Masonic Temple (Meridian, Mississippi)
Encyclopedia
The Masonic Temple at 1220 26th Avenue, Meridian, Mississippi
was built in 1903. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1979. It was also listed as a contributing property
to the Merrehope Historic District in 1988. It has since been demolished.
The temple was owned jointly by three black fraternal lodges and stood as a tribute to the business capacity and enterprise of the black community in the city. The structure was two stories tall with a recessed entrance supported by panelled Ionic
pilaster
s that bore the keystone
of Freemasonry
and the insignia of the Shriners
. The effort to build the temple was largely spearheaded by T.J. Wilson.
Meridian, Mississippi
Meridian is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is the sixth largest city in the state and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area...
was built in 1903. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1979. It was also listed as a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the Merrehope Historic District in 1988. It has since been demolished.
The temple was owned jointly by three black fraternal lodges and stood as a tribute to the business capacity and enterprise of the black community in the city. The structure was two stories tall with a recessed entrance supported by panelled Ionic
Ionic order
The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...
pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s that bore the keystone
Keystone (architecture)
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight. This makes a keystone very important structurally...
of Freemasonry
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
and the insignia of the Shriners
Shriners
The Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, also commonly known as Shriners and abbreviated A.A.O.N.M.S., established in 1870, is an appendant body to Freemasonry, based in the United States...
. The effort to build the temple was largely spearheaded by T.J. Wilson.