Masonic Temple Tour

[walker]

Back in April 2010 the Grand Rapids Historical Society sponsored a tour and history lecture of the Masonic Temple on Fulton Street.  It was pretty popular and several urban planeteers attended.  Now, twelve years later they are going to do it again this Thursday.  If you've ever wanted to see the inside of this building or know what goes on inside, here's your chance.  You don't have to be a member of the historical society (or the Masons) to attend, and it's free. 

  grand-rapids-masonic-temple-archives-and-tour 08-09-2022

The announcement in the link doesn't tell you much.  So I've cut and pasted a longer article from their newsletter:

“An Evening at the Temple” 
A Masonic History of Grand Rapids, Michigan 
Thursday, September 8, 2022, at 7:00 p.m.
Presented by:
Dirk Hughes—Director, Michigan Masonic Museum, and Library
Michael Clark—Past Master, Grand Rapids Masonic Lodge #34 F.&A.M.
 
The Grand Rapids Masonic Center
233 Fulton Street East 

Freemasonry came to Grand Rapids in 1849, prior to Grand Rapids becoming a city, with the petitioning of a group of residents, to the Grand Lodge of Michigan. A charter for Grand River Lodge #34, now Grand Rapids Lodge #34, was issued in 1850, and the Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons began their Masonic journey, now nearing its 175th year.

 The first meeting was held in an office near what is now the center of Rosa Parks Circle, in a building with the number 2 on the outside of the second floor. Masonry grew steadily and several buildings were used as Masonic Lodges until a building was built in 1894, with its upper floors dedicated strictly to Masonic purposes. That building still stands and the upper floors now house a well-known property development company and still contain one of the two-story lodge rooms, complete with Masonic columns, three-level Dias, polished wood walls, and staircases.  The current Grand Rapids Masonic Center has been a Grand Rapids landmark for over 107 years, and in the 1950s housed over 27,500 members. This stately building with its imposing three-story columns is passed daily by hundreds of motorists, not realizing that behind its marble façade is one of the most interesting and unique buildings in Grand Rapids. 

Twenty-two Mayors of Grand Rapids have been members of the Masonic Fraternity. Hundreds of Grand Rapids businessmen belonged to one of the five Masonic Lodges housed in the building, including such names as George Welsh, Julius Houseman, and Boyd Pantland.  Even a well-respected Congressman, who later became President of the United States, received his initiation into Masonry in the Grand Rapids Masonic Temple building.

Today this beautiful edifice houses three Masonic Lodges, and over a dozen other Masonic-affiliated organizations. There is rarely an evening when one or more of the organizations aren’t holding members-only meetings, dinners, or degree ritual ceremonies. The building also contains offices for over 40 businesses and non-profit organizations.  We have lots more to tell you about the history of Freemasonry in Grand Rapids and the buildings that housed Masonic activities for the past 172 years.

Please join us for, “An Evening at the Temple”, Thursday, September 8, 2022, at 7:00 PM in the 5th-floor Amphitheater of the Grand Rapids Masonic Center.  We don’t want this event to be kept a “Secret."

 

Edited September 7, 2022 by walker

[grandrollerz]

I worked in that building from 96-99 on the second floow, which was actually the upper half of a really tall first floor that they split into two floors. Weird place. We had our high school prom in the banquet area (3rd floor?).  When I worked there we smoked in the lounge on the 5th and i snuck around that place a few times. Gorgeous building. IIRC there is a full on auditorium in there too...with the old wooden fold down seats.  Always wondered why there werent shows done there.  And a room with wierd robes, lol.