A great many of our Masonic Temples are historic. Some are filled with features and objects that are certainly interesting.
If we have a historic Temple, and if it is in good condition, should we consider opening it up for tours from time to time?
My Lodge did this once, not only did we get some good PR out of it, but we picked up a great Mason too. But of course to do this requires some work. The Temple needs to be clean, looking good, and objects need to be displayed well.
Does your Lodge ever do this? Should you?
Let’s chat about it…
This upcoming weekend is a travel weekend for me. I’ll do my best to maintain Emeth’s regular schedule, but could encounter difficulties.
If you are in the Spokane WA area, I hope that you can join me for the Re-Constitution of Manito Lodge!
I'm kind of surprised that there's no response to this thread until now.
As you note, our Lodge building has had not only the tour you mention, but it's had tours in the past as well. A former long-time business owner in downtown Centralia had held building tours in downtown Centralia for many years, and some of those tours included the Masonic building.
But the one you mention also included members of the Lodge, which helped greatly. You mention the results of that tour. The Downtown Association had since held a meeting in the building, building further interest.
We will be having a 100th anniversary Cornerstone ceremony for the Centralia Masonic building on the 2nd Saturday of May, 2022. I am hoping it will continue to bring our building, and Centralia Lodge, to the forefront, and increase its role in our community.
Our lodge is no where near any businesses. It’s on a relatively little used road, and people I talk to don’t even know we exist. The city had taken down those welcome signs with the various organization placards as part of their rebranding. At one time our building, before we sold it to the eagles, was down near the waterfront where everything else was located until walmart and Fred meyers moved in twenty years ago. Now, the downtown of port orchard is nothing but antique stores and bars.
And to top it off, our building is rather nondescript, both inside and outside. Giving a tour certainly wouldn’t generate awe or excitement. Until a few years ago our only sign was horrible and I’m sure no one paid any attention to it.
Our building is old, built 70 years ago, and it looks it. I would assume most lodge buildings are in similar shape.
"At one time our building, before we sold it to the eagles, was down near the waterfront where everything else was located until walmart and Fred meyers moved in twenty years ago. Now, the downtown of port orchard is nothing but antique stores and bars."
The city of Centralia is similar, when the business core migrated to Interstate 5, and downtown Centralia is essentially a larger version of downtown Port Orchard. Antique stores and bars... oops, pardon me!... Brewpubs. There's a difference, you know. ;-)
Big key is Centralia Lodge didn't sell their building; they just sat and went moribund in the top floor of their building into the 1990's and 2000's. Then the new crew of Brothers started turning things around. We took down the spiked gates that closed off access to the third floor, took down the sign in the building directory that said "3rd floor MASONIC LODGE ONLY", joined the Downtown Association, and started letting people know Centralia Lodge No. 63 still exists.
There are some who think we need to sell the current building and build a new, up-to-date building in the outskirts of town. There are good points to this, but there are downsides, which must be taken into consideration. People like the classic buildings, not the new, sterile-looking buildings that look more like an insurance company office than a Masonic Temple. People aren't really interested in Lodges that are essentially pole barns with blank, wallboarded rooms with no character. It's true, like Bro. Roy said, these are blank canvases, but if you want to build a new building, you might want to include some character in it during construction, just like our forefathers did 100 years ago. It probably won't cost much more than if you build the blank building, but it will reap more dividends in the long run.
We built this modest church building and gave it to a black congregation in the days of segregation, so the story goes. It changed hands over the years, then we moved in after selling the old Lodge and after WB Talley did some terrific renovations here.
But we need repairs, and for repairs we need time, and where do we find that?
I reckon we’ll make the time, hopefully by end of year.
Then we can plan occasional tours and a big centennial celebration.
Agreed. Your Lodge might be small, but it's really nice.
I'm also pretty impressed with the Kelso building. The Building Association worked hard, and it shows. That Lodge would do well to invite tours of their building.
Also the Lodge building in Hoquiam. There's a handful in Southwest Washington that are old and grand, and would do well for tours. But Longview, despite being a recent renovation, can also be in that group. The buildings in Kelso, Centralia and Hoquiam were new at one time, also!
I actually really like this idea! Even if the lodge isn't historic, but is still a nice lodge I'm sure people would want to tour it anyone just because it's a masonic lodge !
I'm kind of surprised that there's no response to this thread until now.
As you note, our Lodge building has had not only the tour you mention, but it's had tours in the past as well. A former long-time business owner in downtown Centralia had held building tours in downtown Centralia for many years, and some of those tours included the Masonic building.
But the one you mention also included members of the Lodge, which helped greatly. You mention the results of that tour. The Downtown Association had since held a meeting in the building, building further interest.
We will be having a 100th anniversary Cornerstone ceremony for the Centralia Masonic building on the 2nd Saturday of May, 2022. I am hoping it will continue to bring our building, and Centralia Lodge, to the forefront, and increase its role in our community.
Our lodge is no where near any businesses. It’s on a relatively little used road, and people I talk to don’t even know we exist. The city had taken down those welcome signs with the various organization placards as part of their rebranding. At one time our building, before we sold it to the eagles, was down near the waterfront where everything else was located until walmart and Fred meyers moved in twenty years ago. Now, the downtown of port orchard is nothing but antique stores and bars.
And to top it off, our building is rather nondescript, both inside and outside. Giving a tour certainly wouldn’t generate awe or excitement. Until a few years ago our only sign was horrible and I’m sure no one paid any attention to it.
Our building is old, built 70 years ago, and it looks it. I would assume most lodge buildings are in similar shape.
So… a blank canvas, full of opportunity to read-engage the community?
Maybe run a community art contest to come up with ideas for paint & other cosmetic changes?
Ugh. Re-engage…
"At one time our building, before we sold it to the eagles, was down near the waterfront where everything else was located until walmart and Fred meyers moved in twenty years ago. Now, the downtown of port orchard is nothing but antique stores and bars."
The city of Centralia is similar, when the business core migrated to Interstate 5, and downtown Centralia is essentially a larger version of downtown Port Orchard. Antique stores and bars... oops, pardon me!... Brewpubs. There's a difference, you know. ;-)
Big key is Centralia Lodge didn't sell their building; they just sat and went moribund in the top floor of their building into the 1990's and 2000's. Then the new crew of Brothers started turning things around. We took down the spiked gates that closed off access to the third floor, took down the sign in the building directory that said "3rd floor MASONIC LODGE ONLY", joined the Downtown Association, and started letting people know Centralia Lodge No. 63 still exists.
There are some who think we need to sell the current building and build a new, up-to-date building in the outskirts of town. There are good points to this, but there are downsides, which must be taken into consideration. People like the classic buildings, not the new, sterile-looking buildings that look more like an insurance company office than a Masonic Temple. People aren't really interested in Lodges that are essentially pole barns with blank, wallboarded rooms with no character. It's true, like Bro. Roy said, these are blank canvases, but if you want to build a new building, you might want to include some character in it during construction, just like our forefathers did 100 years ago. It probably won't cost much more than if you build the blank building, but it will reap more dividends in the long run.
Our Lodge has great potential.
We built this modest church building and gave it to a black congregation in the days of segregation, so the story goes. It changed hands over the years, then we moved in after selling the old Lodge and after WB Talley did some terrific renovations here.
But we need repairs, and for repairs we need time, and where do we find that?
I reckon we’ll make the time, hopefully by end of year.
Then we can plan occasional tours and a big centennial celebration.
Agreed. Your Lodge might be small, but it's really nice.
I'm also pretty impressed with the Kelso building. The Building Association worked hard, and it shows. That Lodge would do well to invite tours of their building.
Also the Lodge building in Hoquiam. There's a handful in Southwest Washington that are old and grand, and would do well for tours. But Longview, despite being a recent renovation, can also be in that group. The buildings in Kelso, Centralia and Hoquiam were new at one time, also!
I actually really like this idea! Even if the lodge isn't historic, but is still a nice lodge I'm sure people would want to tour it anyone just because it's a masonic lodge !