Masonic Temple and Lodge - Alameda, CA
Posted by: ucdvicky
N 37° 45.817 W 122° 14.653
10S E 566568 N 4179856
Historic masonic lodge in downtown Alameda.
Waymark Code: WM2ZN1
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 01/16/2008
Views: 26
"The Masonic Temple, erected in 1890–91 at Park Street and Alameda Avenue, is the sole survivor of this group of monumental downtown buildings; all the others have been demolished or altered beyond recognition. In similar manner to the Croll Building on Webster Street, the Masonic Temple is the preeminent Victorian landmark on Park Street. But there the similarities end.
Built at a cost of more than $25,000, the looming three-story structure exhibits an astonishingly rich palette of materials. The brick walls are trimmed with polished granite, carved and rusticated sandstone, slate roofing, floral frieze panels of terra cotta, pressed-metal cornice and pier finials, and locally rare cast-iron storefronts. The architectural terra cotta on the Masonic Temple building is the oldest in Alameda.
The building was designed by an Oakland architect named Charles Mau, who won the commission in a competition. Typical of mainstream eclectic architects of his day, he concocted designs from whatever sources caught his fancy. The blocky massing, mansardic cornice and segmental arch windows of the Masonic Temple are Italianate in derivation, but the busy, textured façades, capped with finials, and the prominent gable and tower facing Park Street are clearly Queen Anne in spirit. There is also a nod to the Romanesque in the rusticated stone arch of the Alameda Avenue entry.
At the time of the temple’s dedication, in February 1891, Alameda had a population of about 12,000—eight times as many people as in 1871, when Oak Grove Lodge, No. 215, Free & Accepted Masons, was organized in a rented hall on Park Street. Like other fraternal orders, the Masons played an important role in the community, providing a basis for charitable and civic activities as well as nurturing friendships, business dealings and political alliances.
The lodge continued to grow, culminating in the construction of a new temple next door on Alameda Avenue in the 1920s, the current home of the lodge and the Alameda Museum. The old temple sat vacant for many years (though the ground-floor commercial spaces continued to be rented) and was finally sold in 1979. Today the old lodge rooms and dining rooms are rental apartments, and the redoubtable Java Rama Coffee House does business at the corner. Have yourself a latte, and check out the museum while you’re at it."http://www.alamedamagazine.com/media/Alameda-Magazine/January-February-2008/Five-Stories-Structures/
Street address: 2312 Alameda Ave Alameda, CA USA
County / Borough / Parish: Alameda
Year listed: 1982
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
Periods of significance: 1875-1899, 1925-1949
Historic function: clubehouse
Current function: clubehouse
Privately owned?: yes
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Hours of operation: Not listed
Secondary Website 1: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.