Part 707: The Second Louisville Scottish Rite
The first Scottish Rite Cathedral in Louisville was a the remodeled building during 1895- St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at Sixth and Walnut Streets. From this moment forward, the Masonic membership in Louisville continued to grow at a rapid rate. By 1919, the Scottish Rite candidate class size numbered 200, and the high membership numbers began exceeding the building’s capacity.
During the 67th annual spring reunion in 1919, the president of the “Victory Class “of Scottish Rite candidates introduced a resolution. Dr. T. H. Tuley urged “the Grand Consistory immediately to make plans for the erection of a Scottish Rite Cathedral in Louisville which will prove a credit to the Rite and to the city.” The Courier-Journal reported, the reading of the resolution was greeted with applause, and from the manner in which the proposition was received it seems possible some steps in this direction will be taken” (26 April 1919, page 4).
Previously, Courier-Journal published, “Largest Class in History of Consistory Attending Scottish Rite Meeting. 200 At First Dinner” (23 April 1919, page 9). The session opened at 10AM on April 22, with conferring the Lodge of Perfection degrees (4-14). The article noted, “For several months the Scottish Rite has been practically overwhelmed with applications for membership, every Masonic lodge in the State reporting unusually large numbers of initiates. The result has been that for the first time in many years it has been necessary to hold two spring Scottish Rite classes, the first one having completed work only about ten days ago.” Capt. John H. Cowles, sovereign grand inspector general of the Supreme Council of the Rite, was interviewed by the Courier-Times. They reported, “He says unusually large classes are being accepted into the rite in all consistories of the southern jurisdiction. He was highly pleased with the showing made by the Louisville lodge, especially in view of the fact that he received his degrees here and is a native of Kentucky, having lived for many years in Louisville.” In 1919, the Louisville Scottish Rite also premiered a four-page publication for attendees title “The Reunion News,” which was published every day during the reunion. This does not surprise me at all, as the Scottish Rite once met in the same building as the local newspaper, the Courier-Journal. What a great idea.
Scottish Rite membership was explosive during the 1920s and the influential power of the Freemasons was substantial. This is a moment in time when the Rite was very vocal about their activities and positions on both the political and social stage. From the late-nineteenth century to early twentieth century, is was not unusual to find detailed information pertaining to daily activities at Scottish Rite reunions, a list of members, and the history of the organization. The views of the Rite pertaining to public education and other social issues were published for all to read. When a potential candidate thought about joining, there was no question in his mind about what the organization was really about and if it was a good fit. This may be why the Scottish Rite continued to gain ground and dominate the fraternal landscape of America.
On May 11, 1923, the Courier-Journal published that “Scottish Rite Masons will begin a three-day campaign May 23, to raise the $300,000 necessary to complete their building fund for the proposed $750,000 cathedral at the southwest corner of Fourth and Breckinridge Streets. Ground for this structure will be broken in September, it was said. The cathedral will have four stories and basement, with an auditorium seating 1,350 persons. Solicitation will be from the 2,286 members in the State of which 1,200 are in Louisville, The campaign will be in charge if Benjamin S. Washer, Richard Priest Dietzman, Edward F. Metzner, Harvey White and Dr. E. L. Henderson” (page 18).
On June 27, 1923, the old Scottish Rite was sold, becoming the R. E. Jones Temple, Methodist Episcopal Church. On September 9, 1923, the Courier-Journal announced, “The contract for the construction at Fourth and Breckinridge Streets will be awarded shortly after bids are opened about October 15” (page 34).
There is one thing to consider about the second Scottish Rite stage. As a church took possession of the old Scottish Rite building, it is unlikely that any Masonic scenery or artifacts would have been left behind. This means that the old scenery would either have been enlarged for their new home, (as such was the case with the 1910 Guthrie scenery) or it would have been replaced with new scenery and sold to another Scottish Rite theater.
I have only encountered two references about a scenery orders delivered to the Louisville Scottish Rite during the twentieth century. The earliest was in 1910, when the Louisville Scottish Rite purchased scenery from Toomey & Volland. However, Toomey and Volland advertisements from 1912 do not list Louisville alongside fifteen other Scottish Rite Cathedral installations by that time, suggesting that they were only adding to a previous collection. Toomey & Volland may have only expanded the original 1895 scenery collection during 1910. It is unclear if E, A. Armstrong Manufacturing Co delivered the original scenery to Louisville either; meaning in was subcontracted to Sosman & Landis. The Louisville Scottish Rite is not included in a 1902 E. A. Armstrong advertisement that notes all the Consistories that they equipped since 1897. Granted, Louisville was two years earlier in 1895, but it leaves a question in my mind concerning who delivered the scenery. One other person comes to mind – E. T. Harvey. Harvey was the scenic artist who produced Scottish Rite scenery collections for Cincinnati in 1886 and Cleveland in 1901. It will be fun to see what I find on site.
Regardless, by the 1950s, Volland studio records a second scenery order from the Louisville Scottish Rite, but they do not specify exactly what was delivered. This means it the order could have ranged from one scene to an entire collection.
To be continued.
