MABoston

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BOSTON

LODGES


BUILDINGS

440px-MasonicTemple_TremontSt_Boston_engr_byAnnin_and_Smith_LC.jpg

  • 10/14/1830: IV-195; Laying of corner-stone of Temple Hall for Grand Lodge by Most Wor. Joseph Jenkins. This ceremony was performed in public despite the anti-Masonic opposition then prevalent in Boston.
    • 05/30/1832: IV-255; Public Dedication of the Temple, a public ceremony with an address by Rev. Bernard Whitman.
    • 12/20/1833: IV-309; Due to refusal by the state legislature to restructure the Grand Lodge corporate charter, the building was sold to Bro. Robert Shaw.
  • 04/06/1864: VI-503; The Winthrop House Fire was reported at the Quarterly Communication. (See description below.)

DESCRIPTION OF THE WINTHROP HOUSE

From Moore's Freemason's Monthly Magazine, Vol. XXIII, No. 6, May 1864; p. 195.

THE LATE MASONIC BUILDING.

Mr. Editor— The Temple of Freemasonry in Boston has been destroyed, and the mystic brotherhood have lost their halls, where they were wont to meet in social conclave and dispense alms to their suffering Brethren. Now that the arrangements of these halls are fresh in remembrance, it will certainly not be considered amiss to preserve, lor future reference, their general appearance, and that of their ante-rooms and other apartments, such as can be given in a hasty sketch by one who is conversant with all their particulars. It will be remembered that the building which was destroyed on the morning of the sixth of April just past, as originally erected, consisted of three private dwellings, erected on the estate formejy occupied by the mansion house and garden of Joseph Head, Esq., a merchant of Uiis city. These houses were subsequently connected, and enlarged by the addition tf another story and back buildings, and were converted into a public hotel, known as the Winthrop House, in remembrance of John Winthrop, the early colonial governor of Massachusetts.

In the year 1859, the Grand Lodge of Freemasons of Massachusetts, having previously sold their stone building, known as the Masonic Temple, the Winthrop House estate was purchased and fitted up for Masonic purposes, reserving the four lowermost stories for a hotel, and changing the attic roof into a French one, thereby gaining several large and valuable halls. The building thus altered stood on a lot of land fronting westerly 89 feet on Tremont street, and 126 feet southerly on Boylston street, with a rear of 83 feet and 5 inches on Head place on the east, and adjoining the house of the late George Head, Esq., 115 feet and 6 inches on the north. On the front of the building, facing the Common, there was an unoccupied portion of paved land, measuring 22 feet at the southern extremity, and 14 feet and 8 inches at the northern boundary, the whole number of square feet belonging to the lot, being 10.479. As was absolutely necessary, with so large a space to cover, there was a small area in the centre of the building, left unbuilt upon, reserved indispensably for air and light, so that, architecturally speaking, the edifice was a quadrangle, six stories in height, with another lofty and capacious story within the casements of the French roof.

The portion of the building occupied as a hotel contained in its three stories and basement about one hundred and forty rooms; while the two uppermost stories and attic afforded accommodations to the Freemasons.

The Masonic apartments were approached over a flight of stairs, unfortunately constiucted of wood, situated on the northerly side of the building, the outer door opening on Tremont street, and serving also as the private entrance for the hotel. The rooms occupied by the Freemasons consisted of three large halls, with the necessary ante-rooms, three armories for the Encampments of Knights Templars, a large banqueting hall, with offices for the Grand Master and Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge, and for the Superintendent of the building, together with committee rooms, corridors, and capacious closets for storing the regalia and working implements of the craft. In all there were about thirty distinct rooms.

After ascending the long staircase which led to the Masonic Halls, a visitor was first struck with astonishment on beholding the rich and costly banners and other paraphernalia belonging to the various Orders, displayed artistically in glazed cases, in several of which were also suspended the jewels worn by the officers of the bodies to which the banners belonged. On proceeding further, the first room on the lowermost Masonic story which met the attention, was the office of the Superintendent, Mr. Luther L. Tarbell, an accomplished Mason, and a person possessing the knowledge and requirements in a most remarkable degree for the office he so well and faithfully filled. Next was situated a dressing-room, with all the conveniences that ingenuity and a regard for comfort could suggest. Advancing further, the visitor entered a corridor, connected with which •were ante-rooms, preparation rooms, and a large store-room for regalia and articles most needed by the Masons in performing and exemplifying their work ; and here was suspended a faithful portrait of the good old Tyler, father Martin, who a year ago tiled his last sublunary Lodge.

On the left of this corridor was tbe enlrance-door to the large hall known as Corinthian Hall, designed for the annual and quarterly meetings of the Grand Lodge, and forlhe monthly communications of the several Masonic bodies holding their meetings in Freemasons' Hall. This hall was probably one of the most superb in the country; as it was most elaborately and carefully finished in the Corinthian Order of architecture, and was distinguished for the harmony of its proportions, the beauty of its finish, and its perfect adaptedness to its purposes. The frescoes were executed most carefully by the late lamented Schutz, in the highest style of the art. The hanging chandeliers, the standing candelabras, and all the minute fixtures about this hall, as well indeed as in the others to be mentioned, were strictly Masonic, and bearing in every possible way the Masonic emblems and devices. The ceiling, which specially attracted attention, on account of its ornameniation, was laid out in plain panels and figured medallions; of the twelve medallions four bore roselts in relief, while the remaining eight were painted with the following objects of Masonic interest:—

  • In the Masonic North, weie the ancient armorial bearings of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, in use until the year 1856, and formerly, as far back as 1477, borne by the Duke of Montacute, and constituted by him to be the arms of the Grand Lodge of England, and these were blended with the Sussex arms; over the West, were the original Montaoute arms, in honor of the Grand Master of England, who granted the first Commission for a Prov. G. Master in Boston in 1733; over the South, were the arms granted to the Freemasons of London by the Clarencieux-King of Arms in 1477, the oldest known Masonic armorial bearings; directly over the canopy in the East, were the arms of the Grand Lodge, as adopted in 1S56: of the remaining four medallions, one had the Bible, another had the pot of incense, a third had a beehive, and the fourth had the winged hour-glass, the symbolism of which is generally well known. In the centre of the ceiling was an allegorical representation of the Genius of Masonry, having in her left hand the square and compasses, and in her right the plumb-line,—the square dedicated to the Master, the compasses to the Craft, and the plumb-line aa the rule by which both are to be tried in their daily life and conversation.
  • The walls were painted so as to represent panels between pilasters, and in these were suspended the portraits of Henry Price, the first Grand Master in Massachusetts; Gen. Joseph Warren, the patriot, also a Grand Master, and of most all of those who have held this position in the State. At the South, West and North were painted, in a most striking manner, the emblematical figures of Faith, Hope and Charity. The canopy and other upholstery and carpeting having blue for their prevailing color, were of the richest and most costly character, and exhibited the same excellent taste which pervaded the whole apartment. Elaborately executed columns of the three original Orders, and an altar, together with a large and costly organ, and other necessary fixtures comprised the fittings of this superb hall.
  • On the same floor, and fronting Tremont street, was the second hall in size, known as the Ionic Hall, with its ante-rooms, this was designed for the use of the Royal Arch Chapters, and was decorated with emblems of the Order, and furnished with red upholstery, and was, as its name imports, finished in the Ionic Older of architecture. In this hall was an organ, and an excellent full length portrait of Washington, a copy from Stuart.
  • On the easterly side of the area, on the same story, were several rooms adapted for the use of the Encampments, Chapters, and the several bodies belonging to the Ancient and Accepted Rite.

The second story partook of the character of an entresol, and contained a large Doric Hall draped in blue, furnished with an organ, an admirably painted copy of the Royal Arch and Master's Carpet, and decorated with the portraits of three eminent Templar Masons, Brothers Hammatt, Lash and Harwood. In the same story were the office of the Grand Secretary, which contained a valuable Masonic library, and many choice relics of the past; the office of the Grand Master, and several smaller rooms for committee purposes and for sodality meetings of the Masonic bodies. Most of these rooms were decorated with photographs of past officers, and some with photographs of all the members of their associations.

In the attic was the large Banqueting Hall and its ante-rooms, (capable of accommodating between four and five hundred persons,) and the three armories of the Boston, De Molay, and St. Bernard Encampments.

The several halls were used by the various bodies which met in Freemasons' Hall, and though they were amply large to accommodate the institution at the time the building was adapted to Masonic purposes, nevertheless larger and more commodious arrangements had become necessary for the rapidly increasing Oider. The fraternity were indebted to the learned and accomplished Mason, Charles W. Moore, Esq., for the admirable adaptedness of this building to the innumerable wants of the several grades of the Masonic bodies which held their meetings wiihin its walls, and to his excellent taste and judgment were due the designs for the decoration of the various apartments.

It is earnestly hoped that when another Freemasons' Hall is built the edifice will indeed be a Temple worthy of the institution, and also of the Grand East where it will be placed.

LINKS