Dallas Scottish Rite Temple - Dallas, TX
Posted by: WalksfarTX
N 32° 46.743 W 096° 47.542
14S E 706762 N 3628950
Designed by H. M. Greene and B. H. Hubble, members of the Scottish Rite Bodies, the cathedral building is an impressive monumental center for this Masonic organization.
Waymark Code: WM114EC
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 08/14/2019
Views: 2
NRHP Nomination Form"Constructed as an official headquarters for use by the Scottish Rite Masons and other local Masonic lodges and affiliated organizations, the monumental Scottish Rite Temple in Dallas is a fine example of early 20th century Beaux Arts Classical architecture in Texas. With its architectural integrity virtually intact, the structure has continued, since its construction in 1913, to serve the purpose for which it was designed. Official meetings and conventions, as well as social events are held here throughout the year. The grandiose temple stands as a symbol of the Scottish Rite Bodies who continue to serve the Dallas community through their philanthropic endeavors which include active participation in, and contribution to various charitable organizations in Dallas. Other humanitarian causes sponsored by the Dallas Scottish Rite Bodies include the Dallas Hospital for Crippled Children, the Scottish Rite Dormitory for Girls at the University of Texas at Austin, the Masonic Home for Aged Masons in Arlington, and the Masonic Orphan's Home in Fort Worth.
Notable architectural features include the grandiose colonnaded two-story portico and the contrasting use of red brick and stone for the exterior walls. The broad steps and large columns of the facade both contribute to the heavy monumentality of the stone and brickwork.
The planning and massing, as well as the ornamentation of the slightly T-shaped building are strictly symmetrical throughout. Aligned with a N/W - S/E orientation, the central projecting facade faces Harwood Street on the southwest. The temple consists of three stories with a basement. The unadorned roof line above the cornices on both sides of the front wing forms a continuous line with the attic story, which was completed later than the main structure. Red brick and Bedford stone from Stanford, Texas were the materials employed for the exterior walls, which were ornamented with large stone quoins and trim. Alternating receding patterns of brickwork and stone dominate the areas between the windows on all sides of the building and sometimes from small ornamental brick squares in the stonework. The basement walls are constructed of brick with stone foundations, while the entire rear wall with its central chimney is stone faced.
The dominant feature of the structure is the monumental projecting portico on the southwest facade which contains six uniformly spaced columns in the Corinthian order. Their finely carved decorative capitals with acanthus leaves, and those of the monumental corner pilasters of the portico, were executed by Peter Facen of Dallas. The colossal columns, whose Attic-style bases rest on square plinths, support a Classical Greek entablature consisting of a triple fasciated architrave, a simple frieze with carved circular patterns, and a continuous projecting cornice with medallions. The roof of the portico is highlighted with a balustrade whose brick pilasters are symmetrically aligned with the columns below. Centrally located on the balustrade is a large gilded Scottish Rite double eagle emblem."