~ www.sacramento40freemason.org ~ Est. October 26, 2006 ~ Chartered May 6, 1854 ~ Grand Lodge of California F.&A.M. ~
Lodge No.40 F.&A.M.
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Sacramento
~ www.sacramento40freemason.org ~ Est. October 26, 2006 ~ Chartered May 6, 1854 ~ Grand Lodge of California F.&A.M. ~
| Masonic Temple: Jewel of the Capital City |
By LANCE ARMSTRONG
Sacramento Union Writer
Downtown Sacramento’s J Street is alive with history, as a variety of the street’s
historic buildings capture the memories of bygone eras. And among the street’s
grandest historic structures is the Masonic Temple at the northwest corner of 12th
and J streets.
The presence of this large, three-story, brick, architectural jewel of the city has
attracted the attention of residents and visitors of this section of downtown’s
business district for many decades.
Adding to the aesthetics of this historic structure is a pair of large sentries, which
flank the entrance of the temple near the southwest corner of the building, along J
Street.
Other features include images of 13 cherubs riding upon fish and animals, several
lion heads and other terra cotta work, as well as bricks, which were created at the
historic Gladding, McBean and Co. in nearby Lincoln.
As one of the largest buildings of the area, the Masonic Temple has served as the
home of local Masonic lodges since 1920. During this time, a variety of local
businesses have come and gone from the building’s street level business spaces,
which line both 12th and J streets.
Although this storied structure will turn 88 years old this year, Freemasonry is
much older, both in and outside of Sacramento. Depending upon the source,
Freemasonry is generally said to date back sometime from the building of
Solomon’s Temple to the mid-1600s.
The original Masons consisted of architects and builders, who vowed to protect
their crafts, artistry and themselves through a fraternity that invented signs and
symbols known only to its members.
A late 19th century history, entitled, “Fifty Years of Freemasonry in California,”
states that the history of Freemasonry is similar in character to that of the history
of a nation.
A section of these writings explains that Freemasonry has its historic and
prehistoric eras and that its oldest roots were actually born in the “early dawn of
creation, when the supreme grand architect of the universe commanded, ‘Let there
be light.’”
The history also describes Freemasonry as having science as its father and religion
as its mother. Despite this reference to religion, Freemasons are only required to
have a belief in a higher power – not any particular religion – while dedicating
themselves to friendship, love and association with others.
According to Sacramento Masonic Lodge No. 40, Freemasonry is “an organization
of men believing in the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man, using the
builder’s tools as symbols to teach basic moral truths, thereby impressing upon the
minds of its members the cardinal virtues of brotherly love, relief and truth, which
they should apply to everyday activities.”
It is through this approach that Masons have gained their strong reputation for
providing a wide variety of charitable services to those living in and outside their
communities.
Local Masons, for example, currently assist in the identification and recovery of
missing children through their Masonic Child Identification Program. This program
provides a kit for fingerprinting, physical identification, a dental imprint, a video of
a child and a DNA sample.
Furthermore, early Sacramento Masons provided free-of-charge burials, including
the cost of wooden coffins, and along with local Odd Fellow members, founded the
city’s first public hospital.
Freemasonry, which established its first lodge in the world in England in 1717, its
first North American lodge in Boston in 1733, its first California lodge in San
Francisco in 1849 and its Grand Lodge of California in San Francisco in 1850, has
built a long history in Sacramento.
Although the Masonic Temple on J Street is cherished as one the capital city’s
premier, historic, architectural treasures, the story of the Masons’ existence in
Sacramento is much older than this building. Masonic history in Sacramento, in
fact, is about as old as the city itself.
The first Masonic lodge in Sacramento was Tehama Lodge No. 3, which was
established as Connecticut Lodge No. 73 on Jan. 8, 1850. This lodge sprang forth
from a gathering of about 100 Masons held in September 1849 in McNulty’s
unfinished building on the north side of K Street, between 5th and 6th streets. It
was there that plans were arranged to organize a relief association for “sick and
distressed brothers, who were constantly arriving from across the plains.” But
these plans eventually dissolved after it was learned shortly after the meeting that
local resident Caleb Fenner possessed a charter from the Grand Lodge of
Connecticut. Through Fenner, Sacramento received its first Masonic Lodge, which
was renamed Tehama Lodge No. 3 on May 8, 1850.
The local lodge met in the attic of the Red House on the southwest corner of 5th
and J streets, but relocated to the Market House on M Street, near 2nd Street,
due to an incident when the building was said to be used for “immoral purposes.”
Local Masons once again relocated in 1853 to the second floor of the Stanford
Building at 2nd and K streets. It was also in this year that Sacramento Lodge No.
40 was established. The lodge met at the Masonic meeting place at 2nd and K
streets until the early 1854 completion of Bennett’s three-story building at 17-19 J
St. (later 117 J St.). Local Masonic lodges gathered on the third floor of this
building.
Alongside Bennett’s building, which included the Metropolitan Baths, was the
Sacramento Daily Union building at 121 J St.
By 1855, the presence of fraternal organizations in Sacramento had grown to four
Masonic lodges, four Odd Fellows lodges, one Division of the Sons Temperance,
two Temples of Honor, as well as a few auxiliary lodges.
The strength of the local Masons continued to grow throughout the years, resulting
in five Masonic lodges, one chapter of Royal Arch Masons, two chapters of the
Order of the Eastern Star, one council of Royal and Select Masters and one
commandery of Knights Templar by the 1890s.
Masons at this time met at a large, three story temple, which was constructed in
1865 on the north side of K Street, about 100 feet west of 6th Street.
The local Masons continued their maturation in the capital city, eventually
resulting in their plans to erect the present-day temple at 12th and J streets.
A special day in Sacramento Mason history occurred when the cornerstone for this
temple was placed during a well-attended ceremony held on Sept. 7, 1918. The
event also included a parade. The completion of the elaborate, three story temple,
which was constructed at a cost of $350,000, was celebrated with its official
dedication, led by Masons of California Grand Master Charles Albert Adams on
the evening of May 15, 1920. The program, which concluded with dancing in both
the temple’s auditorium and Eastern Star Hall, also presented the public with the
opportunity to tour the entire temple.
A tour of the new temple began with the street level foyer, which includes a
staircase, elevator, tile work and a large terra cotta urn created at Gladding,
McBean and Co.
The building’s second floor includes four lodge rooms, the large and small Blue
Rooms, the Royal Arch Masons’ Red Room and the Order of the Eastern Star
(OES) Room. OES members, however, no longer meet in this room or building.
The third floor consists of the ballroom, the billiards room, the lounge room, the
library and the balcony.
The building also has two mezzanines, the first being on the second floor and
including an office, kitchen, dining room and storage rooms. The second mezzanine
is on the third floor and features a balcony overlooking the auditorium and a
kitchen.
Along with the opening of their new temple, local Masons have enjoyed continued
success in the capital city, which has been marked by anniversary celebrations of
50, 100 and 150 years of Freemasonry in Sacramento.
Today, downtown Sacramento’s Masonic Temple is home to about 1,500 local
Masons of Tehama Lodge No. 3, Sacramento Lodge No. 40, Washington Lodge
No. 20, Union Kit Carson Lodge No. 58 and Concord Lodge No. 117.
In addition to these lodges, three local York Rite bodies and the International
Order of Job’s Daughters’ Bethel No. 4 also meet in the building.
Despite decreasing membership numbers in recent years, the future of local
Masons remains promising.
The temple’s manager, Kenneth McIver, said that he has been pleased to see
some new faces at the temple lately. “I am starting to see heads turn up that are
not gray,” McIver said. “It’s nice to see younger people taking an interest in
(Freemasonry).”
As the local Masons continue into the 21st century, their sturdy, well-built temple
stands as a testament to the strength and unity of the brothers of Sacramento’s
historic Masonic lodges.
Sacramento Union Writer
Downtown Sacramento’s J Street is alive with history, as a variety of the street’s
historic buildings capture the memories of bygone eras. And among the street’s
grandest historic structures is the Masonic Temple at the northwest corner of 12th
and J streets.
The presence of this large, three-story, brick, architectural jewel of the city has
attracted the attention of residents and visitors of this section of downtown’s
business district for many decades.
Adding to the aesthetics of this historic structure is a pair of large sentries, which
flank the entrance of the temple near the southwest corner of the building, along J
Street.
Other features include images of 13 cherubs riding upon fish and animals, several
lion heads and other terra cotta work, as well as bricks, which were created at the
historic Gladding, McBean and Co. in nearby Lincoln.
As one of the largest buildings of the area, the Masonic Temple has served as the
home of local Masonic lodges since 1920. During this time, a variety of local
businesses have come and gone from the building’s street level business spaces,
which line both 12th and J streets.
Although this storied structure will turn 88 years old this year, Freemasonry is
much older, both in and outside of Sacramento. Depending upon the source,
Freemasonry is generally said to date back sometime from the building of
Solomon’s Temple to the mid-1600s.
The original Masons consisted of architects and builders, who vowed to protect
their crafts, artistry and themselves through a fraternity that invented signs and
symbols known only to its members.
A late 19th century history, entitled, “Fifty Years of Freemasonry in California,”
states that the history of Freemasonry is similar in character to that of the history
of a nation.
A section of these writings explains that Freemasonry has its historic and
prehistoric eras and that its oldest roots were actually born in the “early dawn of
creation, when the supreme grand architect of the universe commanded, ‘Let there
be light.’”
The history also describes Freemasonry as having science as its father and religion
as its mother. Despite this reference to religion, Freemasons are only required to
have a belief in a higher power – not any particular religion – while dedicating
themselves to friendship, love and association with others.
According to Sacramento Masonic Lodge No. 40, Freemasonry is “an organization
of men believing in the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man, using the
builder’s tools as symbols to teach basic moral truths, thereby impressing upon the
minds of its members the cardinal virtues of brotherly love, relief and truth, which
they should apply to everyday activities.”
It is through this approach that Masons have gained their strong reputation for
providing a wide variety of charitable services to those living in and outside their
communities.
Local Masons, for example, currently assist in the identification and recovery of
missing children through their Masonic Child Identification Program. This program
provides a kit for fingerprinting, physical identification, a dental imprint, a video of
a child and a DNA sample.
Furthermore, early Sacramento Masons provided free-of-charge burials, including
the cost of wooden coffins, and along with local Odd Fellow members, founded the
city’s first public hospital.
Freemasonry, which established its first lodge in the world in England in 1717, its
first North American lodge in Boston in 1733, its first California lodge in San
Francisco in 1849 and its Grand Lodge of California in San Francisco in 1850, has
built a long history in Sacramento.
Although the Masonic Temple on J Street is cherished as one the capital city’s
premier, historic, architectural treasures, the story of the Masons’ existence in
Sacramento is much older than this building. Masonic history in Sacramento, in
fact, is about as old as the city itself.
The first Masonic lodge in Sacramento was Tehama Lodge No. 3, which was
established as Connecticut Lodge No. 73 on Jan. 8, 1850. This lodge sprang forth
from a gathering of about 100 Masons held in September 1849 in McNulty’s
unfinished building on the north side of K Street, between 5th and 6th streets. It
was there that plans were arranged to organize a relief association for “sick and
distressed brothers, who were constantly arriving from across the plains.” But
these plans eventually dissolved after it was learned shortly after the meeting that
local resident Caleb Fenner possessed a charter from the Grand Lodge of
Connecticut. Through Fenner, Sacramento received its first Masonic Lodge, which
was renamed Tehama Lodge No. 3 on May 8, 1850.
The local lodge met in the attic of the Red House on the southwest corner of 5th
and J streets, but relocated to the Market House on M Street, near 2nd Street,
due to an incident when the building was said to be used for “immoral purposes.”
Local Masons once again relocated in 1853 to the second floor of the Stanford
Building at 2nd and K streets. It was also in this year that Sacramento Lodge No.
40 was established. The lodge met at the Masonic meeting place at 2nd and K
streets until the early 1854 completion of Bennett’s three-story building at 17-19 J
St. (later 117 J St.). Local Masonic lodges gathered on the third floor of this
building.
Alongside Bennett’s building, which included the Metropolitan Baths, was the
Sacramento Daily Union building at 121 J St.
By 1855, the presence of fraternal organizations in Sacramento had grown to four
Masonic lodges, four Odd Fellows lodges, one Division of the Sons Temperance,
two Temples of Honor, as well as a few auxiliary lodges.
The strength of the local Masons continued to grow throughout the years, resulting
in five Masonic lodges, one chapter of Royal Arch Masons, two chapters of the
Order of the Eastern Star, one council of Royal and Select Masters and one
commandery of Knights Templar by the 1890s.
Masons at this time met at a large, three story temple, which was constructed in
1865 on the north side of K Street, about 100 feet west of 6th Street.
The local Masons continued their maturation in the capital city, eventually
resulting in their plans to erect the present-day temple at 12th and J streets.
A special day in Sacramento Mason history occurred when the cornerstone for this
temple was placed during a well-attended ceremony held on Sept. 7, 1918. The
event also included a parade. The completion of the elaborate, three story temple,
which was constructed at a cost of $350,000, was celebrated with its official
dedication, led by Masons of California Grand Master Charles Albert Adams on
the evening of May 15, 1920. The program, which concluded with dancing in both
the temple’s auditorium and Eastern Star Hall, also presented the public with the
opportunity to tour the entire temple.
A tour of the new temple began with the street level foyer, which includes a
staircase, elevator, tile work and a large terra cotta urn created at Gladding,
McBean and Co.
The building’s second floor includes four lodge rooms, the large and small Blue
Rooms, the Royal Arch Masons’ Red Room and the Order of the Eastern Star
(OES) Room. OES members, however, no longer meet in this room or building.
The third floor consists of the ballroom, the billiards room, the lounge room, the
library and the balcony.
The building also has two mezzanines, the first being on the second floor and
including an office, kitchen, dining room and storage rooms. The second mezzanine
is on the third floor and features a balcony overlooking the auditorium and a
kitchen.
Along with the opening of their new temple, local Masons have enjoyed continued
success in the capital city, which has been marked by anniversary celebrations of
50, 100 and 150 years of Freemasonry in Sacramento.
Today, downtown Sacramento’s Masonic Temple is home to about 1,500 local
Masons of Tehama Lodge No. 3, Sacramento Lodge No. 40, Washington Lodge
No. 20, Union Kit Carson Lodge No. 58 and Concord Lodge No. 117.
In addition to these lodges, three local York Rite bodies and the International
Order of Job’s Daughters’ Bethel No. 4 also meet in the building.
Despite decreasing membership numbers in recent years, the future of local
Masons remains promising.
The temple’s manager, Kenneth McIver, said that he has been pleased to see
some new faces at the temple lately. “I am starting to see heads turn up that are
not gray,” McIver said. “It’s nice to see younger people taking an interest in
(Freemasonry).”
As the local Masons continue into the 21st century, their sturdy, well-built temple
stands as a testament to the strength and unity of the brothers of Sacramento’s
historic Masonic lodges.