Old Masonic Building on the Square
by Janette Boyd
Title
Old Masonic Building on the Square
Artist
Janette Boyd
Medium
Photograph - Photo
Description
Photo of the Old Masonic Building on the square in Georgetown, Texas, just north of Austin. This image was taken in November when the trees were bare.
History of the Building
A story 117 years in the making
Old Masonic Building on the Square in Georgetown, Texas
For over a century, the Old Masonic Lodge — with it’s distinctive onion dome — has been a local architectural treasure and cultural community icon. And at 117 years old, the building has a century of shared history with Georgetown. But it’s community roots actually go much, much deeper than that.
The Masons
This building was the home of the San Gabriel Masonic Lodge of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Texas. They built it and met here for over 82 years. For much of that time, locals referred to the building simply as the “Temple.” The building was completed in 1900, but that’s not really where this story begins: this is actually the second Masonic Temple to occupy this site. When the San Gabriel Lodge was chartered in 1852, it was only the 85th Masonic Lodge to be chartered in the state of Texas. And in 1858 – for the sum of $1,000 — they bought this property. In the 1870’s the Masons erected a wooden, 2-storey building on this site. The minutes from the Lodge in the 19th Century read like a stroll through American history: the country went to war with itself, (in 1861 the Masons voted to approve the use of Confederate Currency in their dealings) and other minutes from this period report occasional skirmishes with the Commanche. Still later records mention cattlemen associated with the great Chisholm Trail as it wended through town. In 1894 a committee was formed to investigate the feasibility of installing electric lights in the old building ( at a cost of $60.50).
The Onion Dome
Belford selected heavily rusticated limestone with which to construct the building, which features arched doors and window openings, and a very distinctive “onion dome.” Byzantine in appearance, the onion dome has been the subject of a great deal of speculation. As an architectural element, Onion Domes are an extreme rarity in Texas. But even in Georgetown, the dome has been mysterious. There is a great deal of symbolism and ritual in Free Masonry which can be evidenced architecturally. For example, the rectangular shape symbolizes King Solomon’s temple. But King Solomon’s temple did not feature onion domes. Administratively, ‘lodges’ are sometimes referred to as ‘orients’ in Freemasonry. Perhaps the onion shape inspired notions of the Orient to late 19th century Masons. Or perhaps the dome was merely symbolic of Jerusalem — home to King Solomon’s Temple — and was inspired by the iconic onion domes of Jerusalem’s famous Church of Maria Magdalene. Or, if you lean toward ‘Da Vinci Code‘ intrigue, perhaps the onion dome is a nod to the Church of Maria Magdalene, which is a nod to Maria Magdalene herself, who was a person of interest to the Knights Templar, keepers of the Holy Grail, who have a historic connection with modern-day freemasonry. Or maybe Belford just always wanted to make one. Whatever the inspiration, the dome itself is a great rarity in this state. It became even more rare here in Georgetown when the dome vanished from the building for seven decades. An entire generation of Georgetowners grew up and grew old in the 20th Century never knowing the building ever had a dome, because some time around the First World War the dome disappeared from the building and the photographic record.
For more information on this historical site visit: http://www.dmpartners.com/history-of-the-building/
Uploaded
May 3rd, 2018
Statistics
Viewed 568 Times - Last Visitor from Beverly Hills, CA on 04/23/2024 at 7:41 AM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet
Comments
There are no comments for Old Masonic Building on the Square. Click here to post the first comment.