Detroit Masonic Temple
Encyclopedia
The Detroit Masonic Temple is the world's largest Masonic Temple
. Located in the Cass Corridor
of Detroit, Michigan
, at 500 Temple Street, the building serves as a home to various masonic
organizations including the York Rite
Sovereign College of North America
. The Masonic Temple Theatre is a venue for concerts, Broadway
shows, and other special events in the Detroit Theater District. Architect George Mason designed the theatre which contains a 55 feet (16.8 m)-by-100-foot stage. Detroit Masonic Temple was designed in the neo-gothic architectural style
, using a great deal of limestone
. The cornerstone was placed on September 19, 1922, using the same trowel that George Washington
had used to set the cornerstone of the United States Capitol
in Washington D.C.. The building was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day, 1926. The building contains 14 floors, stands 210 ft (64 m) tall, and has 1037 units/rooms inside. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980, and it is also a contributing property in the Cass Park Historic District
.
The Detroit Masonic Temple is the largest Masonic Temple
in the world. The Masonic Temple Theatre used to seat 5,000. However due to poor sight lines along the sides of the stage (the auditorium has a horseshoe shaped auditorium, rather than a fan shaped auditorium of most theatres), and obstructed views (pillars), nearly 600 seats are never sold or have been removed. So maximum seating becomes 4,404. This is one of the finest theatres in the United States. The large complex includes a 14-story 210 feet (64 m) ceremonial building connected to a 10-story Shrine Club by the 7-story Auditorium Building. In between are a 1,586-seat Scottish Rite
Cathedral, a 17500 square feet (1,625.8 m²) drill hall used for trade shows, conventions, Detroit Derby Girls roller derby bouts, and a floating floor, plus two ballroom
s—one of which measures 17264 square feet (1,603.9 m²) and accommodates up to 1,000 people. There is also an unfinished theatre in the top floor of the tower that was never completed, and would seat about 900. It is used for storage.
The complex is located in an area known as Cass Corridor
, across Temple Street from Cass Park, and can be seen from Cass Tech. The Detroit Masonic Temple was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1980.
Architect George Mason designed the theatre, which contains a 55 feet (16.8 m)-by-100-foot stage. Detroit Masonic Temple was designed in the neo-gothic architectural style
, and is faced with Indiana limestone
. Although there are few Masonic buildings in the Gothic style, the architect believed that Gothic best exemplified Masonic traditions.
Much of the stone, plaster and metal work in the interior of the building was designed and executed by architectural sculptor
Corrado Parducci
. The three figures over the main entrance were by Leo Friedlander
while the rest of the considerable architectural sculpture on the exterior was by Bill Gehrke.
Masonic Temple
Masonic Temple is a term commonly used in Freemasonry with multiple but related meanings. It is used to describe an abstract spiritual goal, the conceptual ritualistic space formed when a Masonic Lodge meets, and the physical rooms and structures in which a Lodge meets...
. Located in the Cass Corridor
Cass corridor
The Cass Corridor, in Detroit, Michigan contains the Cass Park Historic Districtand the Cass-Davenport Historic District. The corridor's main street is Cass Avenue, which runs parallel with Woodward Avenue, a main Detroit artery running north towards suburban neighborhoods...
of Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, at 500 Temple Street, the building serves as a home to various masonic
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
organizations including the York Rite
York Rite
The York Rite or American Rite is one of several Rites of the worldwide fraternity known as Freemasonry. A Rite is a series of progressive degrees that are conferred by various Masonic organizations or bodies, each of which operates under the control of its own central authority...
Sovereign College of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The Masonic Temple Theatre is a venue for concerts, Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
shows, and other special events in the Detroit Theater District. Architect George Mason designed the theatre which contains a 55 feet (16.8 m)-by-100-foot stage. Detroit Masonic Temple was designed in the neo-gothic architectural style
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
, using a great deal of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
. The cornerstone was placed on September 19, 1922, using the same trowel that George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
had used to set the cornerstone of the United States Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
in Washington D.C.. The building was dedicated on Thanksgiving Day, 1926. The building contains 14 floors, stands 210 ft (64 m) tall, and has 1037 units/rooms inside. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1980, and it is also a contributing property in the Cass Park Historic District
Cass Park Historic District
Cass Park Historic District is a historic district in Detroit, Michigan, comprising the streets of Temple, Ledyard, and 2nd, surrounding Cass Park. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005....
.
History
The Masonic Temple Association was incorporated in Detroit in 1894. It moved into its first temple, on Lafayette Boulevard at First Street, in 1896. Outgrowing these quarters, the Association purchased land on Bagg Street (now Temple Avenue) to build a new temple that would also include a public theatre. Fund-raising for construction of the building raised $2.5 million, and ground-breaking took place on Thanksgiving Day, 1920.Architecture
Masonic Temple
Masonic Temple is a term commonly used in Freemasonry with multiple but related meanings. It is used to describe an abstract spiritual goal, the conceptual ritualistic space formed when a Masonic Lodge meets, and the physical rooms and structures in which a Lodge meets...
in the world. The Masonic Temple Theatre used to seat 5,000. However due to poor sight lines along the sides of the stage (the auditorium has a horseshoe shaped auditorium, rather than a fan shaped auditorium of most theatres), and obstructed views (pillars), nearly 600 seats are never sold or have been removed. So maximum seating becomes 4,404. This is one of the finest theatres in the United States. The large complex includes a 14-story 210 feet (64 m) ceremonial building connected to a 10-story Shrine Club by the 7-story Auditorium Building. In between are a 1,586-seat Scottish Rite
Scottish Rite
The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry , commonly known as simply the Scottish Rite, is one of several Rites of the worldwide fraternity known as Freemasonry...
Cathedral, a 17500 square feet (1,625.8 m²) drill hall used for trade shows, conventions, Detroit Derby Girls roller derby bouts, and a floating floor, plus two ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
s—one of which measures 17264 square feet (1,603.9 m²) and accommodates up to 1,000 people. There is also an unfinished theatre in the top floor of the tower that was never completed, and would seat about 900. It is used for storage.
The complex is located in an area known as Cass Corridor
Cass corridor
The Cass Corridor, in Detroit, Michigan contains the Cass Park Historic Districtand the Cass-Davenport Historic District. The corridor's main street is Cass Avenue, which runs parallel with Woodward Avenue, a main Detroit artery running north towards suburban neighborhoods...
, across Temple Street from Cass Park, and can be seen from Cass Tech. The Detroit Masonic Temple was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1980.
Architect George Mason designed the theatre, which contains a 55 feet (16.8 m)-by-100-foot stage. Detroit Masonic Temple was designed in the neo-gothic architectural style
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
, and is faced with Indiana limestone
Indiana Limestone
Indiana Limestone, also known as Bedford Limestone is a common regional term for Salem limestone, a geological formation primarily quarried in south central Indiana between Bloomington and Bedford....
. Although there are few Masonic buildings in the Gothic style, the architect believed that Gothic best exemplified Masonic traditions.
Much of the stone, plaster and metal work in the interior of the building was designed and executed by architectural sculptor
Architectural sculpture
Architectural sculpture is the term for the use of sculpture by an architect and/or sculptor in the design of a building, bridge, mausoleum or other such project...
Corrado Parducci
Corrado Parducci
Corrado Giuseppe Parducci was an Italian-American architectural sculptor who was a celebrated artist for his numerous early 20th Century works.-Early life and education:...
. The three figures over the main entrance were by Leo Friedlander
Leo Friedlander
Leo Friedlander was an American sculptor who has made several prominent works. Friedlander studied at the Art Students League in New York City, the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Brussels and Paris and the American Academy in Rome...
while the rest of the considerable architectural sculpture on the exterior was by Bill Gehrke.