Saint John Masonic Temple

Last updated

Saint John Masonic Temple
Saint John Masonic Hall c. 1900.jpg
Saint John Masonic Temple, c. 1900
Saint John Masonic Temple
General information
Architectural style Italianate
Location92 Germain Street, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Coordinates 45°16′21″N66°03′37″W / 45.2724309°N 66.0603445°W / 45.2724309; -66.0603445
Construction started1877
Completed1881
CostCA$80,000
Technical details
Floor count4
Design and construction
ArchitectsMcKean & Fairweather
Main contractorAlexander Christie & Co.
William L. Prince, Esq.
Website
sjmt.ca
TypeMunicipal Heritage Preservation Act
DesignatedMarch 18, 1982
Reference no.284

The Saint John Masonic Temple is a historic masonic temple in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. One of Atlantic Canada's oldest lodges, [1] the masonic temple is located on 92 Germain Street in Uptown Saint John. The brick building features an Italianate architectural style. It is four-storeys tall, with the street floor being used for commercial purposes. [2] It is part of the Grand Lodge of New Brunswick. [3] It is within the boundaries of the Trinity Royal Heritage Conservation Area. [4]

Contents

History

The Freemasonry community previously operated a masonic temple in Saint John until its destruction by the Great Fire of Saint John in 1877. [5] Construction on a new masonic temple began following the fire, [2] worked on by architects McKean & Fairweather, and contracted by Alexander Christie & Co. as well as William L. Prince, Esq. [6] The building was completed in 1881, [1] totaling CA$80,000 (equivalent to $2,903,680in 2023). [6]

Historically, the building was used to host Masonic Grand Lodge of New Brunswick meetings annually, including once in 1934 which included John Babington Macaulay Baxter, a former Premier of New Brunswick who served as the province's Grand Master at the time. [7] [8]

On the morning of January 26, 1929, the masonic temple was destroyed by fire, with damages estimating to be at $100,000 at the time. [9] $55,000 of which was insured. [10] Discussions on rebuilding the temple were made the following month, [11] and efforts to rebuild it began being made starting in late May 1929 until being finished by November 26, 1930. [5] On July 11, 1929, during the rebuilding process, Saint John Masonic Temple, Limited. was established under The Royal Gazette. [12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Wright, Julia (December 14, 2017). "Saint John 'secret society' opens doors for rare glimpse". CBC News . Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Masonic Temple". www.historicplaces.ca. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Lodges". The Grand Lodge of New Brunswick. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Trinity Royal Heritage Conservation Area Map". saintjohn.maps.arcgis.com. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Saint John Masonic Temple – 92 Germain Street, Saint John, NB, Canada". sjmt.ca. November 1, 2013. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  6. 1 2 "St. John Masonic Temple". St. John Daily News. August 28, 1879. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  7. ↑ "MASONIC GRAND LODGE MEETING IN SAINT JOHN". The Daily Mail. Fredericton, New Brunswick. August 23, 1934. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  8. ↑ "JUDGE BAXTER AGAIN CHOSEN GRAND MASTER". The Daily Mail. Fredericton, New Brunswick. August 25, 1933. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  9. ↑ "MASONIC TEMPLE AT SAINT JOHN BURNS". The Canadian Press . The Montreal Star. January 26, 1929. p. 1. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  10. ↑ "MASONIC TEMPLE AT SAINT JOHN IS GUTTEN BY FIRE". Waterloo Region Record . January 26, 1929. p. 1. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  11. ↑ "May Rebuild Temple". The Canadian Press . The Montreal Star. March 22, 1929. p. 21. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  12. ↑ "SAINT JOHN MASONIC TEMPLE, LIMITED". The Royal Gazette. Fredericton, New Brunswick. July 17, 1929. Retrieved April 27, 2024.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.