Philadelphia's Masonic Temple | |
 The Masonic Temple in 2015 | |
    | |
| Location | 1 N.Broad Street Philadelphia,Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°57′13″N75°9′47″W / 39.95361°N 75.16306°W /39.95361; -75.16306 |
| Built | 1868-73 |
| Architect | James H. Windrim (exterior) George Herzog (interior) |
| Architectural style | Norman[2] |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000727[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | May 27, 1971 |
| Designated NHL | February 4, 1985 |
| Designated PHMC | December 5, 2007[3] |
TheMasonic Temple is a historicMasonic building inPhiladelphia. Located at 1 NorthBroad Street, directly across fromPhiladelphia City Hall, it serves as the headquarters of theGrand Lodge of Pennsylvania, Free and Accepted Masons. The Temple features the Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania, and receives thousands of visitors every year to view the ornate structure, which includes seven lodge rooms, where today a number of Philadelphia lodges and the Grand Lodge conduct their meetings.
Freemasonry existed in Philadelphia since the early 1700s. The original Masonic temple in the city was built in 1811 onChestnut Street between 7th and 8th Street inCenter City Philadelphia, but burned down in 1819.[4] It was rebuilt in 1820. A second Masonic temple was built on Chestnut Street in the 1850s, dedicated in 1855[5][6] and sold in 1873, once the new temple was completed.
The Temple was designed in the medievalNorman style byJames H. Windrim, who was 27 years old at the time he won the design competition.[2] The massive granite cornerstone, weighing ten tons, was leveled on St. John the Baptist's Day, June 24, 1868. The ceremonial gavel[7] used on that day by Grand MasterRichard Vaux was the same gavel used by PresidentGeorge Washington in leveling the cornerstone of the nation's Capitol building in 1793.
The construction was completed five years later, in 1873, and dedicated on September 29th of that year.[8] The interior, designed byGeorge Herzog, was begun in 1887 and took another fifteen years to finish.[2]
The bold and elaborate elevations on Broad and Filbert Streets, especially the beautiful portico of Quincy granite, make it one of the great architectural wonders of Philadelphia. The exterior stone of the building on Broad and Filbert Streets is Cape AnnSyenite from Syne in Upper Egypt.[9]
On May 27, 1971, the Temple was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[1] It was designated aNational Historic Landmark in 1985. It was cited in its landmark designation as one of the nation's most elaborate examples of Masonic architecture.[10]
