WV's First Fireproof Structure

The Masonic Lodge was founded in MacDonald by Colonel Samuel Dixon in 1895. After the Great Fire of 1910, and with a growing population, the lodge no longer had a suitable meeting space. Area businessmen collected donations to see the building of a lodge hall in Mount Hope that would suit their needs. The first fireproof building was erected in West Virginia and completed in 1925 at $75,000 (2021, ~$1,161,300).

The Masonic Lodge was founded in MacDonald by Colonel Samuel Dixon in 1895. After the Great Fire of 1910, and with a growing population, the lodge no longer had a suitable meeting space. Area businessmen collected donations to see the building of a lodge hall in Mount Hope that would suit their needs. The first fireproof building was erected in West Virginia and completed in 1925 at $75,000 (2021, ~$1,161,300).