 |
|
 |
| |
Please click here for a message from our Venerable Master.
The Ancient Free and Accepted Mason is a fraternal order with a worldwide membership, thought to have arisen from practicing stone masons and cathedral builders in the early Middle Ages. The lodge, first formed in early 18th-century England, is the basic organizational unit. Philadelphia Lodge, formed in 1730, is the oldest Masonic lodge in the United States.
On July 1, 1909 Mt Hermon Lodge (chartered 1847) and Asheville Chapter No. 25 (chartered 1852) of Royal Arch Masons purchased the lot on which the Masonic Temple now stands for the purposes of constructing a lodge building. On April 6th 1912 a joint meeting was held between Mt. Hermon Lodge No. 118 and Asheville Lodge of Perfection No. 1 to devise a means for the building of a masonic temple. The building would be called the "Masonic Temple".
"To organize a building company (or if practicable, reorganize old building company), pro-rating the directories (4 from each) in the Blue Lodge and Lodge of Perfection". It is suggested that the basement and first floor shall include a reading room and library, secretaries' offices, lobby, dining room and kitchen. The second floor shall be for the use of the Blue Lodge and the bodies of the American or York Rite and the third floor for the use of the bodies of the Scottish Rite.
On May 10th, 1913 the contract was signed with JC McPherson to build our building for a price of $56,260 which included the foundation. On July 1st, 1913 the cornerstone ceremony was held. On April 29th, 1915 the building was accepted from the contractor. During the construction several changes were made on the third floor such as windows and additional showers and bathrooms. This increased the price by $3,228.16. An elevator was installed in the Masonic Temple in 1922 for the sum of $7,120. On April 14th 1919 the Masonic Temple Board decided to buy the house and lot next door (which is now the parking lot). The cost of the house and the lot was $15,250. The house was known as the "OZARKS" boarding house. The house was later sold for $710 and removed from the lot.
Richard Sharp Smith, a Mason, who designed the Asheville Masonic Temple, the same year, he helped establish the NC Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Smith was from England and he was tapped by his boss Richard Morris Hunt to supervise construction of the Biltmore Estate house. Richard Hunt died in 1895. Smith remained in Asheville where he designed many homes and buildings. They include the home of Attorney William Jennings Bryan on Kimberly Avenue, the Renaissance Palazzo of the Legal Building on Pack Square and the Loughran Building at Haywood and Walnut streets (this building is being renamed the Smith-Carrier Building). Additionally Smith co-designed the Basilica of St. Lawrence located near Page Ave in downtown Asheville. Albert Heath Carrier was associated with Smith. There is a monument honoring Richard Sharp Smith just south of the Masonic Temple, on Broadway.
The third and fourth floor of our building is occupied by the Scottish Rite and is called the "Scottish Rite Cathedral". These floors have a very unique theatre complete with a balcony (the balcony seats have a wire rack underneath to hold a man's hat). This Theater has many painted drops for scenery. It takes about 6 people to operate all phases of this theatre. The stage Director has been doing this for 26 years and has not missed a single reunion in those 26 years. The drops were painted by an artist from Chicago named Moses. They were painted in 1915 laying on the floor of the theatre and then hung up.
In the basement of the Masonic Temple there has been a bowling alley installed by Mt. Hermon Lodge (now gone). Shuffle board are still painted on the floor (just in case you want to play sometime..). We still have many metal lockers where the members of the York Rite Commandery kept their uniforms between meetings. We still have brass spittoons in the basement. The door knobs on the first and second floor have the Square and Compass on them. Door knobs on the third and fourth floors have the Scottish Rite double headed eagle on them. There is a small lodge room in the basement where pieces of logs are used for pedestals and saplings for staffs. There is even wicker furniture believed to be older than the building.
Our building contains 600,000 bricks that came from Alex C. Scott Brick Co. of Knoxville. At a cost of $9.40 per thousand bricks, laid into the walls at $18 per thousand bricks. The steel beams and other necessary steel came from Southern Engineering Co Charlotte, NC for a total sum of $5,000. There were no tractor and trailers at that time so these materials came by rail, the depot being nearly 3 miles from our building. These steal beams are about 55 ft long and 5 feet wide. The foundation is granite rock about 2 feet wide, the price was laid in the wall, $4.46 per cubic yard. The excavation of the basement cost .27 cents per cubic yard plus $20 for clearing the lot. 3,857 cubic yards. During the construction, the corners of the lot became lost and surveyor was called to redefine them, cost $2.00. The street in front of the Temple at that time was N. Main St., it later was named Broadway.
The Board of Directors during the building and formation of the "Masonic Temple":
President: Dr Chase P. Ambler, V. President: F. L. Merriwither, Secretary: W. H. Woodbury, and Treasurer: J. W. Grimes, Other members include A. S. Guerrard, J. A. Nichols, J. M. Chiles, and C. A. Webb.
Dr Chase P Ambler was a pulmonary specialist and owned a TB Sanitarium. He was a Past Master of Mt. Hermon Lodge, Past High Priest of Asheville Chapter No. 25, Past Thrice Illustrious Master Council No. 9, Past Eminent Commander of Cyrene Commandery No. 5, Past Venerable Master of the Lodge of Perfection No. 1, Past Wise Master Rose Croix, Past Master of Kadosh. He was also the Organizer of Esther Chapter No. 12 Order of the Eastern Star, Past Potentate of Oasis Temple, A.A.O.N.M.S. He was raised a Master Mason in Canton OH in 1895. He was admitted to the Thirty Third degree in Asheville in 1915. He was born in Salem, OH in 1865 and died in 1932.
(The information above provided forthwith by Carroll Melton President of the Board of Directors of the Masonic Temple Co. Inc. (2008))
Statistic - 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence it appears that 9 (16%) were Masons.
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
