CINCINNATI MASONIC TEMPLE BUILDING - Cincinnati, Ohio
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 39° 06.192 W 084° 30.464
16S E 715510 N 4331186
Masonic Center serving Cincinnati Masons.
Waymark Code: WM3N7W
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 04/23/2008
Views: 112
The CINCINNATI MASONIC TEMPLE BUILDING, on the N. side of Fifth St.
between Broadway and Sycamore St., is a massive limestone structure with low
wings on two sides. The blank walls are generally unrelieved by either
decorations or windows, but the upper facade of the central unit, on Fifth
Street, is set off by a row of tall, thick columns... The building was completed
in 1928 from plans by Harry Hake and Charles Kuck. It replaces the Gothic
structure that had been designed by Hamilton and McLaughlin in 1858
As the headquarters for Cincinnati Masonry, the temple serves 29 Masonic
groups. Outstanding rooms are the Scottish Rite Cathedral, a blend of
Byzantine and Romanesque styles; Eastern Star Room, an adaptation of Pompeiian
design to modern use; Commandery Room, in Tudor Gothic style; and Shrine Hall,
Moorish in design and color. The banquet room seats more than 3,000
persons.~ from Cincinnati: A Guide to the Queen City and Its Neighbors,
1943, Tour 6, pg 193
The building now called the Cincinnati Masonic Center continues to serve as
the headquarters for the Cincinnati Masonry with several Masonic
organizations using the building. The building is actually on the S. side of 5th Street rather than the North as stated in the Guide. The building is a contributing building in the Lytle Park Historic District