Masonic Hall (Augusta, Maine)

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Masonic Hall
Masonic Temple, Augusta ME.jpg
Masonic Temple
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Location313–321 Water St., Augusta, Maine
Coordinates 44°18′51″N69°46′30″W / 44.31417°N 69.77500°W / 44.31417; -69.77500 Coordinates: 44°18′51″N69°46′30″W / 44.31417°N 69.77500°W / 44.31417; -69.77500
Area0.3 acres (0.12 ha)
Built1894 (1894)
ArchitectSpofford, John
Architectural styleRenaissance
MPS Augusta Central Business District MRA
NRHP reference # 86001695 [1]
Added to NRHPMay 02, 1986

The Masonic Hall is a historic commercial and fraternal society building at 313-321 Water Street in downtown Augusta, Maine. Built in 1894, it is a significant work of Boston architect John Spofford, and a good local example of restrained Renaissance Revival architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. [1]

Augusta, Maine Capital of Maine, United States

Augusta is the state capital of the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Kennebec County.

Boston Capital city of Massachusetts, United States

Boston is the capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city proper covers 48 square miles (124 km2) with an estimated population of 685,094 in 2017, making it also the most populous city in New England. Boston is the seat of Suffolk County as well, although the county government was disbanded on July 1, 1999. The city is the economic and cultural anchor of a substantially larger metropolitan area known as Greater Boston, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) home to a census-estimated 4.8 million people in 2016 and ranking as the tenth-largest such area in the country. As a combined statistical area (CSA), this wider commuting region is home to some 8.2 million people, making it the sixth-largest in the United States.

National Register of Historic Places federal list of historic sites in the United States

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred preserving the property.

Contents

Description and history

The Masonic Hall is located on the east side of Water Street, Augusta's principal downtown thoroughfare, a short way south of the junction with Winthrop Street. The building is a four-story masonry structure, built out of red brick with some granite trim. The ground floor has five storefronts, each with display windows and a recessed entrance to one side. Near the center of the building is the main entrance, set in a round-arch opening flanked by fluted pilasters. The second floor has rectangular keystoned window openings, each of which has a recessed polygonal bay window. Windows on the third and fourth floors are grouped together in columns, with patterned brickwork between, and a rounded arch above. A patterned entablature separates the upper windows from a simple cornice. The windows above the main entrance are more ornately decorated than the others. [2]

The hall was built in 1894 to a design by Boston architect John Spofford, and is a modest and restrained interpretation of the Renaissance Revival. Spofford was at the time already well known for several commissions in Maine, include an expansion of the Maine State House, the Former Augusta City Hall, and the ornate Vickery Building, also in downtown Augusta. [2]

Maine State House

The Maine State House in Augusta, Maine is the state capitol of the State of Maine. The building was completed in 1832, one year after Augusta became the capital of Maine. Built using Maine granite, the State House was based on the design of the Massachusetts State House.

Former Augusta City Hall

The Former Augusta City Hall is located at 1 Cony Street in Augusta, Maine. Built in 1895-96, it is a well-preserved local example of civic Renaissance Revival architecture, and served as Augusta's city hall until 1987. The building, now an assisted living facility called The Inn At City Hall, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

Vickery Building building in Maine, United States

The Vickery Building is a historic commercial building at 261 Water Street in downtown Augusta, Maine. Built 1895 to a design by John C. Spofford, it is one of the downtown's few granite commercial buildings, built for Peleg O. Vickery, a leading publisher and three-term mayor of the city. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

See also

National Register of Historic Places listings in Kennebec County, Maine Wikimedia list article

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Kennebec County, Maine.

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References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 "NRHP nomination for Masonic Hall". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-06-08.