Yesterday I explored the Masonic Temple Theatre fire that occurred right after the Louisville Masons moved into a new building; they were fortunate as the majority of their possessions were out of the space at the time. The year was 1903 and the fire started in the theater; a commercial theater intended for touring productions. The losses of the visiting shows and tenants were substantial.
Skip ahead two decades and a similar event happens after the Scottish Rite Masons leave their home at the corner of Sixth and Walnut Street. Fortunately the damage to did not destroy the building.
Postcard of the first Scottish Rite Cathedral in Louisville, Kentucky.
On June 27, 1923, the old Louisville Scottish Rite was sold, becoming the R. E. Jones Temple, Methodist Episcopal Church. This is a fascinating side note about this church and its namesake. During April 1924, the new owners of the building celebrated a significant event: Rev. Dr. Robert Elijah Jones received a memorial tablet commemorating his election as the first African-American general superintendent in the Methodist Episcopal Church at the General Conference, held in Des Moines, Iowa, on May 19, 1920. Prior to his election, African-American bishops often only held missionary posts. As general superintendent, Jones became the resident bishop of the New Orleans area, with an office and residence in New Orleans. His area comprised seven conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas. In total, Jones was responsible for 1,905 churches.
The April celebration included an address by the Rev. Dr. John L. Fort, pastor of the Trinity Methodist Church who said, “It is a church wide enough in affection to include both rich and poor, and universal enough to believe that salvation is intended for blacks as well as whites (Courier-Journal 14 April 1924, page 16). Jones (1872-1960) dedicated his career to religion, the racial unification of the Methodist Episcopal Church, racial equality, community development, and education. He is a fascinating figure in the history of the Methodist church, but was also a 33rd degree Scottish Rite Mason. Jones’ story and papers are now part of the Maistad Research Center. Here is a link that is well worth reading about R. E. Jones: http://amistadresearchcenter.tulane.edu/archon/?p=collections/findingaid&id=51&rootcontentid=31039
Sadly, tragedy struck the mext month. On May 27, 1924, the Courier-Journal reported “Five Firemen and a negro preacher were overcome by smoke last night when flames of undetermined origin ignited debris in the basement of the R. E. Jones Temple, formerly the Scottish Rite Cathedral at Sixth and Walnut Streets. At least a dozen other firemen narrowly escaped being overcome by the dense smoke…slight damage was done, though, on account of the smoke, firemen were an hour putting out the fire” (page 5). No name was given for the preacher who died of smoke inhalation.
In 1903, there was a fire that destroyed the Masonic Temple in Louisville, Kentucky; this was not the Scottish Rite Cathedral, but it had a theater. The Weber Bros. managed Louisville’s Masonic Theatre and the house had a seating capacity of 1,743 (Orchestra, 674, Balcony, 478 and gallery, 571). The width of the proscenium was 36 feet wide by 36 feet high. The depth from the footlights to the back wall as 43 feet and the height to the rigging loft was 72 feet. The depth under the stage was 10 feet and the height to the fly gallery was 25 feet. It was certainly a sizable space for productions, and not some little hole-in-the-wall space.
At the time, a theatre in a Masonic building was not unusual. Many nineteenth-century Masonic buildings relied on the rent collected from retail tenants who leased the first few floors of the building, with lodge rooms in the upper levels. For Masonic opera houses they used the performance space for the income, with lodge rooms tucked away in upper levels. Examples were found all over the country, including in Duluth, Minnesota. The building used by the Duluth Scottish Rite before its current home was also a Masonic Temple with public theatre. The Masons only started to encounter major after the constructed huge edifices that were only used and rented by the Fraternity. If the Masonic orders stopped renting or ceased to exist, it was almost impossible to find a new tenant and recoup the lost income. Furthermore, if the building was only occupied by only one Masonic group, it would only take a decline in membership to start the ball rolling in regard to financial problems pertaining to standard building maintenance costs or repairs.
Now, let’s look at the landscape of Masonic opera houses, theaters and halls that were listed in Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide for the 1903-1904 Season. Seventeen Masonic stages were listed as an option for touring companies. These were not the only ones, just those listed as an option by Julius Cahn.
Advertisement in Julius Cahn’s Official Theatrical Guide for the 1903-1904 Season.
They included:
Masonic Temple Theatre in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Masonic Temple Theatre in Wallace, Idaho
Masonic Hall in Sumner, Illinois
Masonic Opera House in Oskaloosa, Iowa
New Masonic Opera House in What Cheer, Iowa
Masonic Temple in Louisville, Kentucky
Masonic Opera House in Bel Air, Maryland
Masonic Theatre in Ellenville, New York
Masonic Opera House in Forestport, New York
Masonic Hall in Sag Harbor, New York
Masonic Opera House in New Bern, North Carolina
Masonic Opera House in Chillicothe, Ohio
Masonic Opera House in Ironton, Ohio
Masonic Hall in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania
New Masonic Theatre in Nashville, Tennessee
Masonic Opera House in Orange, Virginia
Masonic Temple Opera House in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
The earliest mentions of Masonic stages that I have encountered to date were constructed during the 1820s. When you think about it, the idea was brilliant. Lodge rooms were similar as in other Masonic lodges, but it allowed a larger space for events. It is also not hard to make a leap from lodge room floor to elevated stage, especially if there is already a theater in the building complete with stock scenery. How hard would it be to recognize that an existing cave setting, palatial setting, or seascape would enhance a dramatic presentation during degree work?
Back to the Louisville Masonic Theatre fire. One account was published in the “Statesman Journal” 21 Nov. 1903, page 1. Here is the article:
“Masons Lose By Fire.
Old Temple at Louisville Totally Destroyed – Tenants Lose Heavily.
Louisville, Ky., Nov. 20. – Fire early today destroyed the old Masonic Temple, occupying half a block in the heart of the retail business district. The loss is about a quarter of a million dollars, among the largest losers being the Masonic Temple building, $125,000; Insurance, $65,000; Hopkins Theatre, $20,000; J. W. Fowler Drug, $36,000; Rodgers & Krull, jewelers, $40,000.
The fire is supposed to have started in the scenery o the stage of the theatre. The losses to the tenants will be heavier than ordinarily owning to the high insurance rate due to the construction of the building, and because it contained a theatre. There were seven acts on at the theatre this week, and the people presenting them lost their effects. The theatre is owned by Colonel John D. Hopkins, of St. Louis. The building, which was erected in 1864, is a total loss. At one time it was the principal theatre of Louisville.”
Upon a little more digging, I discovered that the building occupied half the block bounded by Fourth, Fifth, Green and Jefferson Streets. The theatre was located on the third floor. Among the losses listed above were Byck Brothers shoes, $15,000; Boston Shoe Co., $15,000; and Charles H. Smith’s Son, hatter, $15,000. From the touring production standpoint, several trained dogs and monkeys lost their lives in the fire. The estimation of totals losses ranged from $200,000 to $300,000.
The loss of the Masons remained relatively low, as they had recently dedicated a new temple at Fourth and Chestnut Streets and removed all their effects to their new home. Hmm. This article completely intrigues me on several fronts, and I am curious to look for a few answers in the Scottish Rite library next week. But there is one more thing…
The big scandal that surrounded the 1903 Masonic Temple Theatre fire was that at least five members of the Louisville fire department were engaged in looting the stores that were being burned. Among the items stolen were meerschaum pipes, shoes, theatre trunks, opera glasses, and jewelry. The box office was ransacked and the dressing rooms behind the stage were rifled through. In other areas, locked desks were broken into with axes, as firemen searched for cash and other valuable artifacts. The corrupt men belonged to two fire companies. The stolen objects were later discovered in their lockers and under their mattresses in the engine house. The search was made after witnesses who came forward made accusations and five were later charged with the actual crime. Nineteen others were charged with being complicit for refusing to give information and/or assisting the men hide the stolen items. An additional six men were dismissed, totaling eleven firemen that were let go. Unreal.
I am getting ready to visit the Louisville Scottish Rite next week, and was perusing my records and old newspapers to familiarize myself with their history. One particular article from 1895 jumped out at me while searching for Scottish Rite Cathedral dedication ceremonies in newspapers.
Keep in mind that in the historical context of Scottish Rite theaters and degree productions my research has suggested that the first Scottish Rite cathedrals in the Southern Jurisdiction were in Little Rock or Oakland in 1896. That being said, several Scottish Rite Valley’s bordering the geographical demarcation between the Northern and Southern Jurisdiction were experimenting with stages in Masonic Halls well before that, including Winona, Minnesota. However, these spaces were not in buildings solely constructed for Masonic use and termed Scottish Rite cathedrals. Louisville, Kentucky, may have had one of the earliest stages in the Southern Jurisdiction Scottish Rite Cathedral.
Postcard of the Louisville Scottish Rite Cathedral built in 1895
The Wilkes-Barre Times of Pennsylvania, the Arizona Daily Star of Tucson, and the Akron Beacon Journal of Ohio all published the following article in 1895; it was a big deal:
Big Scottish Rite Dedication
Louisville, Ky., Oct. 15 – The Scottish Rite Cathedral of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States, at Sixth and Walnut street was dedicated today. This dedication surpassed anything ever seen in Masonic ceremonies in this city. It was open to the public, and conducted with all the pomp, which the occasion calls for. The remainder of the inaugural week will be given in reunion, during which all degrees will be conferred. The new cathedral in point of general magnificence is surpassed by only two in the United States, those being cathedrals of the Grand Consistories of Illinois, at Chicago, and of Ohio, at Cincinnati.”
“All degrees will be conferred” at this period in time translated to “all degree will be staged.” This meant that Louisville constructed a Scottish Rite Cathedral before Little Rock and Oakland, California in 1896. Furthermore, the article cited that the Scottish Rite buildings in Chicago and Cincinnati only surpassed the building. Both Chicago and Cincinnati were well known for their Scottish Rite stages, each having started using theaters to stage Scottish Rite degrees around the same time. This is pretty exciting!
The Grand Consistory, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite was organized in Louisville, August 21, 1852, with meetings being held on the Southwest corner of Fourth and Jefferson Streets. By August 1876, the Louisville Scottish Rite occupied the Courier-Journal Building, located on Jefferson Street, between Third and Fourth Street. In 1894, the Louisville Scottish Rite Bodies purchased the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at Sixth and Walnut Streets. The church has been partially destroyed by fire when they acquired the building, and approximately $41,000 was spent on remodeling the facility. In 1895, it was dedicated Scottish Rite Cathedral. This was identical to what Little Rock and Oakland would do in 1896; remodel existing spaces to include a Scottish Rite theatre to fully confer, or stage, the degree work.
This Louisville Scottish Rite was used until 1923, when their new home was constructed at Brook and Gray streets.
As far as the theater, there is no indication of whom, or which studio, delivered the original scenery. However, Toomey and Volland note that they produced scenery for the Louisville Scottish Rite in 1910. Business records also indicate that Volland Studio delivered additional scenery to the Louisville Scottish Rite in 1951.
Postcard of the Louisville Scottish Rite Cathedral built in 1923
Part 703: The Louisville Scottish Rite and Frederick Webber, 1907
I am getting ready to attend USITT in Louisville, Kentucky, and visit another Scottish Rite theater. I was perusing old newspapers to familiarize myself with the history of the Louisville Scottish Rite bodies, before hitting the road, and stumbled across in interesting article from 1907. Keep in mind that this was the same year the cornerstone was laid for the Wichita Scottish Rite and the Southern Jurisdiction was experiencing a building boom like never before.
In 1907, Frederick Webber, Secretary General of the Scottish Rite, passed away. This article is certainly worth reading, especially if you are a Scottish Rite Mason. He was one of the last men from that great generation of Scottish Rite Masons who personally experienced the transformation of their order.
Frederick Webber picture in Memoriam. “Transactions of the Supreme Council of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States.”
The article about Webber was published in the Evening Star on November 5, 1907.
“The venerable Frederick Webber, secretary general of the Supreme Council, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Masons of the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States, died at his residence, No. 523 3rd Street northwest, shortly after 8 o’clock last evening. He was the dean of the Supreme Council, and had been active Inspector General for Kentucky since 1859, thirty-eight years.
Mr. Webber was a native of Ireland, having been born in Cork city June 21, 1827, and died in his eighty-first year. He removed to the United States in 1843 and located in Louisville Ky., which was his home for many years, and although he long resided in Washington, he always considered that he lived in Louisville. He was for a number of years actively engaged in business in the Kentucky metropolis before the civil war.
During that conflict he served as a quartermaster in the Union army, and was at various times under the command of Gens. Anderson, Sherman, Rosecrans and Don Carlos Buell, the latter a fellow-townsman of Louisville. After the war he again engaged in business, but in 1878 came to this city and took office in the adjutant general’s office, being subsequently engaged in the Treasury Department. For a long term of years, however, he had devoted himself exclusively to the advancement of the Scottish Rite of Masonry in his capacity of secretary general, in which he had served under Gen. Albert Pike and all his successors in the office of Grand Commander.
His Masonic career was a long and brilliant one, and exactly co-extensive with his manhood, for he was initiated in Antiquity Lodge, F.A.A.M., of Louisville, Ky., on his twenty-first birthday and died a member of more than sixty years later. He was the last of its surviving charter members and also enjoyed the unique Masonic distinction of having been a charter member of several other Masonic bodies, including the Louisville Consistory, A.A.S.R., and its subordinate organizations.
His activity in Masonic work in the Blue Grass state led to his being crowned at Charleston, S.C., March 28, 1859, as an active inspector general, thirty-third degree for Kentucky, which high and honorable Masonic station he occupied until his death combining its duties with those of the secretary generalship from his nomination to the latter office.
Although he had been very ill for the three weeks preceding the recent sessions of the Supreme Council, Mr. Webber pluckily left his bed and went through the hard work of the session with the same energy and fidelity that characterized all his official work. He was received with every attention by his colleagues, some of them older in years than himself, but none of them older in years than himself, but none of them older in the service of the council. He seemed to greatly improve during the week’s session, and his friends looked to quite an extended lease of life for him. He was last at the House of the Temple and at his familiar desk on Saturday.
The half-masted flag on the House of the Temple today gives expression to the deep sorrow that prevails among the official staff of Scottish Masons generally.
Sovereign Grand Commander James D. Richardson communicated by wire this morning with each of the active members of the Supreme Council, and during the day many telegrams came to the House of the Tempe and to the residence of the deceased, couched in terms of praise for the “Grand Old Man,” as he was affectionately called, and condolences for his family.
The sovereign grand commander said this afternoon, “The death of ‘Brother Fred’ touches me so deeply that I feel I cannot at this time make any expression of sentiment that would satisfy me. He was tenderly and truly loved by all of the Supreme Council, its active and honorary members.”
I primarily focus on the Masonic stages hands and scenery. Scottish Rite stages may have rivaled their commercial counterparts, but the performers were primarily amateurs without any professional training. Would a degree team composed of bakers, ranchers, bankers, oil barons, attorneys or clerks understand that a director was really the one in charge? Here is the view of one frustrated thespian who was tired of watching and working with amateur actors. The following excerpt was from the article “Detail and the Drama of the Degree,” written by Epes W. Sargent and published in New Age Magazine (August, 1907, Vol. VII, No. 2, page 181). What was said in 1907 could likely be repeated today:
“… in a recent presentation of the Twenty-third Degree (Northern) we had Moses wearing gold-rimmed eye glasses without a beard that was the pride of every Hebrew of his time. The eyeglasses might have been excused upon the ground of necessity, but there was no excuse for the shaven and shorn appearance of the Patriarch. That the Moses of the moment was an officer who was presently to address the class of candidates in his proper person was no condonation. The costume was slipped off at his exit in character; the removal of the beard would not have required ten second additional delay.
The natural conclusion was that the player feared that by thus masking his identity behind a creation of false hair and wire he might fail to obtain full credit for his work.
It is conceded that few men devote their time to the degree team through some wholly unselfish motives. With some there is hope that efficient work upon the floor may lead to the chairs (as indeed, it often does), others find in their work a gratification of their love of acting, while a score or more of reasons may account for the interest in addition to the proper one of welfare of the rite. It is not to their discredit that they look for reward. That is to be expected.
But those who play should pay. It is not sufficient that they should memorize the speeches, attend some of the rehearsals, and otherwise devote their time to the presentations. They should yield unquestioning obedience to their director and strive with all earnestness to supplement his work by realizing to the fullest the meaning of the part entrusted to their care as well as paying attention to the details of dressing and conduct.
The director cannot be expected to devote his time to the observance of such petty details as personal appearance. Since the exemplar has volunteered for a part, and in someway expects reward, he should give more than passing thought to his work.
In the matter of the beard, the director saw that it was laid out. He could not patiently wait until the exemplar dressed to see that it was worn, nor could he, in this instance, insist that the beard could be put on.
It was the law of Moses that hair whould be worn upon the face. Several passages in Leviticus and elsewhere expressly allude to this, and yet we are asked to regard with due seriousness a Moses who had evidently visited a barber shop on his way to the Tabernacle, and to believe that this was the most majestic figure of Jewish history.”
In 1907, a remarkable article was published in the “Wichita Daily Eagle” titled “The Scottish Rite New Cathedral” (17 March 1907). Here it is in its entirety, as it is a wonderful snapshot of the times and the growing presence of the Scottish Rite.
Picture of the Wichita Scottish Rite from the “Wichita Daily Eagle,” 17 March, 1907
“The Scottish Rite Cathedral.
Known Round the World for its Excellency.
Best in the World.
Valley of Wichita Leads the World in Beauty.
Under the most trying and adverse circumstances, with but twelve charter members, the Scottish Rite bodies in the Valley of Wichita were organized in the year 1887, when they rented two small rooms in the Hacker & Jackson business block, and where for months, with but little paraphernalia, consisting principally of calico curtains, numberless candles and a few cheap costumes, the beautiful and impressive degrees of the glorious Rite were conferred.
In sharp contrast with this humble beginning will be the glorious manner in which these degrees are now put on in the cathedral at the crone of First Street and Topeka Avenue.
In these short years the consistory has grown in numbers and in importance until today the beauty and excellence of the work as it is exemplified has not made Wichita Consistory No. 2 famous all over the whole United Stats, but wherever there is a cathedral of the Scottish Rite the world around, there also is the Wichita work spoken of an example to be imitated but not excelled.
Nothing daunted, and under the leadership of a few indefatigable for the up building of the Rite, and in a short while found their quarters too small. Then the little Baptist church on the corner of Market and First Streets was purchased, but in a few years, with a rapidly increasing membership, the same conditions confronted the order and they were again obliged to secure a more commodious home.
On May 23, 1898, the magnificent and perfectly equipped temple at First street and Topeka avenue, devoted entirely to Masonry, was dedicated with most impressive ceremonies and a class of one hundred and twenty-five initiated.
During the Jubilee year of 1901, 229 brethren were made Masters of the Royal Secret, and today, thanks to the spirit of harmony prevailing, Wichita Consistory No. 2, with a membership of 1,500, has the distinction of being the largest in the southern jurisdiction.
And again has her walls become so crowded that she had outgrown the temple, commodious and handsome as it was a few years ago, and it has been found necessary to enlarge the cathedral to double its present capacity.
From two little rooms decorated with calico curtains, the consistory will this year have advanced to a stately temple erected at a cost of $250,000, and with costly paraphernalia for the proper setting of the different degrees valued at not less than $25,000.
The temple, which was dedicated in 1901, was 75×100 feet. This proving inadequate an addition has been planned which will add 75×140 feet and will give a magnificent temple facing 100 feet on First street and 150 feet on Topeka avenue.
The cost will be $140,000, and the contract has been let to Brandy & Taylor of this city, and work will begin upon the building at once. It will be gratifying to citizens of Wichita to know that not only has this general contract been let to a home firm, but also that all sub-contracts have been let to Wichita, so that the entire work will be done by home people.
The addition, which will be on Topeka avenue, will include a grand banquet hall, 73 feet wide and 100 feet long, on the ground floor. It will be twenty feet high and will be furnished in the old Dutch style, with dark wainscoting, beautiful draperies in keeping with the prevailing color scheme of the walls, frescoing of the highest art, and the whole surmounted by a magnificent cut and art glass dome over the center.
On the ground floor there will also be a kitchen commensurate with the needs of an order which numbers 1,400 members. It will be 25×73 feet and will be fitted up with every convenience for the preparation of the most elaborate banquets of state.
Above the kitchen will be a dressing room of the same dimensions, 25×73 feet which will be fitted with handsomely carved and stained lockers for each degree in the Scottish Rite.
The second floor will contain an auditorium, candidate’s parlor and the stage. The auditorium will be 73×62 feet, beautifully finished in white and gold, with rich draperies, beautiful frescoing, exhibiting scenes and emblems of the various degrees of the Scottish Rite. On this same floor will be located the candidates’ parlor, 25×73 feet, and a large stage, 371/2 feet deep and 73 feet long giving ample rom to place upon it the work of the various degrees in even a more excellent manner than has been done in the old temple, and which already made Wichita Consistory known the world over. This stage will be the best equipped one in the United States and the consistory will be second to none for the beautiful and impressive manner in which it will confer the degrees.
Above the candidates’’ room will be a balcony with a capacity of 545.
Some of the walls of the new building will be 80 feet high and the front will be finished in keeping with the old building. The sides will be of brick.
The old temple will be entirely remodeled, re-decorated and re-furnished in accordance with the general scheme of the new. Every room in it will be changed. There will be a grand vestibule upon the first floor and the old dining room will be transformed into a reception room and library.
A lofty and massive entrance will be built on the Topeka avenue side and the whole of the reception hall will be finished in exquisite tiling. Upon entrance the first thing which will greet the eye will be a stairway ascending to the second floor, majestic in proportions and finished in colored marble. The part of the temple where the Scottish Rite work has been put on will be given over to the Albert Pike Blue lodge and auditorium, which will be as handsomely finished as the new part of the cathedral.
The corner-stone of the new building will be laid April 24, with impressive ceremonies by the grand master of the grand lodge of the state, accompanied and assisted by his grand lodge officers.
It is expected that the new cathedral will be dedicated in the spring of 1908 and the event will be accompanied with all the gorgeous ceremony for which the Scottish Rite is celebrated. It will be an international affair, as delegates with not only be present from all over the United States, but from Mexico and Canada.
From a small and widely scattered membership two hundred years ago, the Scottish Rite has grown until it now exerts a powerful influence on civilization and its members are a power in the council of nations. The appropriate strength of the Rite throughout the world is as follows: United States and Canada, 50,000; Great Britain, 5,00; Belgium and Northern Europe, 20,000; Spain and Portugal, 15,000; France, 150,000; Austria, 1,500; Hungary, 2,500; Italy, 125,000; Greece, 10,000; Turkey, 1,500; Egypt, 3,500; Mexico, Central and South America, 50,000.
Prior to 1801 the degrees of the Rite form a period starting about 1713, existed in fragmentary form only throughout Europe. The first supreme council, constituting all the degrees form 4th to 32nd, was organized in Charleston, S.C. on March 31, 1801.
From this supreme council twenty-nine other councils throughout the world have sprung. The United States was divided into two jurisdictions in 1813.
The Rite in the Valley of Wichita has kept pace with the advancement elsewhere This Valley, that forty years ago was part of the Great American Desert, and which witnessed the organization of the Rite only a score of years ago, now has a membership of 1,500, and are the owners of the most magnificent Scottish Rite temple in the world, furnished with every accessory necessary for the impressive rendition of the sublime degrees of the Rite.
I briefly return to the Topeka Scottish Rite. In 1906, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “The New Year found me at work on some new work for Topeka, Masonic Hall. Very nice work.”
One of the stage settings delivered tot he Topeka Scottish Rite by Sosman & Landis
The “Topeka Daily Capital” reported, “The Scottish Rite bodies of Topeka purchased the building now occupied by the local Masonic bodies three years ago, and they have spent over $20,000 in the last four months in furnishing a lodge room that will compare favorably with any in the United States. A new stage thirty-five feet in depth has been built, and it is said to have more scenery than any other in the country. There are 110 drops, over one hundred of which are the property of, and will be used by, the Scottish Rite in conferring their degrees, which are peculiarly adapted to stage work. The electrical effects that can be produced are almost without number, and are controlled by a marble switch-board eight feet long.” (21 Feb. 1906, page 5).
Sosman & Landis delivered the scenery to the Masonic building located on Jackson Street in Topeka, Kansas. $15,000 worth of scenery had been sold to the Valley of Topeka, allowing candidates to be conferred in full form during the spring reunion of 1906 (The Topeka Daily, 23 April 1906, page 2). For the event, there were 200 candidates, the largest class ever assembled in the state. The reunion took place over the course of three days (The Topeka Daily, 23 April 1906, page 7). Two of the candidates were Dr. F. O. Hetrick and A. Haggart from Ottawa, Kansas. Their local newspaper, “The Evening Herald” reported that the two men “went to Topeka this morning to attend the twenty-sixth semi-annual reunion of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Bodies of the Orient of Kansas, Valley of Topeka. Both gentlemen are going to take degree work” (24 April 1906, page 3). This notice is not unusual, and often newspapers would list all of the candidates in a Scottish Rite class. Articles would also describe which degrees were conferred and communicated; conferred often meant that the degree was theatrically staged. Although Freemasonry might be considered a “secret” society, the identity of incoming members was often published in the local newspaper. It says a lot about the size and prominence of the organization at the time. Scottish Rite membership was on the rise and it meant something to be associated with the Fraternity.
The Topeka Scottish Rite stage pictured in the “Topeka Daily”, 21 Feb, 1906, page 5The Topeka Scottish Rite stage pictured in the “Topeka Daily”, 21 Feb, 1906, page 5
The reunion in Topeka either ran like a well-oiled machine, or was one chaotic mess. With 100 drops and 17 of the 29 degrees staged, a lot occurred over the course of three action-packed days in 1906. The success of the region was evident as an addition was immediately planned. During November of 1906, the Topeka Scottish Rite again broke ground again for a $100,000 addition to the building. The second floor that contained the stage and auditorium remained unaltered, but the Fraternity needed more space if the membership continued to increase at the same rapid rate
The New Orleans Scottish Rite, pictured in “The Times Democrat,” 30 Nov 1906, page 8The lobby. The New Orleans Scottish Rite, pictured in “The Times Democrat,” 30 Nov 1906, page 8The New Orleans Scottish Rite
The same year that new Scottish Rite Cathedrals were dedicated in San Francisco, California, and Topeka, Kansas, another one appeared in the south – New Orleans, Louisiana. The Times Democrat reported, “Scottish Rite Masons of Louisiana yesterday afternoon officially dedicated the beautiful new home of the Louisiana Grand Consistory in Carondelet street, and later entertained at a reception the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons and a large number of invited guests.”(30 Nov. 1906. Page 8).
The old Carondelet Street Methodist Church was transformed into a Scottish Rite Cathedral for the price of $10,000. Articles incorporating the Scottish Rite Cathedral were filed in the Probate Court on October 14, 1906, according to TheTimes-Democrat (page 28). The announcement stated, “The organization is a branch of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Free Masons and the purpose is to erect a cathedral in this city which will be one of the first in the south, and the only one on the state.” The incorporators were R. W. Southerland, H. L. Gaines, Thomas M. McMillan, Robert L. Douglas (president) and P. B. Dixon (secretary).
The dedication ceremony took place in the theater, with the stage being occupied by members of the Grand Lodge and the Grand Consistory. Uniformed members of the Consistory were seated on the main floor and guests in the balcony.
In 1906, painted scenery for the newly constructed stage was gifted by the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite Arkansas Consistory, Valley of Little Rock, Orient of Arkansas.
The New Orleans Scottish Rite stage.
Gus D. Levy, Venerable Grand Master of the Grand Consistory, began the program, explaining that the decision of the Scottish Rite to buy the cathedral of their own had, at the time it was reached, created the impression that it grew out of a breach between the Scottish Rite and York Rote Masons. The Times Democrat included his explanation and his attempt to set the record straight. He allowed L. C. Allen of Shreveport, the Grand Lodge F and AM. To address the matter. The Times Democrat reported, “Mr. Allen first said he was glad of the opportunity to explain matters. The move of the Scottish Rite Masons had not meant that there was any conflict between the two bodies. As a matter of fact they were still intimately associated and closely affiliated with each other.” He concluded the explanation and then spoke of the original, history and present status of Scottish Rite Masonry as well as its relation to the York Rite branch of the order. I have to wonder what else was also going on between the two Masonic orders at this time.
The new temple was the first home for the Louisiana Consistory; the building bought a while back from the Methodists before an additional $10,000 was spent on the recent remodel. The building committee included Charles F. Buck, Gus D. Levy (chairman), Richard Lambert, Frank Chalonn, Joseph Meyers, George W. Voth, B. Lake Henry and W. H. Wood. The architects for the remodel were Stone Bros. With their new stage, the first work of the Scottish Rite included a candidate class of 112 applicants over two days.
The New Orleans Scottish Rite AuditoriumThe New Orleans Scottish Rite AuditoriumThe New Orleans Scottish Rite stage
On 2 March 1907, the Times Democrat announced “Many Masons Coming” (page 5). The Scottish Rite was to hold a reunion and Sovereign Grand Commander James D. Richardson of the Southern Jurisdiction attended to witness 198 candidates receive the 4th through 32nd degrees. Grand Commander was visiting the New Orleans Scottish Rite on his way to another reunion in Galveston, Texas.
In 2014, the building was listed for $4 million and was sold to developer Craig Boes for $3.25 million. The scenery collection sold for $1,000 during the middle of June in 2015. I know this fact, as I was trying to secure it at the same time on behalf of the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. This was during the summer of 2015 while working as their Curatorial Director during the planning and construction of the center. We missed buying them by a week. Because we were unable to purchase the New Orleans collection, the Fort Scott scenery collection became an alternate.
In the end, a theatre group near Austin, Texas, purchased the New Orleans Scottish Rite scenery, cutting the ones they wanted off of the battens. In the end, the group who purchased the scenery, cherry-picked the collection, leaving about twenty drops behind. Lance Brockman and I were in touch with the developers in charge of the renovation for a while, as they sought to track down the artistic provenance. Their plan was to photograph the scenery and maybe hang it in a warehouse somewhere. Unfortunately, the remaining drops were removed during the renovation and their fate is currently unknown.
A drop that once hung in the New Orleans Scottish Rite.A cut drop at the New Orleans Scottish Rite that was not removed after the building was sold.A cut drop at the New Orleans Scottish Rite that was not removed after the building was sold.
In looking at the very few images I have received over the years, it appears to be a compilation from a few different eras. I know that some scenery was delivered by Volland Studios in 1953, but am unsure of the rest. I believe that some of the earliest pieces were from Toomey & Volland, including a palatial backdrop posted on one blog. What I am curious about, however, was the stage right rigging, as is looked very similar to that in Yankton and Wichita; certainly not a Brown’s special system.
Almost three years ago, the historic building became home to Nolaluna, an entertainment and dining development company in New Orleans. The building now that features circus artists, singers, musicians, variety acts and comedians. The renovation was estimated at $8 million for the 162-year old building. There is something comforting that the building continues to include the performing arts.
A cut drop left on site and used in a promotional photograph by the new owner, Nolaluna. The building now that features circus artists, singers, musicians, variety acts and comedians.
To be continued…
There is a lovely little post by the Traveling Templar about his visit to the building in 2010: http://www.travelingtemplar.com/2013/08/sights-and-places-nola-scottish-rite.html
The first plans for the Oakland Scottish Rite published in the “San Francisco Chronicle,” 13 April 1906, page 13Architectural drawings for the Oakland Scottish Rite published in the “Oakland Tribune,” on 28 Dec. 1906, page 2
On April 13, 1906, The San Francisco Chronicle published the plan for the anticipated Oakland Scottish Rite, reporting:
“Oakland, April 12. – At a cost f $150,000 the new Scottih Rite Cathedral will be erected immediately the southwest corner of Harrison and Fourteenth streets, to a spacious lot 100 feet square, only three block from the business center of Oakland. Because the entire building will be devoted to the uses of the Scottish Rite bodies of this city, the structure has been designed especially to meet their needs, and, when completed, it will be the most perfect building of its king on the Coast. Three principals floors and mezzanine floors between will afford ample accommodations for the lodges. In the basement will be located the banquet room with stage and ante-rooms. A thoroughly appointed kitchen and pantry will supplement this. The banquet room will be reached by two broad staircases, connecting with the two streets o which the building will face. The hall will be finished in rich tints and will be effectively lighted with incandescent lights. A gymnasium and bowling alley, with the usual boiler and store rooms, will complete the basement floor. On the mezzanine floor will be the ornamental entrance of the building, including the offices of the managers of the building. Marble, mahogany, mosaic tile and bronze will be used lavishly in the furnishing of this section of the edifice. On the first floor will be the club rooms, library, smoking and card rooms, billiard rooms, ladies’ parlors, hat and coat rooms, and dressing rooms. The second floor will contain the lodge room and will be the principal floor, in the building. The apartment will be 63×65 feet in size, with a coffered ceiling forty-four feet high and a large art glass dome, lighted from behind. The seating capacity will be 450 and, with a gallery which can be added, 200 more can be accommodated. A stage, with a proscenium opening and equipped with complete scenery and settings for most of the degrees from the fourth to the thirty-second, will be part of the furnishings. Bestor G. Brown, who has fitted up most of the Scottish Rite stages in America, will have charge of this work. The cost of the scenery will be approximately $8,000. An organ oft with a pipe organ and choir is part of the equipment, as are dressing, property and candidates’ rooms” (13 April 1906, page 13).
This was to be the second Oakland Scottish Rite cathedral to include a theater for degree work. Only a decade earlier, the Scottish Rite bodies of Oakland purchased and remodeled an old synagogue in 1896. This was similar to the Little Rock Masons in 1896, who also renovated an existing synagogue to include a Scottish Rite stage with new scenery.
The 1896 Oakland Scottish Rite
The first Oakland Scottish Rite cathedral was located off Fourteenth Street, between Webster and Harrison Streets; it was dedicated on September 21, 1896. Ten years later the Oakland Scottish Rite was planning to build another Scottish Rite on the southwest corner of Harrison and Fourteenth streets.
As elsewhere across the country, the Oakland Scottish Rite bodies quickly outgrew their first home at 305 Fourteenth Street, necessitating a larger venue to accommodate an ever increasing candidate class sizes. On April 9, 1906, the Oakland Scottish Rite approved the finalized plans for a new Scottishi Rite Cathedral at Fourteenth snd Harrison Streets. Unfortunately, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and subsequent fire that same month altered their existing plans. Real estate values skyrockets and the anticipated building expenses doubled, causing the Oakland Scottish Rite bodies to rethink their plans. The began the search for an alternative location, finally deciding upon a spot at the southwest corner of Fifteenth and Madison. It took a while, but by 1908, a second set of plans was approved by the Oakland Scottish Rite and construction commenced on their second cathedral. On March 15, 1909, the dedication ceremonies finally took place at 1443 Madison Street.
On July 10, 1904, the Los Angeles Times announced “Big Masonic Enterprises” were being planned (page 47). They included “a site bought for the Scottish Rite Cathedral,” “ New Masonic Temple to be Part of Plan,” and “Fresh Torture Invented by Mystic Shrine.” I am not even touching on the third part of the article.
The Los Angeles Scottish Rite was planning to build a cathedral estimated at $100,000. The article reported, “The site has been purchased, and the deal closed yesterday.” The site was selected by committee as it was equally accessible from all parts of the city. In conclusion, the article noted, “There will be no business rooms in the building, and every section of the cathedral will be devoted to the exclusive use of the Scottish Rite Masons.”
Plan for the Los Angeles Scottish Rite Cathedral published in the “Los Angeles Times,” 16 April, 1905, page 9
On April 16, 1905, the Los Angeles Times announced,”Ground will soon be broken for a hansome and commosioud Masonic edifice, which promised to be one of the finest of its kind in the West” (page 9). In the article “For the Cathedral of the Scottish Rite,” the plans for the auditorium was described, “60×70 feet and 33 feet high with a stage 32×60 feet” on the first floor. The stage house would be “48 feet high and will be arrangd to permit the production of elaborate scenic effects.” A large balcony surrounding the main auditorium was included in the plans.
The completed Los Angeles Scottish Rite Cathedral, from the “Los Angeles Herald,” 23 July 1905, page 19
A committee of eleven members were selected to have full charge of the arrangements: Perry W. Weidner, Will R. Hervey, Willam D. Stephens, Simon Conradi, W. C. Patterson, Henry Baer, Franklin Jordan, Niles Pease, Otto Sweet, A. W. Skinner and Frank H. Pfaffinger. By this point in the planning, the endeavor was now estimated at $125,000. Hudson and Munsell were the architects.
The Los Angeles Times, published the article “Bedeck for Dedication” on June 1, 1906, (page 23). The newspaper described, “Over the banquet hall is the auditorium, capable of seating nearly 2000. The stage is a marvel, completely appointed and furnished with the finest switchboard in the West. Alongside of the rows of handles that controls the lights is a set of six dimmers with thirty-six switches, making it possible to shade the lights from nothing to the fiercest glare. On one wing is an orderly row of ninety-four weights in their slides show how many drops are hung up in the flies.” This was a description of Brown special system, with the “slides” being the wood arbor frames.
The Los Angeles Scottish Rite auditorium, published in “The Los Angeles Times,” 1 June 1906, page 23Postcard depicting the Persian palace setting at the Los Angeles Scottish Rite
By July 23, 1905, the Los Angeles Herald further described the theater:
“The auditorium, where all the floor work will be illustrated, is off the foyer and is 62×71 feet in dimensions, extending from north to south, with stage 35×62 feet and a 26-foor proscenium arch, finished in stucco work, The stage is fully equipped with every accessory needful for the elaborate presentation of Scottish Rite work, The auditorium will be finished in mahogany and olive green, tipped with ivory, and will have an elaborate emblematic ceiling. The foyer, connecting with a hall at the south side of the auditorium from front to south and west, connecting with rooms for candidates and other purposes. The candidates’ room is 25×40 feet, the property room 30×48 feet, the storage rooms 18×24 and 18×18 feet. The auditorium balcony will seat 600 people. On the balcony floor is a billiard room 22×28 feet, a card room 16×20 feet, and the lodge room 35×38 fett. All of these rooms will be finished in maple and wainscoted and will be provided with ornamental fireplaces and bookcases.” (page 19).
