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Masonic Temple (Chicago)
Encyclopedia
The Masonic Temple Building was a skyscraper
built in Chicago
, Illinois
in 1892. Designed by the firm of Burnham and Root
and built at the northeast corner of Randolph and State Streets
, the building rose 22 stories. When the clock tower was removed from the 1885 Board of Trade Building
in 1895, the Masonic Temple became the tallest in the city.
The building featured a central court ringed by nine floors of shops with offices above and meeting rooms for the Masons
at the very top. These meeting rooms also served as theaters, which contributed to the building's obsolescence; its elevators proved inadequate for these crowds, and the building rapidly fell from favor with commercial tenants.
Chicago's building height regulations, enacted in 1892, did not allow taller building until the 1920s. In 1939, the Masonic Temple was demolished, in part due to its poor internal services, but also due to the construction of the new State Street subway, which would have necessitated expensive foundation retrofitting. A two-story "taxpayer" housing a Walgreens
drug store was erected in its place, and the Joffrey Tower
currently stands on the former site of this building.
Both the building's primary designer, John Wellborn Root
, and the Masons' primary representative, Norman Gassette, died of natural causes during its construction.
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
built in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
in 1892. Designed by the firm of Burnham and Root
Burnham and Root
Burnham and Root was the name of the company that John Wellborn Root and Daniel Hudson Burnham established as one of Chicago's most famous architectural companies of the nineteenth century....
and built at the northeast corner of Randolph and State Streets
State Street (Chicago)
State Street is a large south-north street in Chicago, Illinois, USA and its south suburbs. It begins on the Near North Side at North Avenue. For much of its course, it lies between Wabash Avenue on the east and Dearborn Street/Lafayette Avenue on the west...
, the building rose 22 stories. When the clock tower was removed from the 1885 Board of Trade Building
Chicago Board of Trade Building
The Chicago Board of Trade Building is a skyscraper located in :Chicago, Illinois, United States. It stands at 141 W. Jackson Boulevard at the foot of the LaSalle Street canyon, in the Loop community area in Cook County. Built in 1930 and first designated a Chicago Landmark on May 4, 1977, the...
in 1895, the Masonic Temple became the tallest in the city.
The building featured a central court ringed by nine floors of shops with offices above and meeting rooms for the Masons
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...
at the very top. These meeting rooms also served as theaters, which contributed to the building's obsolescence; its elevators proved inadequate for these crowds, and the building rapidly fell from favor with commercial tenants.
Chicago's building height regulations, enacted in 1892, did not allow taller building until the 1920s. In 1939, the Masonic Temple was demolished, in part due to its poor internal services, but also due to the construction of the new State Street subway, which would have necessitated expensive foundation retrofitting. A two-story "taxpayer" housing a Walgreens
Walgreens
Walgreen Co. , doing business as Walgreens , is the largest drugstore chain in the United States of America. As of August 31st, the company operates 8,210 locations across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1901, and has since expanded...
drug store was erected in its place, and the Joffrey Tower
Joffrey Tower
The Joffrey Tower is a high-rise commercial real estate development on the northeast corner of North State Street and East Randolph Street in the Loop community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States that is the permanent home of the Joffrey Ballet...
currently stands on the former site of this building.
Both the building's primary designer, John Wellborn Root
John Wellborn Root
John Wellborn Root was an American architect who worked out of Chicago with Daniel Burnham. He was one of the founders of the Chicago School style...
, and the Masons' primary representative, Norman Gassette, died of natural causes during its construction.
External links
- World's Tallest Skyscrapers
- A City Under One Roof—The Masonic Temple, Chicago – Scientific American, February 10, 1894.