Masonic Temple Chimera -- Salina KS
N 38° 50.081 W 097° 36.569
14S E 620689 N 4299349
Over 100 lionesque chimera growl and glower from the roof of the Classical Revival Masonic Center of Salina KS.
Waymark Code: WMGYY2
Location: Kansas, United States
Date Posted: 04/25/2013
Views: 2
The Salina Masonic Center is a beautiful example of Classical Revival architecture. It was built over five years from 1922-1927.
One of the wonderful details on this building are the row of copper lion-like chimera that stare down from the roofline. When it rains, they might seem to be drooling! YIKES!!!
From the National Register nomination form: (
visit link)
"The Temple, designed by Oklahoma City architect William T. Schmitt, is in the Neoclassical style, a dominant style throughout nineteenth and early twentieth century America. The building's monumental size and simplified classical forms projects a sense of importance, permanence and stability. The Temple sits upon a high basement podium.
Defining the five-bay front facade is a monumental hexastyle Ionic portico reached by a grand staircase flanked by parapets and consisting of flights composed of three, five and seven steps,numbers that allude to Masonic ritual.
The fluted Ionic columns, measuring 42 feet with five foot diameters, stand on plinths. The intercolumniation of the columns varies. The outer pairs of ionic columns have the same intercolumniation, while the two central columns have a wider intercolumniation to facilitate access through the three portals leading to the Temple.
The windows of outer bays are flanked by Doric pilasters and support the Ionic entablature, which encircles the building. Hanging between the volutes of the Ionic capitals are carved limestone Masonic orders: Blue Lodge; Chapter Commandry; Scottish Rite; Shrine and Eastern Star. The Ionic portico supports a full entablature, with
"Masonic Temple" chiseled on the frieze. Above the entablature is a balustrade, which along with the Ionic entablature encircle the building.
Completing the Temple is a recessed attic story with an idiosyncratic Doric entablature, consisting of a frieze composed of triglyphs alternating with metopes inscribed with circles. Completing the entablature is a copper cornice defined by anthemion antefixeae alternating with grotesque heads." [end]