Copyright © 2019 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
In 1914, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “We received an order for Masonic scenery for Asheville, N.C.”
Moses was referring to the scenery collection still housed in the 270-seat theatre. I only know the contents of the scenery collection as Lance Brockman and Larry Hill gifted to me their slide collections. There are also many images posted online, showing the stage area during a variety of events from musical performances to yoga classes. The yoga class on stage beneath historic scenery surprised me, especially when considering the likelihood of dusting dry pigment, flash powder and other contaminants).
From various websites, both public and fraternal, I discovered that the building is currently the only one on the National Register in Asheville retaining its original use. At least it has note ben sold and divided to make apartments. Like a few other Masonic stages across the country, the Asheville Masons decided to partner with a local group. In 2010, the Masonic Temple in Asheville, North Carolina, formed a partnership with the Montford Park Players. One of the stated plans was to integrate dinner with live performance.
Of the historic stage used by the community theater, a MountainXpress.com article noted, “There are 48 backdrops, all hand painted by Chicago artists Thomas Gibbs Moses, hanging in the eaves and rafters above the theatre (which haven’t been moved since 1915). The article continued, “These backdrops are visually stunning, and will add to the dimension an quality of the Montford Park Players’ performances.” Unfortunately, much of the information in the article was incorrect, such as Moses painting the drops in 1951; that would be almost three decades after his passing. Moses’ supervised the painting, but certainly did not painted every drop for the venue. Unfortunately the article at Mountainx.com has since been removed and the images are no longer available.
Here is what I discovered about the venue, as noted in historic newspapers. During 1912, several plans for a new temple were brought forward, and an arrangement was entered into between the York Rite bodies and the Scottish Rite bodies in the City of Asheville (“Asheville Citizen-Times,” 2 July 1913, page 5). The architect for the endeavor was Richard Sharp Smith. Smith designed Asheville’s Masonic Temple in the same year that he founded the North Carolina chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Interestingly, Smith was the same a British-born Freemason hired to supervise the construction of Biltmore Castle.
In the end, Asheville’s Masonic building was erected at the cost of $50,000, with the funding being equally divided between the Scottish Rite and york Rite. The Scottish Rite paid for the third floor furnishings that included the stage and equipment. The York Rite paid for the second floor furnishings. Both Scottish Rite and York Rite bodies furnished the first floor, as it was complete with offices, lodge rooms, banquet hall, and kitchen. The cornerstone laying ceremony was under the Grand Lodge of North Carolina and took place on July 1, 1913.
1914 marks a significant moment at Sosman & Landis in regard to Scottish Rite scenery and stage machinery. That year, several collections were produced and shipped across the country to Scottish Rite theaters, including Grand Forks, Tucson and Asheville; each was mentioned by Moses in his diary. Many of these collections are still used, but falling into various states of disrepair.
For decades the scenery was only used twice a year, at each Scottish Rite reunion in the spring and fall. Citing decreased membership and increased expense, many Masonic theater buildings have opened their buildings for public rentals. One rental feature is the Masonic stage and historic scenery collection. The painted settings are popular for weddings, banquets, community theatre productions and musical performances. Many stages are encountering more use in six months that the previously six decades. This causes a problem as most theater systems have never been maintained or repaired since their original construction.
Those who currently step on a Scottish Rite stage marvel at the condition of many elements, much of the pristine appearance is from lack of use. Some stages that have been excessively used over the century show it, as both scenery and operating lines look quite tattered. It will be interesting to see how the historic scenes stand up to increased use across the country and if any lines fail during a public performance in the near future. So far, any drops that have fallen to the stage have occurred after performers departed the building. The guardian angels may be working over time.
To be continued…
