Happy 100th, West Duluth Masonic Temple

Paul Lundgren Apr 13, 2009 14 Comments

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Euclid Masonic Lodge 198 was dedicated on March 31, 1909. State Grand Master Eugene Swan presided over the services. About 800 people attended.

One hundred years later, it appears vacant and up for sale. The location is 611 N. Central Ave.

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The Euclid Lodge was formed on Oct. 14, 1890, when 48 members signed a petition for dispensation to the Grand Lodge. During its early years, business was conducted in a small hall on Grand Avenue. The lodge later moved to a frame building on the corner of Cody Street and Central Avenue.

Land for the now-100-year-old building was purchased in 1906. Construction began in June 1908.

The lodge had a membership of 653 in 1930 and 805 in 1965. The building at Central Avenue was still in use at least through 2003.

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14 Comments

Sean

about 16 years ago 

A great location for PDD headquarters?

Republitard

about 16 years ago 

Has anyone thoroughly checked the basement for any secret passages? Maybe a secret high speed rail transit system to the Twin Cities or Chicago?

huitz

about 16 years ago 

Those silly masons.  The universe is hardly geometrical ;-)

To be sung by 8th level bard with +1 lute of convalescence at nearest pub...

Polyhedra dancing in my hair
That fairless reality, a truth, a dare?
Seeking solace in corners there
Edges, faces, silly mystic fare
Oh no, never mind, I won't go there
Metatron, where dost thou gaze stare?

Like goofy masons really care
Duluth, a pinpoint on google maps' prayer... beads.

Mary

about 16 years ago 

Are there many Masons left in Duluth?   I think Ashland's group is down to less than a dozen members...well, that's the word on the street, anyway.  It's hard to know for certain with a secret society, I suppose.

Speaking of which, I went to a dance in their building a couple of years ago and found pictures of my great grandpa & great uncle on the walls--they apparently held such titles as "Commander," "High Priest," and my favorite, "Thrice Illustrious Master" (according to the placards stuck inside the frames).

Annie

about 16 years ago 

The masonic hall in Cloquet has secret passageways AND a secret room. 

We had a program at the Historical Society on the Masons and a member came to speak. He said that restrictions for membership had really loosened up and that anyone could join. When Val asked if women were allowed to join, he responded:
"Oh heavens no, not women".

Mary

about 16 years ago 

Well, that's totally understandable--we might try to pretty-up the secret passageways with potpourri sachets or something.

Ashland's hall has an auditorium--at one end there's a stage, and at the other there's a loft (kind of like a choir loft in a church).  At the top, there's a slide projector--the slide trays were full of interesting stuff.  Pictures of Roman-times, skulls, etc.  (Not like slides in a carousel, just slides stored in big drawers, pulled out one-by-one.)

huitz

about 16 years ago 

Where is this building located, BTW?  I'd like to do a google sketchup drawing of it (my new hobby) before it goes the way of Merritt school apartments.

Paul Lundgren

about 16 years ago 

It's on the 600 block of Central Avenue, across the street from Memorial Park.

JP

about 16 years ago 

Not sure if it is the same thing or not, but the Scottish Rite Clinic for Childhood language disorders is doing great things for kids and families here.  I really like the Scottish Rite Auditorium and people there.  One of Duluth's finest venues for certain kinds of performances, IMHO

Chris

about 16 years ago 

My dad is a Mason, and there aren't as many as they used to be.  More to the point, I don't think there's as many young members as there used to be.  Same goes for the Shriners.  After getting a few beers in me, I have asked where the Holy Grail is hidden.  He claims he has no idea.   He doesn't discount that some Masons somewhere might know, he's just not a high enough degree to know all the good stuff.

huitz

about 16 years ago 

Thanks, Paul.  I'll post the model here when I'm done.  I'm working on Denfeld right now, but I'll pencil this in.  This looks like a real cool building.  The only thing missing is the golden section rectangle on the windows, unless it's there on the inlay (both left and right sides).

For those that are curious, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio.

Paul Lundgren

about 13 years ago 

I just came across this, from the 1910 book History of Duluth and St. Louis County, past and present, Volume 1, by Dwight Edwards Woodbridge and John Stone Pardee.


EUCLID LODGE, NO. 198, A. F. & A. M.

The first mention of Euclid Lodge of Duluth is found in the records of Palestine Lodge, No. 79, in which the historian says:

"Our thriving, energetic and ambitious neighbor to the west of us was in the heyday of its prosperity, and the brethren became desirous of participating in the actual work of Masonry, from which they were debarred for want of a lodge. To desire was to do, and on October 6, 1890, a petition signed by fortythree Master Masons of West Duluth was presented to the lodge, with the request that their application for a dispensation to organize a lodge at that point be approved by us before being forwarded to the Worshipful Grand Master of Minnesota. The petition was endorsed with pleasure, being well satisfied with the success of the lodge that would be instituted at that place, and Euclid Lodge today is one of the most promising daughters of 'Palestine.' "

The dispensation was granted to Euclid Lodge October 17, 1890, and the names of the following charter members appear on the application, the first of whom were appointed W. M., S. W. and J. W., respectively:

M. C. Burnside, G. J. Mallory, G. H. Wright, H. P. Smith, G. F. Danforth, D. M. DeVere, F. W. Coon, W. H. Gillett. W. J. Nelson, W. S. P. Foubister, J. E. Fassett, M. Mathison. J. Cochran, C. D. Marble, J. A. Skinner, E. D. Home, A. C. Osborn, G. W. Murdoek, C. J. Birch, J. 0. Hancock, C. H. Phelps, J. C. Perry, F. A. Kontze, G. R. Hall, S. T. Moles, H. Newman, J. C. Eskew, A. McLeod, R. H. Weston, S. F. Hammond, W. P. Mars, E. S. Thomas, C. H. Martz, H. D. Hall, A. Rockwell, D. C. Prescott, S. Jones, D. Gilchrist, J. D. Boyd, B. L. Searles, H. P. Johnson, C. S. Weaver.

A charter was granted by the Grand Lodge of Minnesota, January 15, 1891, and the lodge was regularly constituted February 3, 1891, W. B. Patton acting as Grand Master, at which time the following officers were installed:

M. C. Burnside, W. M.; G. J. Mallory, senior warden; G. H. Wright, junior warden: H. P. Smith, treasurer; G. F. Danforth, secretary; D. M. DeVore, senior deacon; F. W. Coon, junior deacon; W. H. Gillett, S. S.; C. M. Thomas, J. S.; W. J. Nelson, tyler.

The present membership of the lodge is 453, and the officers are:

L. R. Clark, W. M.; M. M. Meldahl, senior warden; E. M. Forbes, junior warden; L. A. Barnes, treasurer; Andrew Dunleavy, secretary; W. B. Getchell, senior deacon; A. F. Oestereich, junior deacon; F. Holloway, S. S.; J. O. Winton, J. S.; C. T. Johnson, tyler; J. H. Opperman, W. B. Getchell and M. J. Murray, trustees.

The following are the past masters of the lodge: M. C. Burnside, 1891; G. J. Mallory, 1892-93; G. H. Wright, 1894-95; E. Elston, 1896; D. C. Prescott, 1897; L. A. Barnes, 1898-99; L. S. Neuman, 1900; D. Graham, 1901-02; M. M. Clark, 1903; C. C. Salter, 1904; W. J. Darby, 1905; G. E. Budd, 1906; J. H. Opperman, 1907; E. G. Wallinder, 1908; M. J. Murray, 1909.

s.f. pangerl

about 13 years ago 

I am originally from West Duluth. I left home when I was 18 and went into the service. I can recall going to the "Y" next door and wondering what was going on in that building.

I am a 50-plus-year master mason. My home lodge is Amarillo, Texas Lodge 731 (A.F. & A.M.). I passed through the mysteries and never regretted joining.

I would enjoy attending a meeting at your place of business when I come home. Is your lodge dark in the Summer?

Paul Lundgren

about 13 years ago 

It's dark all the time. Note the "for sale" sign.

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