Masonic Temple

Introduction

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Located across the street from the Yuma County Courthouse, the Masonic Temple is a historic building occupied by the local chapter of freemasons, Lodge #17. Built in 1931, it is notable for its Modernistic/Art Deco architecture and as such remains an important landmark in Yuma. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, the building features large piers on the four corners and fluted pilasters (architectural elements that look like columns). The lodge continues to occupy the building today.

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The Masonic Temple was built 1931 and is an excellent example of Modernistic/Art Deco architecture.

Backstory and Context

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The Lodge was chartered on November 20, 1901, almost a year after local freemasons were given permission to form it. They bought a hall that once stood next to the historic Methodist Episcopal Church (now called the Christian Science Reading Room). Construction for the current building began in May 1930 and was finished the next year. It is was designed by architects Edward Gray Taylor and Ellis Wing Taylor, and is among the last important Modernistic/Art Deco-designed buildings still standing in Yuma. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 for its architecture and connection to the freemasonry in Yuma.

Sources

"Masonic Temple." Arizona State Historic Property Inventory. April 12, 1984. https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_AZ/84000752.pdf.

"Temple History." Yuma Lodge #17. Accessed September 16, 2020. https://www.yumalodge17.org/temple.html

Additional Information

Arizona State Historic Property Inventory: Masonic Temple