by
Andy McMurray.
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Ottawa Masonic Temple


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Located at
916 Columbus Street,
Ottawa Masonic Temple is the home of
Shabbona Chapter No. 37, whose convocations are held on the
second Thursday evening of each month, at 7:30 p.m.
The first image was captured by
Panoramio user bmont69.
The second image is from a postcard, courtesy of the
Illinois Lodge of Research’s Louis L. Williams Masonic Library.
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Palatine’s 1904 Masonic Temple (in memoriam)
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Erected 20 November 1904 at
1 North Plum Grove Road,
this structure was the oldest, continuously occupied non-commercial, non-residential building in
Palatine. Built of brick by
Palatine Lodge No. 314 and
Palatine Chapter No. 206, the second
storey held the lodge/chapter hall, with storage in the attic above. The temple later
also became home to
Loyal L. Munn Chapter No. 96. The
building's cornerstone was hollow and held a time capsule that was opened in 2004.
Its contents were donated to the
Palatine Historical Society. See
"Palatine's Masonic Hall steeped in rich history", Melissa Hollander, Daily Herald,
2 July 2004; and an unidentified newspaper article hand-dated December 1961, on
display in the current Palatine Masonic Temple.
The ground floor was originally rented out to various organisations and businesses.
For the building's first decade, that floor was the Palatine Athletic Club, at
which time the temple held suburban Cook County's first two-lane bowling
alley. The temple had no non-Masonic tenants again until 1951 when the
Palatine's Public Library moved in briefly between permanent homes, to be replaced
by the Palatine Leader newspaper and, thereafter, a
Christian Science reading room.
See Hollander, supra.
In approximately 1961, the lodge rehabilitated the temple, replacing the utilities
and updating the exterior brickwork with blue-grey paint and adding shutters to
the windows. See unidentified 1961 article, supra.
The city of Palatine condemned the temple in 2009 in order to reconfigure and improve
the traffic intersection at Plum Grove and Palatine Roads. A multi-step land-swap
was negotiated between the city and the lodge. The city traded a
its soon-to-be vacated fire station at
455 West Dundee Road
and approximately US$592,000 for the 1904 temple property. As the city needed the old
temple nearly two years before the replacement fire station would be completed, the
deal also included temporary use of a previously condemned and vacant
former Harris Bank data processing annex less than two
blocks west of the old temple. See
"New Palatine Fire Station Coming to Quentin Road", Brian Slupski, Palatine Patch, 27 October 2010.
The first two photographs were captured
by Michael Zale
(Flickr alias Neopsychedelia) in March 2008.
Click here to see Mr. Zale's Flickr portfolio.
The last two photographs depict Eugene
Fifielski's beautifully detailed scale model of the temple, and were captured by
Companion David Miley on 6 November 2010. The model is displayed in
the current Palatine Masonic Temple
and makes periodic appearances in local parades and the public library.
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Palatine’s 2009-2011 interim Masonic Temple (no chapter at present) |
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Located at
150 West Wilson Street, Palatine,
this former Harris Bank data processing annex was the temporary home of
Loyal L. Munn and Palatine Chapters No. 96 and 206,
who meet on, respectively, the first Wednesday and second Thursday of each month.
In 2009, the
City of Palatine condemned
the 1904 temple in order to reconfigure and improve
the traffic intersection at Plum Grove and Palatine Roads. A multi-step land-swap
was negotiated between the city and
Palatine Lodge No. 314.
The city traded a its
soon-to-be vacated fire station at
455 West Dundee Road
and approximately US$592,000 for the 1904 temple property. As the city
needed the old temple nearly two years before the replacement fire station would be
completed, the deal also included temporary use of the ground floor of this previously
condemned and vacant former Harris Bank data processing annex located less than two blocks
west of the old temple. See
"New Palatine Fire Station Coming to Quentin Road", Brian Slupski, Palatine Patch, 27 October 2010.
Located adjacent to both the city's central train station and the future site of the
new city hall, this building is slated to be razed to make room for a multi-deck parking garage.
Rather than simply using make-shift arrangements during their brief
tenure in the bank building, Palatine's Masonic bodies outfitted the
space with a proper lodge-chapter-council hall & asylum, mounted their
framed material on the walls, built daises, installed ceiling lights for
the altar and Easter Star positions, inter alia.
These photographs were captured by
Companion David Miley on 6 November 2010.
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Palatine’s 2011 Masonic Temple |
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Located at
455 West Dundee Road,
this former station of the Palatine Fire Department is the home of
Loyal L. Munn and Palatine Chapters No. 96 and 206.
Click on their names or numbers to see their respective meeting nights and
in what months they are each dark.
The chapters moved into this temple on 15 December 2011.
See the history of Palatine's temples above.
These photographs are here through the courtesy of
Palatine Lodge No. 314.
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Pana Masonic Temple (no chapter at present) |
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Constructed at
215 South Locust Street,
Pana's Masonic Temple's cornerstone was laid in 1926. The temple was home to
Pana Chapter No. 115.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Pana Chapter merged into
Jackson Chapter No. 55, of
Shelbyville on 14 December 1967.
The images to the left were captured by
Waymarking contributor gladtobehere. |
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Paris Masonic Temple

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Located at
301 South Central Avenue,
Paris Masonic Temple is the home of
Edgar Chapter No. 32, whose convocations are held on the
second Friday evening of each month at 7:30 p.m.
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview.
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Paxton Masonic Temple

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Located at
149½ North Market Street,
Paxton’s Masonic Temple is the home of
Ford Chapter No. 113
whose convocations are held on the third Thursday evening of each month.
Notice the globe lights bearing the symbols to indicate the various Masonic organisations in the temple, including the
triple-tau, equilateral triangle, and circle, representing the supreme degree of Holy Royal Arch Mason,
and thus Ford Chapter No. 113.
This photograph was captured by Companion David Miley. |
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Pekin’s 1931 Masonic Temple
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Located at
338 Elizabeth Street,
Pekin's Masonic Temple's cornerstone was laid by
Most Worshipful Grand Master Edward Claude Mullen on 2 July 1931.
This temple is the home of
Pekin Chapter No. 25.
Pekin Chapter's convocations are held on the
third Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m.; they are formal in odd numbered months,
and informal in even numbered months.
The second image to the left comes to us from
Flickr user Plasticfootball,
and shows the enunciator lamps which indicate which body is meeting at a given time.
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Peoria Heights Masonic Temple

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Located at
3819 North Prospect Road,
Peoria Heights Masonic Temple is the home of
Peoria Chapter No. 7, whose convocations are held on the
first Wednesday evening of each month, at 7:00 p.m. (formal in January, April, July & October; informal in other months).
The image to the left comes to us from
Grand View Lodge No. 1112.
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Peru Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
1711 4th Street,
Peru's Masonic Temple was home to
Peru Chapter No. 60 until
their charter was revoked on 7 November 2006.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
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Petersburg Masonic Temple

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Located at
106 South 6th Street,
and having a mailing address of
125 South 5th Street,
Petersburg Masonic Temple is the home of
DeWitt Chapter No. 119, whose convocations are held on the
fourth Monday evening of each month, at 7:30 p.m.
The image to the left comes to us from
Google Streetview.
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Polo Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
101 East Mason Street,
Polo's Masonic Temple was home to
Tyrian Chapter No. 61 until the chapter merged into
Nachusa Chapter No. 56, of
Dixon, on 5 November 1963.
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Quincy Masonic Temple
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Located at
428 Jersey Street,
Quincy’s Masonic Temple is the home of
Quincy Chapter No. 5
whose convocations are held at 7:30 p.m. on the second Thursday evening of each month.
The temple was designed by architects
John Batschy and G.P. Behrensmeyer.
Its cornerstone was laid on 20 July 1910 by
Most Worshipful Grand Master Albert B. Ashley.
The first two photographs to the left come to us from
Facebook site, "Historic Masonic Lodges and Temples (A Photo Tour)".
The remaining two images are vintage postcards, available for viewing at the
Illinois Lodge of Research’s Louis L. Williams Masonic Library. |
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Rochelle Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
500 Lincoln Highway,
Rochelle's Masonic Temple was home to
Rochelle Chapter No. 158, until
18 July 1997 when the chapter surrendered their chapter.
The photographs to the left were captured by
Google Streetview. |
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Rock Island's 1912 former Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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The cornerstone of the Rock Island’s former Masonic Temple, located at
420 18th Street,
was laid in 1912 by the
Grand Lodge of Illinois.
The temple was home to
Rock Island Chapter No. 18.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Rock Island Chapter removed to
Moline
in 2007, and meets on the fourth Monday evening of each month at 7:00 p.m.
The former temple is now a banquet facility known as
Skellington Manor.
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Rockford Masonic Temple

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Located at
4525 Charles Street,
Rockford Masonic Temple is the home of
Winnebago Chapter No. 24, whose convocations are held on the
first Wednesday evening of each month, at 7:30 p.m.
The images to the left were captured by
Google Streetview.
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Rushville Masonic Temple



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Constructed in 1954 at
219 North Monroe Street,
Rushville Masonic Temple is the home of
Lusk Chapter No. 20, whose convocations are held on the
third Tuesday evening of each month, at 8:30 p.m.
The images to the left come to us from
Rushville Lodge No. 9.
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Saint Charles - van Patten’s Masonic Hall (no chapter at present)
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Fox River Chapter No. 14 originated in
van Patten's Hall, located on the second storey of
117 West Main Street,
in Saint Charles.
The chapter's convocations were held there from the time of their 7 October 1851 dispensation and
30 September 1852 charter, until they removed south to
J.C. Peterson's Hall in Geneva in 1882.
See "Geneva Masonic Lodge 139 History".
The interior of the building and its neighbour to the west were merged and now effectively form
a single commercial structure, with retail on the ground floor and a restaurant above.
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Saint Elmo Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
312 North Main Street
and featuring a
Mark Master
keystone
on the middle of three engraved stones, Saint Elmo's Masonic Temple was the home of
Mason Chapter No. 76.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The chapter merged into
Vandalia Chapter No. 136, of
Vandalia, on
10 January 1974.
The combined chapter then merged into
Hillsboro Chapter No. 197, of
Hillsboro, on
14 October 2009.
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Salem Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
300 South Broadway,
Salem’s Masonic Temple was the home of
Salem Chapter No. 64.
The chapter consolidated on 19 June 1990 into
Centralia Chapter No. 93.
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Shelbyville Masonic Temple
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Located at
125 North Broadway Street
and dedicated in 1963, Shelbyville’s Masonic Temple is the home of
Jackson Chapter No. 55
whose convocations are held on the second Saturday morning of each month.
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Springfield’s Scottish Rite Cathedral
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Located at
1020 Rickard Road,
the cathedral of the Scottish Rite Valley of Springfield is the home of
Springfield Chapter No. 1 whose convocations are held
at 7:30 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month, aside from July and August when the chapter is dark.
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Springfield’s 1909 Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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The former home of
Springfield Chapter No. 1.
The following is excerpted from History of Springfield Chapter No. 1, Royal Arch Masons:
Planning for this temple [now the
Hoogland Centre for the Arts]
was initiated in 1904. Building sites were scarce and after mature consideration the one at
418-420 South 6th Street
was approved and finally selected.
The committee canvassed the situation and recommended that an assessment of $1,666.66 be placed against each
of the bodies. It was decided to call for subscriptions,
Comp. Herman Pierik leading off with the sum of $1,000.00. Pledges
were received of $500.00, $200.00 and one hundred and ten of $100.00 each. A great many others were
received from $75.00 down to $5.00, aggregating $40,000.00. It was decided as impracticable to remodel the
house as originally intended. This building was later sold for $1,000.00 which was turned into the building fund.
Bro. John I. Rinaker, Jr., of
Central Lodge was selected as the architect and he drew the plans for the present temple.
The corner-stone was laid with
appropriate Masonic services by the
Grand Lodge of Illinois with Bro. Alexander Hamilton Bell, grand master, of
Carlinville, presiding in 1908.
The cost of the building without the elevator was to be $50,000.00 but
with the elevator and changes suggested by the committee the cost of the
building was raised to $60,000.00.
Comp. Pierik devoted ten years to collecting the outstanding
pledges, collecting from the bodies their shares and redeeming them at maturity, all except $9,000.00.
This was finally cleared up twenty-seven years after commencement of the enterprise.
They later constructed a penthouse so that the elevator could run the full four stories.
The following is from
The Historic Sites Commission of Springfield Illinois,
the source of the photograph to the left:
“In 1960, the Masons built a large addition to the original building and placed a limestone and brick
façade to both buildings. Bill Turley was commissioned as the architect for the addition and renovation of
the Masonic Temple. Mr. Turley was also the architect for the YMCA and the Thomas Rees Memorial Tower and
Carillon. As part of the renovation, Mr. Turley utilized a limestone facade for the original building.”
From the
Hoogland Center for the Arts:
“Then in 2001, through the generous gift of Carolyn Oxtoby and Stephen Bartholf, the Masonic Temple was
purchased, and the not-for-profit organization Springfield Arts Center, Inc. began its quest to
transfigure the facility into the Center for the Arts. Additional funding was secured from the
Illinois Arts Council for architectural planning and consultation. Recognizing the immense public benefit
this project held for the people of Springfield, the
State of Illinois awarded a grant of $5.5 million to begin the renovation. Disbursement of state monies
came in 2003, and renovation work began almost immediately.”
Click here to see the former chapter hall. |
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Sterling Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)


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Located at 113½ West 3rd Street,
Sterling’s Masonic Temple was the home of
Sterling Chapter No. 57
until their 2009 merger into Nachusa Chapter No. 56 in
Dixon.
Notice the lights bearing the symbols to indicate the various Masonic organisations in the temple, including the
triple-tau, equilateral triangle, and circle, representing the supreme degree of Holy Royal Arch Mason,
and thus Sterling Chapter No. 57.
These photographs were captured by
Wikimedia user IvoShandor.
Click here to see
more. |
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Stockton Masonic Temple
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Located at
117 North Main Street,
Stockton Masonic Temple is the home of
Stockton Chapter No. 248, whose convocations are held on the
third Monday in January, March, May, June, September, & November, at 7:30 p.m.
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview.
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Streator Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
122 North Park Street,
Streator’s Masonic Temple was the home of
Streator Chapter No. 168 until its 2009 merger into
Shabbona Chapter No. 37 of
Ottawa.
This photograph was captured by J. A. Brown, and comes to us through the courtesy of
Image Community. |
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Sullivan – Royal Arch Memorial Hospital (in memoriam)
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A temple of mercy built in 1915 and expanded in 1973, the Royal Arch Memorial Hospital served the residents of
Mason Point (formerly the Illinois Masonic Home) at
Sullivan,
and was the official
philanthropic concern
of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of the State of Illinois, until 2006 when the hospital was converted to a
Medicare facility by the
Grand Lodge of Illinois,
in preparation for divesting itself of Mason Point. The hospital was a fifty-bed
(all private rooms) facility, providing intermediate level nursing care. |
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Sumner’s former Masonic building (no chapter at present) |
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Located at the
southeast corner of Christy and South Avenues,
Sumner's former Masonic building was the home of
Harmony Chapter No. 35 from the time of their
10 August 1870 removal from
Lawrenceville.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The chapter merged into
Henry Godeke Chapter No. 38, then of
Olney, on 21 July 1995.
The combined chapter removed to
Bridgeport on 26 May 2008.
This building was deconsecrated when
Sumner Lodge No. 334
left the building in favour of a smaller, more manageable temple, two lots to the east, at
131 East South Avenue.
The first image was captured by
Google Streetview.
The second image is a vintage postcard in the collection of
WorthPoint. |
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Taylorville Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
114 East Franklin Street
Taylorville's Masonic Temple was the home of
Taylorville Chapter No. 102.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The chapter merged into
Pana Chapter No. 115
on 28 May 1976. The combined chapter merged into
Jackson Chapter No. 55, of
Shelbyville, on 14 December 1967.
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Toulon’s 1883 Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Following the 17 May 1877 fire that destroyed Toulon's original Masonic Hall
near the
Methodist church, facing Henderson Street, a new Masonic hall was constructed on the town square, at
205 West Main Street,
in 1883.
See
Toulon's 125th Celebration Corp., Toulon's 125th Anniversary Historical Booklet, 1841-1966, Toulon (Ill.): Toulon's 125th Celebration Corp. (1966).
The temple was home to
Wyoming Chapter No. 133 until they merged into
Kewanee Chapter No. 47 of
Kewanee on 8 October 1959.
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Tuscola Masonic Temple
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Located at
105½ North Main Street,
Tuscola’s Masonic Temple is the home of
Tuscola Chapter No. 66 whose
convocations are held on the first Monday in March, June, September & December, at 7:30 p.m..
This photograph was captured by
Waymarking user gladtobehere. |
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Urbana’s 1858 Gere Hall (no chapter at present)
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The first meeting place of Urbana Chapter No. 80 was Gere Hall, located above
Clapp & Gere Dry Goods, at
104 East Main Street,
two doors down from the east end of the so-called "Gere Block" of commercial buildings constructed in 1859 by
Johnny Gere.
The building was severely damaged by the
Urbana fire of 9 October 1871
while
Chicago and
Peshtigo
simultaneously burned. It was rendered uninhabitable but was eventually
salvaged with a new façade.
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Urbana’s Odd Fellows Hall (in memoriam)
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Following the
Urbana fire of 9 October 1871,
Urbana Chapter No. 80 relocated one block east
to the third floor of the
Odd Fellows Hall at
201 East Main Street.
The site on which the Odd Fellows Hall stood now hosts a bank.
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Urbana’s 1871 Tiernan Building (no chapter at present) |
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In 1889,
Urbana Lodge No. 157
purchased the Tiernan Building, at
115 West Main Street,
where the lodge and
Urbana Chapter No. 80 moved into the former
Busey's Opera Hall on the third storey.
The ground floor and second storey were, respectively, commercial space and offices, leased to
various concerns over the years. In the early twentieth century, the building was significantly
remodelled and gained a new, generally classical revival façade, culminating with a rededication by
M.W. Grand Master Henry T. Burnap on 14 November 1914. The Beaux-arts parapet was discovered in
early 1950s to be structurally unsound, and was replaced in 1953 by architects
Royer and Davis
with a simpler design which complimented the classical revival style below it.
Click
here to read the City of Urbana's page about the Tiernan Building, which the city considers one of
their 100 most significant buildings.
Click here to read Masonic author Todd E. Creason's page about the building.
Urbana Chapter No. 80 merged into
Champaign Chapter No. 50, of
Champaign, on 11 September 1983
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Vicksburg (Mississippi) Masonic Temple (in memoriam)
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Formerly located at the
corner of Grove and Washington Streets, in Vicksburg, Mississippi,
this temple was constructed in
1848 and
razed in 1973 as part of an
urban renewal plan. As one can see in an
aerial view,
the land is still vacant.
For one month in early 1864, the temple was the temporary home of
Asboth Military Chapter UD to whom a dispensation was issued in
1863 by the
Grand Royal Arch Chapter of the State of Illinois.
The chapter was officered by civilians attached to the military work at
Columbus,
Kentucky, where it existed from
6 July 1863 until
20 January 1864,
when it was moved to Vicksburg, and it met there from 28 January to
24 February 1864. The
Grand High Priest, Hiram W. Hubbard, went with the chapter to
Vicksburg, Mississippi. He said upon arrival:
We found the Masonic Temple under control of the Military Authorities. The Lodge room was occupied by three Military Lodges, the
Chapter room by the Military Commission, who cheerfully gave way. We found several Royal Arch Masons there from Illinois, and a number
of the former officers and members of Vicksburg Chapter No. 3, who rendered every assistance in their power by furnishing robes, jewels and
fixtures, and aiding in the work.
The simple yet substantial building, an example of late
Georgian architecture, had
cast-iron
lintels, brick
pilasters and
cornices. The brick
entablature consisted of a wide capitular
architrave and
frieze, and a
cornice with
dentils ran across the east and south sides.
The second photograph shows a close-up of the large stone inset on the west side, between the second and third floors. It bears a
Square and Compasses,
within a capitular archway, flanked by a level and
plumb.
The third photograph shows the south entrance at 717 Grove Street, which had been converted into a window. It features a
capitular architrave, the keystone
of which is inscribed with the Square and Compasses.
The fourth photograph shows the east and south sides. The white × in the background, less than two blocks west, marks the
Illinois Central Railroad tracks.
Click here to see the interior of the lodge/chapter hall.
These photographs were produced in
1972, by the
Library of Congress' Historic American Buildings Survey,
a year before the building's demolition.
Click
here to see the complete file on the temple. |
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Virden’s American Legion Hall

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Located at
118 South Dye Street, Virden,
Virden’s American Legion Hall has been the home of
Girard Chapter No. 132 since the
closure of the
Girard Masonic Temple.
The chapter's convocations are held on the second Wednesday evening of each month,
at 8:30 p.m., less July and August when the chapter is dark.
The image to the left comes to us from
the City of Virden.
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Waukegan’s 1982 Masonic Temple

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Since 1982, Waukegan’s current Masonic Temple, located at
127 North Genesee Street,
has been the home of
Waukegan Chapter No. 41
whose convocations are held on the third Tuesday evening of each month.
The temple has two entrances, being accessible from both Genesee Street and from
the municipal parking lot abutting the temple's south face.
These photographs were captured by Companion David Miley on 8 May 2010. |
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Waukegan’s 1920 former Masonic temple (no chapter at present)
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Having outgrown the earlier Masonic temple at the
corner of Sheridan Road and Washington Street, Waukegan's temple association
purchased the former "Dickinson property" at
220 North Sheridan Road,
from William I. and Charles R. Lyon
in March 1919.
This new temple was designed by
E.E. Roberts
and constructed by
Hanson Brothers
for US$136,000, with the cornerstone being laid on
24 April 1920. In the mean time, the old temple was sold on 2 February 1920 to
Samuel Schwartz for US$21,500 and a lease pending completion of this new temple. The earlier
temple's third floor Masonic hall became
Congregation Am Echod's synagogue.
See:
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City of Waukegan, Department of Planning and Zoning, Historic Preservation Commission: "Waukegan Masonic Temple";
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Landmarks Illinois: "Old Masonic Temple, 220 North Sheridan Road, Waukegan, (E.E. Roberts, 1920-21)";
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Congregation Am Echod: "Congregation Am Echod History 1896 - 2006";
This temple was the home of
Waukegan Chapter No. 41 from 1921 until
its sale in 1982, at which time the chapter and Waukegan's other Masonic organisations
established a
new temple on Genesee Street,
where convocations are held on the third Tuesday evening of each month.
The 1920 temple remains abandoned and in an increasingly poor state of disrepair.
See:
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City of Waukegan, Department of Planning and Zoning, Historic Preservation Commission: "Waukegan Masonic Temple";
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Landmarks Illinois: "Old Masonic Temple, 220 North Sheridan Road, Waukegan, (E.E. Roberts, 1920-21)";
•
Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
The second image is a vintage photograph available from the
Waukegan Historical Society.
The third picture, depicting the temple's cornerstone, was captured by
Flickr contributor hannibal1107. |
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West Chicago’s 1891-1926 Masonic Hall (in memoriam)
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In 1890, Norris and Son erected a building on
112 Main Street
for their new furniture and undertaking establishments
and added a third floor for the Masonic Hall.
The hall was used by
Doric Chapter No. 166
from January 1891 until the summer of 1926.
See
Nils L. Kullman, "Our History", West Chicago (Ill.): Amity Lodge No. 472 (1966);
Norris-Walen-Segert Funeral Home, "History: Our Story".
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West Chicago’s 1870-1876 Masonic Hall (in memoriam)
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West Chicago's so-called "Volls Block", a two-storey, brick
commercial building, was constructed in 1870. It only briefly
housed
Doric Chapter No. 166.
The chapter was chartered 29 October 1875, and Voll's block was
consumed by fire in January, 1876.
See
Nils L. Kullman, "Our History", West Chicago (Ill.): Amity Lodge No. 472 (1966);
Combination Atlas Map of Du Page County, Illinois, Compiled, Drawn and Published From Personal Examinations and Surveys by Thompson Bros. and Burr, Elgin (Ill.): Thompson Bros. and Burr (1874).
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Western Springs Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at 1215 Chestnut Street,
Western Springs’ Masonic Temple was the home of
Three Pillars Chapter No. 280,
Illinois’ last weekday daylight chapter
(Jackson Chapter No. 55 in
Shelbyville
continues to meet on the 2nd Saturday morning). Three Pillars' companions found getting a lunch-time
quorum increasingly impracticable, finally merged the chapter into
West Suburban Chapter No. 207 in
Downers Grove on 10 June 2010. Not only was West
Suburban Chapter geographically closest, but the two chapters shared a substantial
overlap in membership.
The temple was constructed in 1893 as a meeting house of the
Religious Society of Friends (a/k/a "Quakers").
The property was subsequently acquired by the First
United Methodist Church.
In 1951, the church built a new stone structure downtown, and their former home was
re-consecrated as the Western Springs Masonic Temple. In addition to reconfiguring
the chapel into a lodge / chapter hall, the brethren excavated a basement and
constructed a fellowship hall therein.
Click here to see the chapter hall.
The photograph is presented through the courtesy of
Three Pillars Chapter No. 280.
The painting hangs on the wall in the chapter hall. |
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Wheaton Masonic Temple
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Located at 120 West Wesley Street,
Wheaton’s Masonic Temple is the home of
Wheaton Chapter No. 242
whose convocations are held on the second Monday evening of each month.
This photograph was captured by Companion David Miley. |
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Wilmette Masonic Temple

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Located at
1010 Central Avenue,
Wilmette’s Masonic Temple is the home of
Wilmette Chapter No. 253
whose convocations are held on the second Tuesday evening of each month.
Designed by architect
Arthur Howell Knox (1880-1973),
the cornerstone was laid in 1925, and the exterior is composed chiefly of yellow
brick which compliments the surrounding community of largely Victorian and prairie-influenced craftsman style homes.
The west wall features a trio of modest, Masonic themed stained glass windows.
These photographs were captured by Companion David Miley on 13 November 2010. |
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Wilmington’s 1989 Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
311 North Main Street,
Wilmington's Masonic temple was home to
Wilmington Chapter No. 142.
See Evert E. Lawson (ed.),
1968-1969 Masonic Directory: A Listing of Masonic Lodges and Appendant Bodies in Illinois,
Glenwood, Illinois: Temple Publishers (1968).
Wilmington Chapter merged into
Kankakee Chapter No. 78, of
Kankakee,
on 30 July 2004.
The chapter's earlier temple stood on the same lot and, quite atypically, was owned by the chapter.
Wilmington Chapter of Royal Arch Masons No. 142.
The earlier temple was built as an Episcopal church in 1867 at a cost of US$7,000; and was long
disused and in a poor state of repair when
Wilmington Chapter purchased it for a mere US$600 in 1903. The chapter spent another US$473.43 on repairs,
and it was consecrated as a Masonic temple on 21 October 1904. The chapter sold the deed to the
Temple Association for a pro forma US$1.00 in preparation for razing that temple and
constructing the current building.
See
Wilmington Lodge No. 208,
A History of Wilmington Lodge No. 208, A. F. & A. M., Prepared for the Re-dedication and Sesquicentennial Celebration, November 10 & 11, 2006,
Wilmington, Illinois: Wilmington Lodge No. 208 (2006).
The first photograph to the left was captured by
Bing.
The second photograph comes to us from
Wilmington Lodge No. 208. |
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Yates City Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
102 East Main Street,
Yates City Masonic Temple was the home of
Eureka Chapter No. 98, until the chapter's
relocation to
Canton.
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview.
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Yorkville Masonic Temple (no chapter at present)
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Located at
214 South Bridge Street,
Yorkville Masonic Temple was the home of
Aurora Chapter No. 22, until the chapter's 2012 relocation
back to Aurora.
The image to the left was captured by
Google Streetview.
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