Masonic Temple Building (Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, North Carolina)

The Masonic Temple Building located at 133 Fayetteville Street in Raleigh, North Carolina was the state's first reinforced concrete skyscraper. Constructed in 1907 by Grand Lodge of North Carolina, the building represents the growth of Raleigh in the early 20th century and rise of the influence of Masons. The Masonic Temple Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and is a Raleigh Historic Landmark.^[1]

Masonic Temple Building
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Modern view of the Masonic Temple Building
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Location	Raleigh, North Carolina
Coordinates	35°46′26.83″N 78°38′12.47″W
Built	1907
Architect	Charles McMillan, architect; Carolina Construction Co., builder
Part of	Fayetteville Street Historic District (ID07001412)
NRHP reference No.	84002533[1]
Added to NRHP	May 3, 1979

It's one of two Raleigh places of the same name on the National Register of Historic Places, the other being the Masonic Temple Building located on Blount Street, which was also built in 1907.^[2]

History

Masonic Temple Building historic view

The seven-story Masonic Temple Building was designed by South Carolina architect Charles McMillan and built by Carolina Construction Co. Upon completion, the building was praised for its innovative construction due to the use of reinforced concrete, a new concept in building materials. The design is a conservative and classic example of the tri-partite skyscraper composition developed by Louis Sullivan. The first three floors are covered with Indiana limestone. The rest of the building consists of light brick ornamented with terra cotta.^[3]

One year after the founding of Raleigh in 1792, the first Masonic lodge, Democratic Lodge, No. 21, opened.^[4] Due to increased membership, the Masons raised funds for the construction of a new temple. The Masonic Temple Building, once used by local lodges and the state Grand Lodge, contained retailers on the first floor and offices throughout the rest of the building. The Masons sold the property on Dec 2, 1946 to Land's, Inc.^[5] The Grand Lodge moved to its current site at 2921 Glenwood Ave and the Masonic Temple groups relocated to the former Josephus Daniels House. Today, the downtown building continues to provide commercial and office space.^[6]

See also

• List of Registered Historic Places in North Carolina

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
3. Janet Silber; Linda L. Harris & Mary Ann Lee (March 1979). "Masonic Temple Building" (pdf). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-05-08. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
4. Jett, Archibald, Secretary Pro Tem of the Lodge (1793). Minute Book of The Democratic Lodge No. 21. Raleigh, NC. p. 1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
5. Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons of North Carolina [1947]. pp. 46–47.
6. "Masonic Temple Building". National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2017-11-15.

External links

• National Register of Historic Places profile
• Raleigh: A Capital City, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary