The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1873-09-03
MISCELLANY.
A MONSTER MASONIC TEMPLE.


i A QUAKER CITY ENTERPRISE AND IT'S PECU
LIARITIEs.
The Masonic brotherhood of the Quaker
City are making extraordinary preparations
for the dedication of their magnificent temple
in Broad street. Invitations have been extern
ded to every lodge throughout the country,
and many delegates arcexpectcd from France,
Germany and England. The jubilee attend
1 ing its completion will commence on the 25tli
of September, and will be kept up until the
evening of the 27th. The dedicatory cerc-
monies will be conducted by the Grand Master
of the State of Pennsylvania, assisted by the
masters and subordinates of other lodges, and
it is estimated that 100000 members of the
mystic tie will participate in the fes-
tivities The temple is now in an advanced
state of completion, aud from lis immense
size and imposing style of architecture is one
of the most conspicuous public buildings in
the city. Much has been said by New
Workers and Bostonans in praise of their re-
spective Masonic temples, but it is now gen
orally conceded that the Philadelphia structure
far surpasses both as respects size, cost and
beauty. 1t will make two of that at Boston,
and is a third larger than the temple in Sixth
avenue and Twenty-thiid street, New York.
1t is of such immense size, and is filled with
so many lodge, chapter and commandery
rooms, that to those uninitiated it is almost
labyrinth. AS it has never been fully desciib-
ed, a running sketch may not be amiss, as it
gives evidence that the Masons throughout
the country are on the high road 10 prosperity,
and as brotherhood are marching on in ire
pressible phalanxes to success. 1t is composed
entirely of finely dressed granite of a whitish
lead-colored tint, is $50 feet in leugth, is $50
feet wide and is three lofty stories in height.
The grounds upon which it is built, in Broad
street, near market together with the struc-
ture, cost the Masons upwards of twelve bun
dred thousand dollars. The architecture of
the building is combination of the old and
new schools admirably blended. and is pleas
ing to the eye. It's three unique towers,
reaching heavenward, can be seen from the
four quarters of the compass, and are as con-
spicuous landmarks to the Philadelphians as
the N. Y. Herald building is to those of the
Long Island and Jersey shores. The inner ma
sonry alone involved the consumption of 49,
100000 bricks, and The number of cubic feet
OF granite i'll the outer walls, il xnown, would
probably seem to the reader fabulous The
main entrance on Broad street, is of the Venc-
tan style of architecture, and resembles per-
fectly the doorway to ST. Marks, at Venice.
Once inside, the magnitude and beauty of the
edifice becomes apparent. Broad and massive
stairways richly carved pillars and heavy and
peculiarly shaped doors and corniees of the
Norman and Gothic pattern, with carved Ma
sonic cabalistic signs in each, afford to the
uninitiated unlimited sources of wonder and
/ conjecture.
The main hall, upon entering, is twenty feet
wide from end to end, and $50 feet in length
The floor of this hall aud of all the halls and
passages on both this and the principal flooi
above are laid with black and white marble
tiles. with patterns and borders, and there is q
continuous wainscoting four feet in height
of the finest Lisbon marble, highly polished,
to the various halls.
! Two magnificent stairways led to tho Grand
Lodge and Grand Chapter rooms, lodge halls
and the Asylum of the Commandery. The
Grand Secretary and Grand Treasurer's, and
the Grand Lodge Library and numerous Other
offices are situated on the right and southern
side of the main hall. Walking to the north
east corner of the structure, the suit of rooms
of the Grand Master of Masons of Pcnnsylya-
MIA is encountered They are three in NUM-