The Masonic Temple of Erie was built for the Freemasons of the City of
Erie. The Masonic Temple Association was developed to oversee its
construction, and the building would be used to house Lodge rooms,
Masonic quarters, an auditorium, a banquet hall, and rentable space.
The Association commissioned architects Frank E. Alden and Alfred
Harlow, as well as building firm Henry Shenk Company. Construction
began in 1909, and after only a few months of building, the design was
altered to accommodate a sixth floor. The Masonic Temple opened to the
public in June 1910.
In 1930, a banquet hall and kitchen were built in the basement of the
Masonic Temple. The gothic style room has hosted numerous weddings and
celebrations over the last eighty years. A ballroom is located on the
second floor of the building, while the fourth floor is used
exclusively by the Freemasons. In 1964, a choir loft/balcony was
installed in the fourth floor Masonic Lodge Room. The Masonic Temple is
the home of the Perry Keystone No. 392, the Lawrence No. 708, and the
Tyrian Commonwealth No. 362 Masonic Lodges. Office space is available
on the second, third, fifth, and sixth floors, while store fronts are
available for rent on the ground floor. Ralph Miller Jewelers, which
resides on the 8th Street side of the Masonic Temple, opened in 1898.
It has rented from the Masonic Temple since the building’s opening in
1910. In 2016, a convenience store and barber shop are also located on
the ground floor. For over a century, the Masonic Temple has continued
to be a place to work, entertain, celebrate, and worship in the heart
of the city.
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