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1
Identifying Histor ical Masonic
Temples in Michigan
Through Unique Architectural Stylization Despite Different Architectural Styles (1890-1930)
BY Br ian J. Shorkey PM
2
Abstract Before World War II and the technical innovations that allowed for mass produced houses and buildings, structures were built using architectural styles that reflected the popular fashions of their times. These included the Neoclassical, Romanesque, Gothic, and Italianate, which were popular at different times within the United States and carried over into Michigan. The Masonic Temples that were built during these times also display these same architectural styles. However, among historical structures in the State of Michigan, Masonic structures are unique. There is a series of architectural stylizations that are unique to Masonic structures in the State of Michigan. These stylizations appear consistently through a forty-year period from 1890 to 1930, regardless of the architectural style of the structure itself. This paper will demonstrate that several architectural stylizations, which in combination with each other are unique to Masonic structures, continuously appear, despite the changing architectural styles. These stylizations can be used as a diagnostic tool to identify historical Masonic Temples in the State of Michigan.
Introduction In 1764, a group of British military off icers in Detroit, all of whom were
Freemasons, were warranted by the Grand Lodge of New York to form a Masonic Lodge.
That Lodge was not just the first Lodge in the territory that would later become the state
of Michigan, but was the first American Lodge west of the Allegany Mountains 1. From
that small beginning, Freemasonry, or simply Masonry, continued to grow in the
Michigan territory, and later as the State of Michigan, as people continued to immigrate
into Michigan. Houses, courthouses, stores, and downtowns flourished throughout the
state during the 19th century, and people also built Masonic Temples.
Before World War II and the technical innovations that allowed for mass
produced houses and buildings, structures were built using architectural styles that
reflected the popular fashions of their times. These included the Neoclassical,
Romanesque, Gothic, and Italianate, which were popular at different times within the
United States and carried over into Michigan. The Masonic Temples that were built
during these times also display these same architectural styles. However, among
historical structures in the State of Michigan, Masonic structures are unique. There is a
series of architectural stylizations that are unique to Masonic structures in the State of
1 Information from the website of the Grand Lodge of Masons of the State of Michigan (www.gl-mi.org).
3
Michigan. These stylizations appear consistently through a forty-year period from 1890
to 1930, regardless of the architectural style of the structure itself.
This paper will demonstrate that several architectural stylizations, which in
combination with each other are unique to Masonic structures, continuously appear,
despite the changing architectural styles. These stylizations can be used as a diagnostic
tool to identify historical Masonic Temples in the State of Michigan.
Freemasonry: A Br ief Background
According to the Grand Lodge of Masons in the State of Michigan, Freemasonry,
or simply Masonry, is, “ . . . a preeminent organization for men of quality, regardless of
race, religion or creed, consistently delivering, by symbols, allegory and example, a
moral code founded on the highest standards of ethics, honesty and strength of character,
a fraternal organization committed to charity, true fellowship and brotherly love under
the Fatherhood of God; and a relevant organization dedicated to delighting, involving and
educating members and their families in the community, where the lodge is a vibrant,
respected and contributing part of community li fe.” 1According to a 2000 report from the
Michigan Grand Lodge off ices, Masonry in Michigan consists of 377 local Lodges with
approximately 58,000 members. Nationwide, Masonry and its appendent bodies, such as
the Shriners, the Scottish Rite, the Knights Templars, the Eastern Stars, and its youth
groups, donate approximately $2.4 milli on per day to charities throughout the United
States 2.
All of the local Lodges meet in a variety of different structures. Some of these
structures are historical and date from the turn of the 20th century; some have been built
very recently. Some of these structures are converted from other uses while some were
built by and for Masons. The whole collection of structures in Michigan, 318 in total,
can be divided into two groups: those that are historical in age and those that are not,
historical for this paper being defined as pre-1930.
This group can be divided again, into those structures that were not originally
built for a Masonic Lodge and were later adapted to Masonic purposes and those that
1 www.gl-mi.org 2 www.gl-mi.org
4
were originally built for Masons. That second group, historical Masonic structures, can
then be divided one more time. One group of these structures was designed to have the
meeting quarters on the second or third floor of the structure while retail existed on the
ground level. This is a common arrangement in downtown areas. The other group
consists of those structures that were built as stand alone Masonic structures, i.e., a
structure that is built i ndependent of other purposes and unconnected to other structures.
These are the structures that this paper is concerned with.
This paper specifically looks at seven Masonic buildings around that state. All
demonstrate the use of the characteristic stylizations. These seven structures were chosen
for their geographic distribution and their Masonic significance. They were chosen from
a list of respondents that responded to the author’s request for information in the fall of
1999 via a mailed out survey. Surveys were sent to all 377 Lodges in the state of
Michigan. There was a 67% response rate. The seven structures surveyed in this paper
were chosen from those returned surveys.
Other Masonic structures from the same era, such as the one in Dearborn, do
display the same characteristic stylizations. These stylizations can also be seen on former
similarly aged Masonic structures that are now used for other purposes. An example of
this is the former Ypsilanti Masonic Temple that now houses a community theater.
Stylizations Defined
A distinction needs to be drawn here between the words “stylization” and “style”.
A style is the overall exterior design of a structure and is composed of certain defining
characteristics, i.e., it is architecturally definable. Style is akin to fashion. A stylization
is simply a component of the structure that makes it unique. As an example, one style of
structure is the Italianate. One of the stylizations that makes the Italianate a unique style
are the bracketed cornices under the roof overhang.1
What makes the Masonic stylizations described in this paper noteworthy is that
they are not characteristics of the structures’ styles, but are characteristics of the Masons
themselves. It is as though the Masons, in constructing their structures, have projected
1 McClellan, Marshall , April , 1999, Class Lecture
5
their influences outward and made them solid manifestations to be seen on their
structures.
There are five unique stylizations that the author has identified that appear
indiscriminately on the architectural styles. Individually, there is nothing unique about
these stylizations. However, in Masonic structures are they found in combination with
each other, which is not commonly seen in other types of structures. Those characteristic
stylizations are an east-west orientation, the rectangular appearance of the structure, the
use of large blocks along the base, the incorporation of columns and/or pilasters, and the
use of brick on the exterior. Four of the stylizations are found on six of the seven
structures. The fifth one, the use of brick on the exterior, is found on all seven.
Most of the stylization of Masonic structures is derived from various themes
found from the ritual work of the Masons themselves. By ritual work is meant the
lectures that are given to candidates as they are brought through the first three degrees
that are necessary for full membership in a Masonic Lodge in Michigan. These lectures
generally serve to tell the mythological history of the Masonic order and, more
importantly, to convey certain moral truths through the use of symbolism related to the
medieval stonemason guilds.
One of the most pervasive themes of the Masonic ritual is the building of King
Solomon’s Temple, a biblical story that is used as a metaphor to encourage members to
“build their own moral . . . edifice”. Masons have taken this theme to heart and have
incorporated elements of King Solomon’s Temple into the construction of their own
structures. These include the east-west orientation, as King Solomon’s Temple is
supposed to have been oriented east-west. The east-west orientation also alludes to the
placement of the off icers within the Lodge room, with the Worshipful Master in the East
of the Lodge, and to the rising and setting of the sun.
It is the author’s contention that King Solomon’s Temple also influenced the use
of large, rectangular blocks and bricks in the external wall construction. A newly
initiated brother is told, in regards to King Solomon’s temple, that it was constructed of
blocks that were squared, hewn, and numbers at the quarries where they were raised. It
therefore makes sense that, if a Masonic structure was going to be modeled after King
6
Solomon’s Temple, that bricks and blocks that give the appearance of quarried stone
should be used.
In regards to the columns and pilasters, since Masonry has chosen to model
themselves after the stonemason craft, Freemasons have incorporated elements of
stonemasonry into their ritual. Part of this includes a description of the classical Greek
pill ars, the Doric, the Ionic, and the Corinthian. A large amount of space is devoted in
the early lectures about the Greek pill ars, which helps to explain their incorporation into
Masonic design.
Richardsonian Romanesque
In Virginia and Lee McAlester’s book A Field Guide to American Houses, the
Richardsonian Romanesque, dated roughly from 1880-1900, is identified by, “Round-
topped arches occurring over windows, porch supports, or entrance; masonry walls,
usually with rough-faced, squared stonework; most have towers witch are normally round
with conical roofs; façade usually asymmetrical” 1. This is an almost perfect description
of the Bay City Masonic Temple (Figure 1).
The Bay City structure is the oldest structure surveyed in this paper. Located in
downtown Bay City, it was built i n 1895. It is a registered Michigan Historic Landmark.
Originally built as to house the Bay City Valley of the Scottish Rite, it now houses two
Masonic Lodges2.
This structure closely matches the McAlesters’ description of a Romanesque
design, although it is lacking the tower. Except for the circular window on the second
story over the door, the windows all i nclude rounded arches, including the half-circle
window directly over the entryway. The exterior is indeed made of masonry, including
the rough-faced and squared stonework. Finally, the façade is asymmetrical.
The distinctive columns are noticeable. However, instead of being built i nto the
walls to look as though they are holding up part of the structure as they are in the Neo-
Classical structures, they are incorporated into the entry way and look as though they are
supporting the arch over the door. The columns have been arranged in such a way as to
1 McAlester, Virginia & Lee, A Field Guide to American Houses, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1984 2 Tomkinson, Donald L., December 1999, Survey Response
7
give the optical ill usion that they line the stairs leading up to the doors, yet they do not,
and are actually attached to the walls on either side of the doors.
The other Masonic stylizations that appear on the Bay City Masonic Temple are
the east-west orientation and the rectangular appearance. While the rectangular
appearance of the structure is noticeable in the other structures in this paper, this feature
is unique in Bay City because of its architectural style. Because it is Romanesque, unlike
every other structure addressed in this paper, this structure is asymmetrical. There is an
appendage on the south side of the façade, which is clearly seen in Figure 1. The
appendage runs along the entire side of the structure. The base is composed of a series of
brick pill ars and arches that run along the south side of the structure and beside the
sidewalk.
There are also several unique features of this structure that are not found
elsewhere. Missing from this structure are the large blocks at the base, the only one of
the five unique Masonic stylizations to be missing. Those large blocks have been
replaced by basement windows, which, although present in some of the other structures,
are not as prominent as they are in Bay City.
Neoclassical
The McAlesters identify the Neoclassical as being in favor in the years 1895-
1950. They say it is identifiable by, “Façade dominated by full -height porch with roof
supported by classical columns; columns typically have Ionic or Corinthian capitals;
façade shows symmetrically balanced windows and center door” 1. There are four
structures in this paper that fit that description; although they all l ack the full -height
porch, which is more common in Neoclassical houses than in public structures, their
columns are full -height. The first one is located in Manistee.
The Manistee Masonic Temple (Figure 2) was built i n 1909 and is located in the
Manistee Downtown District, which has been designated as a Historical District by the
State of Michigan2.
1 McAlester 2 Picardat, Dale L., December 1999, Survey Response
8
All diagnostics are evident, although somewhat individualized. The columns are
clearly seen between the windows, but they are not any of the classical Greek pill ars.
This structure incorporates pilasters instead of the classical Greek pill ars. Large blocks
make up the base of the structure, as well as mark a division between the top two-thirds
and bottom one-third of the structure. The exterior is constructed of red brick. Although
somewhat obscured in the picture, a post and lintel construction supporting a Greek
pediment surround the front entrance door. There is adornment around the top of the
structure, giving it a more ornamental look than it would otherwise have, but this
structure still maintains the stout, strong look that is typical of the structures surveyed.
Finally, the building displays the east-west orientation.
The next structure is the Flint Masonic Temple (Figure 3). It was built i n 1911
and is also located in the local downtown area. It is a Michigan Historic Landmark and
plays a very active role in the community with its hall rentals and the restaurant that runs
out of its dining room during lunchtime 1.
The Flint Temple is more typical of what one finds in a Masonic structure, and it
too displays all five of the unique stylizations. The structure is oriented east-west. A
pediment is located over the door on the inside of the post and lintel construction that
surrounds the doorway. This typifies the “straight line” look of the entire structure. The
big block façade covers the entire bottom half of the structure. The top half incorporates
the use of Ionic columns. The structure is blocky, with thick walls. From the side, it
almost has the look of a fortress rather than a meeting place, especially with the small
windows on the southern side. Ionic columns are incorporated on the front wall , as well
as on the front half of the structure on the south and the north.
One interesting feature of this structure is the difference in the window styles
between the top and bottom halves of the structure, with the windows on the bottom
being formed into arches while the windows on the top are rectangular in shape. This
happens to match with the change in building material on the exterior walls. The more
ornate rounded windows are used on the bottom half of the structure where the large
1 Gordon, Bill y C., December 1999, Survey Response
9
blocks are incorporated. The less ornamental rectangular windows are used on the top
half where the building material is small brick.
The stylization of the Flint structure is almost exactly the same as what one finds
in Battle Creek (Figure 4). The Battle Creek Masonic Temple was built i n 1913 and is
located in downtown Battle Creek, which is a Michigan Historic District 1.
There is not as much of the big block façade here, but it is still evident along the
base, as well as at the base of the columns on the top two-thirds of the structure. Two
pilasters, forming a frame around the doorway, support a pediment. Fluted Ionic columns
dominate the top two-thirds of the front, which are more ornamental than the plain Ionic
columns found in Flint. It displays distinctive straight lines and sharp corners. As with
the Flint Temple, this structure is very solidly built and displays the same rectangular
appearance. However, with the added artistic touches it features, the Battle Creek
structure does not exhibit the same somewhat plain look that the Flint Masonic Temple
exhibits.
The last example of Neoclassical architecture is the Grand Rapids Masonic
Temple (Figure 5), which was built i n 1913 and is a very unique building. It was the first
structure built i n the State of Michigan that was designed to house all of the major
Masonic appendent bodies, which includes the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, and the
Shriners. Today, in addition to the Grand Lodge off ices, this structure houses the Valley
of Grand Rapids Scottish Rite, the Grand Rapids York Rite bodies, the Michigan
Masonic Library and Museum, and six different Masonic Lodges. In terms of Masonic
activity, the Grand Rapids structure is second only to Detroit’s in usage 2.
Almost all of the diagnostic features thus far discussed are evident in the Grand
Rapids structure. Immediately evident from the above photograph are the six ionic
columns, flanked on each side by two pilasters, adorning the top half of the structure.
The front door is surrounded by a post and lintel structure supporting a Greek pediment.
The base of the building is supported by the typical large blocks that have been evident in
the previous Neoclassical examples. The exterior of the structure is brick.
1 Welcher, Bruce, December 1999, Survey Response
2 Durham, Robert C., December 1999, Survey Response
10
Ornamentation adorns the top, but the blocky, stout look is still maintained. The only
diagnostic that is not evident is the east-west orientation. This is the only structure of the
seven surveyed for this paper where the building and the Lodge rooms orient north-south.
The reason for the north-south orientation is simply a matter of convenience. In
conversation with Al Bryant, curator of the Michigan Masonic Library and Museum,
located on the ground floor of the Grand Rapids Temple, it was learned that financial
considerations prompted a remodeling in 1986. Prior to that year, the expenditure of the
various Masonic bodies was forcing the members to look at the possibilit y of leaving
their building. What they did instead of abandoning their building was move the Lodge
rooms to two smaller rooms on upper floors and redesign the former Lodge rooms into
off ice space. The rooms that are now the Lodge rooms were originally designed and built
as north-south facing rooms. Therefore, it was simply more convenient to reorient the
Lodges and symbolically refer to the north side of their rooms as east. Today, the off ice
space produces 70% of the necessary income for the upkeep of the building 1.
Two Special Cases: Detroit And Nashvill e
The previous structures are good examples of Masonic architecture. However,
none of them compare with the Detroit Masonic Temple. The Detroit Temple (Figure 6)
is a true gem of a building, the likes of which are not found anywhere else in the world.
Dedicated in 1926, the Detroit Temple is the largest Masonic Temple in the
world. To quote the Detroit Masonic Temple Association’s website, “Dedicated
November 25, 1926, this 1037 room, 14 story building is unique among Masonic
buildings because all of the various Masonic bodies are housed in the same structure.
There are some twelve milli on cubic feet of space, making it the largest and most
complex building of its kind in the world.” 2
The building is a Registered Historic Landmark and is located in the downtown
area. The middle section of the structure houses a 5,000-seat theatre. The stage of that
theatre is the second largest in the city of Detroit. The east end of the structure consists
1 Bryant, Al, July 2001, Interview 2 Detroit Masonic Temple Association website, www.gl-mi.org/lodges/detroit-mta
11
of the Moslem Temple Shrine, which houses the Moslem Temple Shriners. The tower on
the west end of the structure is called the ritual tower. This is due to the fact that the
Masonic ritual work is done there. The ritual tower contains seven Lodge rooms, as well
as the 1,600-seat Scottish Rite Cathedral theatre. The whole structure is 15 stories high
and contains 12 milli on square feet of space. 1
The McAlesters define the Gothic Revival’s identifying features as, “Steeply
pitched roof, usually with steep cross gables (roof normally side-gabled, less commonly
front-gabled or hipped; rarely flat with castellated parapet); gables commonly have
decorated vergeboards; wall surface extending into gable without break (eave or trim
normally lacking beneath gable); windows commonly extend into gables, frequently
having pointed-arch (Gothic) shape; one-story porch (either entry or full -width) usually
present, commonly supported by flattened Gothic arches” 2. Figure 6 shows most of the
Gothic Revival features that the McAlesters describe. The roof on top of the ritual tower
is steeply pitched, especially in comparison with the flat roofed Masonic building so far
examined. The vergeboards are more common to Gothic Revival residential structures,
and are absent from the Detroit Temple, but the walls extending up to the roof, the
windows extending into the gables, and the pointed arches are all evident. This makes
the Detroit Masonic Temple a Gothic Revival structure. It is the only Masonic structure
of this type that the author has seen.
Most of the diagnostics that are described in this paper are evident. The Detroit
Temple is oriented east-west and runs parallel to the east-west running Temple Avenue.
The exterior walls have all been constructed out of brick. The front exterior wall on
Temple Street shows the typical big block façade. Although the focus of this paper is on
the outside of the buildings, it is interesting to note that the use of the big blocks
continues within the structure. They found in the entrance lobby, in the theatre lobby,
and in the Scottish Rite theater, which also incorporates the Gothic arches that are found
on the exterior.
1 Johns, Edwin P., December 1999, Survey Response 2 McAlester
12
The ironic thing about the Detroit Masonic Temple is that, while most Masons in
the state of Michigan think of it as the epitome of Masonic structures, it is almost entirely
anomalous. As stated above, the unique stylizations of the large blocks, the brick
exterior, and the east-west building orientation are present. However, this structure is
lacking the stout appearance or the large columns. Although the east-west building
orientation is present, with the ritual tower in the west and the Shriners' section in the
east, the Detroit Temple is still unique because the main entrance door is not on the west
entrance. Instead, it is on the south side along Temple Avenue. Once inside, one enters
the lobby of the Scottish Rite Cathedral Theatre, which is oriented east-west, as is the
Cathedral Theatre itself. However, the Lodge rooms on the upper floors are oriented
north-south, only the second example of north-south oriented Lodge rooms of those
surveyed for this paper. These factors arguably make this supreme example of Masonic
architecture the most unique Masonic structure in the world.
The Detroit Masonic Temple is an example of what the resources of several
groups and several people over a wide geographical area can accomplish. However, most
of the time, the Masons of an area constructed a building without that kind of f inancial
clout available for the construction of the Detroit Temple and found themselves having to
construct a plainer structure. The last structure to be looked at in this is an example of
how a Masonic Temple was put together in an area that was not as far reaching,
geographically or financially.
The Nashvill e Masonic structure (Figure 7) was built i n 1928, which is the most
recent structure in this paper. It is located in downtown Nashvill e and is active in the
Nashvill e community by being open to various church groups and being available for hall
rental 1.
It displays a somewhat minimalist approach to design that is more typical of what
is found in small town Temples. Despite that, this structure is still i dentifiable as a
Masonic Temple. All five of the unique Masonic stylizations are identifiable in this
structure. One can delineate the straight lines and sharp corners, and the rectangular look
of the structure. The east-west orientation has been incorporated into this structure’s
1 Felzke, Gerald L., December 1999, Survey Response
13
construction. Post and lintel stylization exists around the doorway, and serves to divide
the bottom half of the structure from the top half. The pilasters and beams are merely
protrusions from the front of the structure, but the columns are alluded to just the same.
The exterior is made up of brick, and the large blocks, although not really prominent, do
exist and serve to form a foundation to the whole structure.
Conclusion
What this paper has shown is that Masonic structures are an identifiable class of
structures in the State of Michigan from the time period of 1890 to 1930. If, after
examining a structure, the majority of the five unique stylizations are found, it can be
reasonably assumed that one is looking at a Masonic structure. Those five unique
stylizations are an east-west orientation, the use of brick on the exterior, the stout, almost
fortress-like, appearance of the structure, the use of large blocks along the base, and the
incorporation of columns or pilasters. Structures displaying these stylizations are
identifiable as Masonic and this is independent of the style of the structure, for this paper
has demonstrated that these stylizations are found on Romanesque, Neoclassical, and
Gothic structures. It is the author’s belief that he has developed a diagnostic for
determining historic Masonic structures in the State of Michigan.
FIGURE 1
Bay City Masonic Temple, c. 1895, Author’s Collection
14
FIGURE 2
Manistee Masonic Temple, c. 1909, Author ’s Collection
FIGURE 3
Flint Masonic Temple, c. 1911, Author ’s Collection
15
FIGURE 4
Batt le Creek Masonic Temple, c. 1913, Author ’s Collection
FIGURE 5
Grand Rapids Masonic Temple, c. 1913, Author ’s Collection
16
FIGURE 6
Detroit Masonic Temple, c. 1926, Detroit Masonic Temple Association (www.gl.mi.org/lodges/detroit-
mta/index1.html)
FIGURE 7
Nashvill e Masonic Temple, c. 1928, Author ’s Collection
17
References
McAlester, Virginia & Lee, A Field Guide to American Houses, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1984. Grand Lodge of the State of Michigan, available from http://www.gl-mi.org; Internet. Detroit Masonic Temple Association, available from http://www.gl-mi.org/lodges/detroit-mta; Internet. McClellan, Marshall , April , 1999, Class Lecture. Tomkinson, Donald L., December 1999, Survey Response. Picardat, Dale L., December 1999, Survey Response. Gordon, Bill y C., December 1999, Survey Response.
Welcher, Bruce, December 1999, Survey Response. Durham, Robert C., December 1999, Survey Response. Johns, Edwin P., December 1999, Survey Response. Felzke, Gerald L., December 1999, Survey Response. Bryant, Al, July 2001, Personal interview by the author.