Masonic Temple (Gainesville, Florida)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (November 2007)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

Masonic Temple
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Location:	Alachua County, Florida, USA
Nearest city:	Gainesville, Florida
Added to NRHP:	May 29, 1998
Governing body:	National Register of Historic Places

Part of a series of articles on
Freemasonry

Core Articles

Freemasonry · Grand Lodge · Masonic Lodge · Masonic Lodge Officers · Prince Hall Freemasonry · Regular Masonic jurisdictions

History

History of Freemasonry · Liberté chérie · Masonic manuscripts

Masonic Bodies
Masonic
Masonic bodies · York Rite · Order of Mark Master Masons · Knights Templar · Scottish Rite · Knight Kadosh · The Shrine · Tall Cedars of Lebanon · The Grotto · Societas Rosicruciana · Grand College of Rites · Swedish Rite · Order of St. Thomas of Acon · Royal Order of Scotland · Research Lodge
Masonic groups for women
Women and Freemasonry · Order of the Amaranth · Order of the Eastern Star · Co-Freemasonry
Masonic Youth Organizations
DeMolay · A.J.E.F. · Job's Daughters · International Order of the Rainbow for Girls

Views of Masonry
Anti-Masonry · Anti-Masonic Party · Anti-Freemason Exhibition · Christianity and Freemasonry · Catholicism and Freemasonry · Suppression of Freemasonry · Masonic conspiracy theories · Taxil hoax

People and Places
James Anderson · Albert Mackey · Albert Pike · Prince Hall · John the Evangelist · John the Baptist · William Schaw · Elizabeth Aldworth · List of Freemasons · Lodge Mother Kilwinning · Freemasons' Hall, London · House of the Temple · Solomon's Temple · The Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Masonic Miscellany
Great Architect of the Universe · Square and Compasses · Pigpen cipher · Eye of Providence · Hiram Abiff · Sprig of Acacia · Masonic Landmarks · Pike's Morals and Dogma· Propaganda Due · Freemasonry and the Latter Day Saint movement · Dermott's Ahiman Rezon

This box: view • talk • edit

The Masonic Order Lodge #41 is a historic site in Gainesville, Florida, United States, located at 215 North Main Street. On May 29, 1998, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The cornerstone on the structure's northeast corner states that it was chartered on January 15, 1857, thus indicating it is one of the oldest structures in Gainesville. The event was covered by local newspapers, The Gainesville Sun and The Gainesville Elevator. The Elevator reported "the afternoon was virtually a holiday for the entire city."

At the time Lodge #41 was built, The Grand Lodge was headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida. The petition for the charter was made by eighteen Masons who where the first members of Gainesville Lodge. From 1857 to 1908 lodge meetings where held in different locations around Gainesville. One of these locations is where the downtown Gainesville fire station is today.

During World War II the Gainesville lodge was the only lodge known to have opened its doors for the housing of servicemen. Soldiers that had a weekend pass would travel to Gainesville from Camp Blanding, which is just outside of Lawtey, Florida. Two brothers from the lodge would volunteer to take the Saturday night shift. The next morning the "kitchen crew" would cook a hearty breakfast for the servicemen to enjoy before going back to base. At one point occupancy reached 276 in one night. The lodge served 10,000 servicemen representing all the states over a 77 week period.