Property Record
616 GRAHAM AVE
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | TEMPLE OF FREE MASONRY |
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| Other Name: | MASONIC TEMPLE |
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| Reference Number: | 29229 |
| Location (Address): | 616 GRAHAM AVE |
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| County: | Eau Claire |
| City: | Eau Claire |
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| Year Built: | 1927 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1981 |
| Historic Use: | social recreational/fraternal hall |
| Architectural Style: | Neoclassical/Beaux Arts |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Limestone |
| Architect: | Edward Hancock |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Temple of Free Masonry |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 1/14/1988 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 1/1/1989 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. Constructed in 1927, the current Masonic Temple is an imposing Neo-Classical structure. Rising two full stories from a raised basement, the dressed stone building is symmetrically arranged and is characterized by a colossal pedimented portico in the Doric Order. Other features include an unadorned entablature, a parapet which on the main facade rises to form a gable-like element shadowing the pediment, and recessed bays framed by either single or paired pilasters. On the south elevation an entrance has been added. The Temple of Free Masonry was organized in Eau Claire in 1857 when seven lumber and business leaders petitioned the St. Croix Lodge #56 in Hudson, WI to organize. The lodge received its own charter as the Eau Claire Masonry Lodge #112 in 1859. The lodge met in several buildings, including 317 S. Barstow Street, until this building was constructed. The interior spaces retain their original layout and decorations. It features a large auditorium on the first level and two lodge meeting rooms. 2016- "Edward Hancock, an English architect who lived in Eau Claire from 1915 until his death in 1930, designed the Masonic Temple. The building was built in 1927 and is one of the finest examples of this style in Eau Claire. The building is constructed of Indiana limestone and is a symmetrically designed two-story structure that is characterized by a colossal pedimented portico in the Doric order. The Temple of Free Masonry was organized in Eau Claire in1857 when seven lumber and business leaders petitioned the St. Croix Lodge #56 in Hudson, Wi to organize. The lodge received its own charter as the Eau Claire Masonry Lodge #112 in 1859. the lodge met in several buildings until 1927 including its former site located at 317 South Barstow Street. The interior spaces retain their original layout and decorations. The interior features a large auditorium on the first level and two lodge meeting rooms that are ornately decorated." -"Eau Claire Landmarks: Designated Historic Properties in Eau Claire, Wisconsin", Eau Claire Landmarks Commission, P.O. Box 5148, 2016. |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A) Building inscription. (B) Barland, Lois, 1965. The Rivers Flow On, p. 343. Eau Claire Landmarks booklet published by the Landmarks Commission in 2002. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |