Architects Comments

All Lodge rooms, by the very nature of their purpose have many arrangements alike and they cannot be otherwise and still function; for instance, the location of the officers� stations, of doors, preparation rooms, the symbol �G”, and the like. And, for this reason, anything original; in our Lodge-room design can only be a detail or refinement. We are properly forbidden to introduce changes or innovations to the ritual.

Quite often a Lodge room is so devoid of essential features that the candidate need be told where he is supposed to be, where to look, or what to do. Our Lodge rooms cannot depart from essential features, but it was determined to make these features as interesting as possible.

The three, five, and seven steps installed in the Lodge room, and the outer and inner door and middle chamber are used in other Temples, but are perhaps not too common. To have the middle chamber open on the Lodge room so that the members can hear the work is original in our Lodge rooms. The use of concealed spotlights to be directed upon the Master or candidate, to accentuate some features, is original and thought to be effective upon the initiate.

There is no special significance in the style of the several Blue Lodge rooms. The principal reason for variety was to give an opportunity for a Lodge to have each of its degrees in a different room and in an atmosphere that would most impress the candidate. This benefit perhaps is not being fully used.

The furniture and carpets were all specially made for this Temple. Many styles are used for the first time here. The design of the officers� chairs, for instance, in the Egyptian room carries out the exact Egyptian detail of the pilasters and columns of the room. The carpet in the Colonial room is a faithful copy of an old Colonial hooked rug, and the altar in this room deserves special mention. The altar of a Masonic Temple is referred to as a trestle board. This is in fact a drawing board set upon a trestle such as the architect uses for making his working drawings. In this Colonial Room the altar follows the true trestle-board design. And, it is thought that his is the first and perhaps only modern Lodge room in which the altar follows its true description.

All the furnishings, including furniture and carpets, were carefully selected in Chicago, by the Furnishing Committee and the Architect, and all were of special design and shade to carry out the style and decorations of the various rooms. However, when the furniture arrived a few days before the day already set for dedication of the Temple, it was found, to the astonishment of us all, that in some way the colors used the leather upholstery had been scrambled and that, for a red room, blue leather had been used, and for the blue room red leather had been used. It was a stunning blow. For the most part, the material was not suitable for transfer from one set of furniture to another. However, urgent wires brought new leather by express, and local upholsterers, working day and night, were able to complete the change. A substantial part of the work was complete on the day the Temple was dedicated, and aside from the few who were nervous wrecks over the situation, no one knew how close the call had been.

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