Category:Allentown Masonic Temple

Allentown Masonic Temple 

masonic temple in Allentown, Pennsylvania
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Instance of	masonic temple
Location	Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
Street address	1524 West Linden Street
Heritage designation	National Register of Historic Places listed place (A, C, Allentown Masonic Temple, NRHP building, 2004–)
Inception	1925
40° 35′ 54.96″ N, 75° 29′ 25.08″ W
Authority file  Q4732066 NRHP reference number: 04000402 Reasonator Scholia Wikidocumentaries PetScan statistics WikiMap Locator tool KML file WikiShootMe OpenStreetMap Search depicted

The Allentown Masonic Temple is a historic Masonic building located at the corner of Fulton and Linden Street, 1524 W Linden St. in Allentown.

Briefly, the masons formed their lodge in 1817 when the Jordan Lodge 151 was organized. Its first home was George Savitz's "Compass and Square" tavern at 7tth and Hamilton St. The Jordan Lodge was dissolved in 1836 and it was not until 1859 that Barger Lodge 333 was created. The lodge met at a number of places along Hamilton Street. By 1903 the city's rapidly growing Masonic community was holding meetings at 8th and Hamilton on an upper floor of the Haas Building. Among those members was Harry C. Trexler, who had joined the Masons in 1877.

By 1911 it was clear Allentown Masons needed a home of their own. Unfortunately World War I began shortly thereafter, halting much civilian construction. It was not until 1918 that a Masonic Temple Association was established to begin planning the building and not until May of 1919 that a revived fundraising campaign began. Members of the building committee, headed by Trexler, were quickly dispatched to many of the state's Masonic lodges to gather ideas for its design

The land for the temple was purchased in 1920 to replace former Masonic Hall. The groundbreaking for the temple was held in July 1922, although construction did not begin until 1923. After much thought, architect Richard G. Schmid of Chicago, who had built a number of Masonic structures in the Midwest, was selected to design the structure. Working with him as interior decorator was Gustav A. Brand. Sent to America by the German government to paint murals for that countries pavilion at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, he stayed in America and became a leading decorator in Chicago. It was Brand's task to design the elaborate ceremonial rooms required for the Allentown Temple.

It was completed and dedicated on July 3rd, 1925. The five-story building is made of limestone in the Neoclassical architectural style. Allentown's temple is one of the few Masonic buildings designed by Richard Schmid still being used for its original purpose. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.