Part 676:The Wichita Scottish Rite
Bestor G. Brown successfully sold elaborate stage settings and other stage equipment to Scottish Rites in Kansas and throughout the region. A portion of his success had to do with his history with the area. The “Wichita Daily Eagle” published the full-page article “Decorative Splendor of Wichita’s Scottish Rite Cathedral,” describing the entire endeavor and furnishings in great detail (3 Aril 1908, page 6). There was a section that listed all of the of the local contributors, including Brown. Here it is:
“Mr. Henry Wallenstein informed the editor of the Eagle yesterday that he New Scottish Rite Cathedral will be equipped by the last week in May or the first week in June, ready to confer the degrees on the largest class of candidates in the history of Scottish Rite Masonry.
With him a complete tour of the great building was made and the grandeur of improvements, from and artistic standpoint, and their magnificence in every respect was a revelation.
The cathedral as it now stands is 150 feet north and south, and from 100 to 140 feet from east to west. The larger of the latter figures represent the new portion of the building in the construction of which more than a million of Coffreyville brick were used. For Topeka avenue front of the building several hundred tons of Towanda stone were used to harmonize with the material in the original building. The improvements were begun in February,1907, and when completed, after fifteen months’ of steady work, will have cost in the neighborhood of $175,000. The vastness of this sum in improvements on a single building cannot be conceived by any but those who are intimate with the work done, or who will have good fortune to feast their eyes upon it when it is ready for occupancy as the most complete Scottish Rue building possibly in the world – certainly the most completely equipped in the United States of America.
“Genius of the Enterprise
Mr. Wallenstein has been the master mind in the work which was concurrent with his own remarkably handsome business home – the Boston Store.
With his well known loyalty to Wichita all of the work done in it could be done by Wichita capital, labor and talent was given to home people, so that the genius of Wichita is in every feature of it, and to which it will be monument for all future time.
The construction of work was done by Brandt & Taylor of this city, and Mr. Wallenstein is poetic in his praise of them. They demonstrated that Wichita can carry out contracts for almost any size building that an architect can plan, for no building needed more headwork, skill and energy than this one.
The staff work was done by the F. Siefert Plastic company of St. Louis, under the able superintendency of Thomas Leach.
The architect of C. W. Terry of this city, ably assisted by the young genius Mr. Ed Forsblom. The associate architect was Mr. Charles Thompson of Little Rock, Ark.
The great organ was built by M. P. Moller of Hagestown, Maryland, and it is the finest ever built for the western country.
The Standard company of Chicago made the grand metallic staircase, minutely described in its proper place.
The Western Planing mills of this city did at the woodwork and had the personal attention and enthusiastic superintedency of Mr. Tom Kelso.
The Wichita Iron & Foundry company made all the iron work, and it is a great credit to their shop.
The Heating & Power company of Mr. Soderman of St. Louis put the apparatus in that department.
A.H. Andrews and company made the opera chairs.
The Art Glass Company of St. Joe supplied the many elaborate cathedral glass windows.
Bestor Brown, agent for M. C. Lilley company of Ohio, furnished the elaborate stage settings and other stage equipment.
The decorative work – an important feature of the new building – is in charge of Young Brothers of this city.
Some of the important decorations were also supplied by Parrott & sons of this city.”
To be continued…
