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[[Image:Colored Masonic Temple detail.jpg|right|thumb|375px|Detail over the entrance to the Colored Masonic Temple]]
[[File:Colored Masonic Temple building.jpg|right|thumb|450px|View of the Colored Masonic Temple]]
The '''Colored Masonic Temple''' (officially the '''Masonic Temple Building''') is an 8-story Renaissance-Revival style building located at 1630 [[4th Avenue North]]. It was constructed for the [[Prince Hall Grand Lodge|Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Free & Accepted Masons of Alabama]] and is a contributing structure to the [[4th Avenue Historic District]]. The building was developed under the leadership of Grand Master [[Walter Woods]] and the $657,704 cost was funded entirely by contributions, without taking on any construction debt.
The '''Colored Masonic Temple''' (officially the '''Masonic Temple Building''') is an 8-story Renaissance-Revival style building located at 1630 [[4th Avenue North]]. It was constructed for the [[Prince Hall Grand Lodge|Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Free & Accepted Masons of Alabama]] and is a contributing structure to the [[4th Avenue Historic District]]. The building was developed under the leadership of Grand Master [[Walter Woods]] and the $750,000 cost was funded entirely by contributions, without taking on any construction debt.  


The brick building was designed by the firm of [[Taylor & Persley]] ([[Robert Robinson Taylor]] and [[Louis Hudson Persley]]), and built by [[Windham Brothers Construction]]. The cornerstone was laid in [[1922]] and the building opened in [[1924]]. Its design features an engaged limestone temple front on the south facade. The architrave and frieze of the Corinthian entablature was segmented to make room for the fourth-floor windows. The dentil cornice is continuous, and wraps two sides of the building, dividing the upper and lower sections. The upper part of the facade is gridded off into two and 1 1/2-story sections, separated by pilasters and smaller entablatures.
The brick building was designed by the firm of [[Taylor & Persley]] ([[Robert Robinson Taylor]] and [[Louis Hudson Persley]]), and built by [[Windham Brothers Construction]]. The cornerstone was laid in [[1922]] and the building opened on April 1, [[1924]]. Its design features an engaged limestone temple front on the south facade. The architrave and frieze of the Corinthian entablature was segmented to make room for the fourth-floor windows. The dentil cornice is continuous, and wraps two sides of the building, dividing the upper and lower sections. The upper part of the facade is gridded off into two and 1 1/2-story sections, separated by pilasters and smaller entablatures.


Throughout its history the building has housed the offices of notable African-American professionals, businesses and organizations, and a popular drug store and soda fountain on the ground floor. Its auditorium, with a capacity of 2,000, was used for meetings, ceremonies, concerts, dances, cotillions, mass meetings and other special events. The Duke Ellington Orchestra and Count Basie's big bands played regularly in the Temple ballroom.
Throughout its history the building has housed the offices of notable African-American professionals, businesses and organizations, and a popular drug store and soda fountain on the ground floor. Its auditorium, with a capacity of 2,000, was used for meetings, ceremonies, concerts, dances, cotillions, mass meetings and other special events. The Duke Ellington Orchestra and Count Basie's big bands played regularly in the Temple ballroom.
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In October [[1932]] the auditorium hosted an [[All-Southern Scottsboro and Civil Rights Conference]] organized by the Communist Party-affiliated [[International Labor Defense]]. Speakers included [[Donald Burke|Donald]] and [[Alice Burke]], [[Mary Leonard]] and [[Ben Fowler]]. Most of the hundreds of people who came to participate were turned away by a police intimidation.
In October [[1932]] the auditorium hosted an [[All-Southern Scottsboro and Civil Rights Conference]] organized by the Communist Party-affiliated [[International Labor Defense]]. Speakers included [[Donald Burke|Donald]] and [[Alice Burke]], [[Mary Leonard]] and [[Ben Fowler]]. Most of the hundreds of people who came to participate were turned away by a police intimidation.


Three ground floor rooms were used for the [[Booker T. Washington Library]], the first public lending library open to Black citizens in Birmingham. The offices of the [[NAACP]], in this building, were padlocked following the [[May 26]], [[1956]] order by Montgomery Circuit Judge Walter Jones banning the organization from operating in the state of Alabama.
The Alabama [[NAACP]] held a meeting to reorganize in the Auditorium in the 1930s.


It is still used for meetings of the the Prince Hall Grand Lodge, but is otherwise underutilized. In January [[2009]] [[Main Street Birmingham]] hosted a workshop at the building to generate ideas for creative redevelopment. A campaign to raise $10-15 million for restoration and expansion of the Temple Building was launched by the Grand Lodge in [[2017]], shortly after it was made part of the [[Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument]]. Early schemes for possible expansion include a multi-story parking deck to the west of the Temple with retail spaces on the ground floor.
Three ground floor rooms were used for the [[Booker T. Washington Library]], the first public lending library open to Black citizens in Birmingham. The offices of the [[NAACP]], in this building, were padlocked following litigation by [[Arthur Shores]] over an African American student attempting to enroll in [[The University of Alabama]]. [[May 26]], [[1956]] order by Montgomery Circuit Judge Walter Jones banning the organization from operating in the state of Alabama.
 
The 1960s saw the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham, with the Colored Masonic Temple playing a large role. Many protests and sit ins were organized in the building, [[Martin Luther King, Jr.]] visited the Temple during the [[Birmingham Campaign]]. A makeshift infirmary was set up to treat wounded protesters during the riots. One of the largest demonstrations of the Birmingham Campaign was held in [[Kelly Ingram Park]] in front of the Temple. Attorney [[Arthur Shores]] operated from his offices in the Temple, leading the Civil Rights legal battle in the South. The home of Shores, along with the homes of many other Civil Rights leaders working from the Masonic Temple, such as accountant [[T.L. Crowell]], were bombed by white supremacists. The home of then Mayor [[Albert Boutwell]] was also targeted by dynamite, although the bombs were disarmed before they could explode. These bombings led to the name of [[Dynamite Hill]] in the [[Smithfield]] neighborhood, and Birmingham to be nationally nicknamed "Bombingham". Shores led efforts to integrate [[Birmingham City Schools]] and to nullify thousands of those arrested during demonstrations during the Birmingham Campaign.
 
Around the 1990s, problems began to arise with HVAC systems and funds to keep the Temple operational. Around [[2011]], all tenants had moved out entirely, and the building shuttered and left dormant.
 
In the 2010s, space in the hallway by the Masonic Auditorium was damaged by fire, suspected to be from squatter activity. The Temple was fitted with a security system to aid in protection of the structure.
 
The Masonic Temple was still used for meetings of the the Prince Hall Grand Lodge until 2022 renovation efforts began.  
 
==Redevelopment proposals==
In January [[2009]] [[Main Street Birmingham]] hosted a workshop at the building to generate ideas for creative redevelopment. A campaign to raise $10-15 million for restoration and expansion of the Temple Building was launched by the Grand Lodge in [[2017]], shortly after it was made part of the [[Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument]]. Schemes for possible expansion discussed at the time included a multi-story parking deck to the west of the Temple with retail spaces on the ground floor.
 
In November [[2019]] The Lodge announced that it was working with Historic District Developers (a venture of Henderson & Co. of Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina with Direct Invest Development LLC of New York) on a $29 million mixed-use redevelopment of the building. [[Urban Impact Inc.]] and the [[Birmingham Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity]] also participated in the project, which was intended to qualify for [[Historic Preservation Tax Credit]]s, New Market Tax Credits, and [[Opportunity Zone]] tax credits.
 
Plans for the building include incubator retail, maker-space and office space. The project's design phase continued into [[2022]], with the start of construction planned for late that year.
The interiors of the Colored Masonic Temple building have been preserved by the closing and dormancy of the building. Prior to renovations beginning in 2022, a time capsule of life in Birmingham for African Americans from [[1924]] on to the 1990s survived, including fully-furnished and stocked dental offices from the 1930s and 1950s, Masonic meeting halls stacked with boxes of records and regalia dating as far back as the 1920s, artifacts from the [[Civil Rights Movement|Civil Rights]] era, and dozens of file cabinets filled with paperwork from the operations of the [[Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge]] and all affiliates in Alabama during the 20th century. These artifacts are being processed and catalogued by the Lodge for preservation and historical interpretation with the support of a $670,000 from the Mellon Foundation.


==Tenants==
==Tenants==
* Lobby: [[Stagg Billiard Parlour]], [[Ford & Campbell Jeweler]] (1941), [[Lillie Robinson]] florist (1941),
{|-
* Ground floor: [[Booker T. Washington Library]] (1924-1956)
| valign="top" |
* 2nd floor: [[Masonic Auditorium]]
* basement:
* 301-303: [[Ferdinand Bradford]], physician (1941)
** [[Temple Bowling Center for Colored People]] bowling lanes (1941)
* 304-307: [[Jefferson County Colored Schools]] (1941)
** [[Stag Barber Shop]] / [[Stag Billiard Parlor]]
* 401-403: [[Eugene Elliott]] dentist & [[Charles McPherson]] physician (1941)
** [[Knick Knack Bar]]
* 404: [[American Federation of Musicians Local 733]] (1941)
** [[Forniss Printing Company]]
* 405: [[Mattie Moreland]] dressmaker (1941)
** [[Good Deal News Distribution Company]]
* 407-408: [[John J. Thompson]] dentist (1941)
** [[Wallace's Studio]] photographers (1949)
* 501-504: [[Marion McCall]] & [[Samuel Harris]] physicians (1941)
* lobby:
* 505-506: [[Herman Clayborne]] dentist (1941)
** [[Ford & Campbell]] jewelers (1941), [[Ernest Ford]] jeweler (1949)
* 507-508: [[John Hutchinson]] physician (1941)
** [[Lillie Robinson]] florist (1941–1949)  
* 510-512: [[Arthur Shores]] attorney & [[Hollins & Shores]] real estate (1941)
* ground floor:  
* 529-530: [[Cooperative Life & Hospital Insurance Co.]] (1941)
** [[Booker T. Washington Library]] (1924-1956)
* 601-606: [[Atlanta Life Insurance Co.]] (1941)
** [[Birmingham Plumbing Company]] (1926)
* 607-612: [[Pilgrim Health & Life Insurance Co.]] (1941)
** [[Your Flower Shop]] florist (2000s)
* 613-614: [[Red Cross Consistory No. 2 Royal Arch Masons]], [[Khedive Temple No. 16 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons]], [[Thera Chapter No. 4 Order of the Eastern Star]], [[Day Myrtle Chapter No. 104 Order of the Eastern Star]], [[Tellers Success Chapter American Krusaders]], [[Erwin Success Chapter No. 381 Order of the Eastern Star]], [[Silver Queen Chapter No. 58 Order of the Eastern Star]], [[Evening Star Chapter No. 578 Order of the Eastern Star]], [[Zerubbabel Chapter No. 3 Royal Arch Masons]], [[Mt Nebo Lodge No. 463 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons]], [[Geometry Lodge No. 410 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons]], [[Owens Delight Council No. 387 American Krusaders]], [[Mizpah Chapter No. 194 Order of the Eastern Star]], [[Loving Progress Chapter No. 518 Order of the Eastern Star]], [[Knights of Tabor No. 30]], [[Pride Ruth Chapter American Krusaders]], [[Superior Chapter No. 34 Order of the Eastern Star]], [[True Friend Chapter No. 627 Order of the Eastern Star]], [[Beulah Star Chapter No. 418 Order of the Eastern Star]], [[Terrell's Chapter No. 562 Order of the Eastern Star]], [[Naomi Chapter No. 385 Order of the Eastern Star]], [[Occidental Lodge No. 31 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons]], [[Triune Lodge No. 430 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons]], [[Woods Joy Lodge No. 752 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons]] (1941)
** [[Simp's Barber and Style Shop]] men's barber shop (2000s)
* 626-630: [[Atlanta Life Insurance Co.]] agents' rooms (1941)
** [[John's Alterations and Repair]] (2000s)
* 701-704: [[Ernest Taggart]] dentist (1941)
** [[Esquire's Shoe Shine and Repairs]] cobbler (2000s)
* 705-706: [[Charles Hendley]] attorney & [[Most Worshipful Grand Lodge (Prince Hall) Ancient Free & Accepted Masons]] (1941)
** [[Temple Pharmacy]] (1940s)
* 707-714: [[Ancient Free & Accepted Masons of Alabama]] endowment office (1941)
** McCain Realty
* 711: [[Fred Jenkins]] accountant (1941)
* 2nd floor:
* 715-720: [[North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Co.]] (1941)
** Masonic Auditorium
* 727-728: [[Black Eagle Detective Agency]] & [[J. J. Israel Advertising Agency]] (1941)
* 3rd floor
* 729-730: [[Henry Guin]] dentist (1941)
** 301-303: [[Ferdinand Bradford Sr]] physician (1941–1949)
** 304-307: [[Jefferson County Colored Schools]] / [[Paul Jones]] director (1941)
** 308–309: [[Camel's Club]]
** 310: [[Jackson's Dental Lab]] dental prosthetic laboratory
** 316: [[Arthur Shores]] attorney
** [[Mercedes Entertainment]]
* 4th floor
** Billionaire Records Label
** Flip the Script Productions
** Derlesia Sims Gospel Show
** 401-403: [[Eugene Elliott]] dentist & [[Charles McPherson]] physician (1941–1949), [[Boy Scouts of America]]
** 404: [[American Federation of Musicians Local 733]] (1941)
** 405-408: [[L. U. Goin]] physician and Grand Medical Registrar (1926), [[Pierce Moten]] physician (1949)
** 405: [[Mattie Moreland]] dressmaker (1941), [[P. S. Moten]] physician
** 406: [[Colored YMCA]] offices (1949)
** 407-408: [[John J. Thompson]] dentist (1941–1949), [[Farm Home Agency]]
** 409: [[J. B. Bayton & Co.]] accountants (1949), [[A. Shakespeare]] dentist
** 410: [[Washington Sales Agency]] / [[Simmons Construction Co.]] (1949)
** 431: [[Masonic Library Supplies and Masonic Church Supplies]]
** [[Birmingham Housing Authority]] Offices of Benjamin Greene
** [[NAACP]] meeting halls
** Masonic meeting halls
| valign="top" |
* 5th floor
** [[R. M. Howard]] dentist (1950s-1990s)
** [[Heroines of Jericho]]
** [[Alabama State Coordinating Association for Registration and Voting, 9th Congressional District]]
** 501–504: [[Marion McCall]] physician (1941–1949)
*** 501: [[B. M. Jefferson]] / [[F. E. Jamison]] dentists (1930s-1980s)
*** 502: [[Samuel Harris]] / [[E. S. Jamison]] physicians (1941)
*** 503: [[Colored Fair Association]] (1928)
** 505-506: [[Herman Clayborne]] dentist (1941–1949)
** 507-508: [[John Hutchinson]] physician (1941), [[Henry Dale]] physician (1949)
** 510-512: [[Hollins & Shores]] real estate (1941), [[Arthur Shores]] / [[Frederick Curtis]] attorneys (1949) [[Orzell Billingsley]] attorney, [[A. Peter Hall]] attorney
** 514: [[Toussaint Crowell]] accountant (1949)
** 516: [[Order of the Eastern Star]] secretary
** 517: [[People's Insurance Co.]]
** 521-522 [[J. P. Pearson]] podiatrist, [[Capital Life Insurance Co.]]
*** 521: [[Cooperative Life & Hospital Insurance Co.]] (1949)
*** 522–524: [[Southern Negro Youth Congress]] (1949)
** 523–530: [[Protective Industrial Insurance Co.]] (1949)
*** 523-528: ''[[Birmingham Reporter]]'' newspaper (1930–1932)
*** 525-527: [[American Cross Chemical Company]] (1926)
**** 525: [[Stauffer Colored Salon]] beauty shop (1940s), [[Birmingham Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses]] (1949), [[Radio Cab. Co.]]
**** 526: [[Protective Industrial Insurance Co.]]
*** 529-530: [[Cooperative Life & Hospital Insurance Co.]] (1941)
* 6th floor
** 601-606: [[Atlanta Life Insurance Co.]] (1941–1949)
** [[T. L. Crowell]] accountant
** [[Morris & Lavette]] attorneys
** 607-612: [[Pilgrim Health & Life Insurance Co.]] (1941)
** 611–615: [[Pilgrim Health & Life Insurance Co.]] (1949)
** 613–614: Fraternal organizations (see list below)
** 613: [[NAACP]] / [[H. McCain]] real estate
** 622: [[Jackson Dental Laboratory]] (1949), [[American Woodmen's Life Insurance Company]]
** 623: [[Elenora Garth]] dressmaker (1949), [[Simmons Construction Co.]]
** 624: [[Forrest Realty Co.]] (1949)
** 625: [[U.S. Farm Home Demonstration Agents]] (1949), [[John Norton]] tax consultant
** 626-630: [[Atlanta Life Insurance Co.]] agents' rooms (1941)
* 7th floor
** 701-704: [[Ernest Taggart]] dentist (1941–1949), [[R. M. Howard]] dentist
** 705-706: [[Charles Hendley]] attorney (1949) & Grand Master, [[Most Worshipful Grand Lodge (Prince Hall) Ancient Free & Accepted Masons]] (1949)
** 707-714: [[Ancient Free & Accepted Masons of Alabama]] endowment office (1926–1949)
** 711: [[Fred Jenkins]] accountant / endowment secretary (1941–1949)
** 715-720: [[North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Co.]] (1941–1949)
** 721–722: [[Home Boys Social Club]] (1949)
** 723–726: [[Royal Bucks Social Club]] (1949)
*** 724: [[Oscar Adams Jr]] / [[Demetrius Newton]] attorneys
** 727-728: [[Black Eagle Detective Agency]] & [[J. J. Israel Advertising Agency]] (1941), [[The American Woodmen]] insurance (1949), [[Ferdinand Bradford Jr]] physician
** 729-730: [[Henry Guin]] dentist (1941), [[Price Pearson]] podiatrist / [[NAACP]] (1949), [[Depew Bradford]] physician
|}
===Fraternal organizations and labor unions===
{|-
| valign="top" |
* Ancient Free & Accepted Masons
** [[Mt Hebron Lodge No. 15 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Khedive Temple No. 16 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Occidental Lodge No. 31 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Triple Tau Lodge No. 104 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Jachanina Lodge No. 147 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Tyree Lodge No. 148 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Geometry Lodge No. 410 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Triune Lodge No. 430 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Mt Nebo Lodge No. 463 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Woods Joy Lodge No. 752 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons]] (1941)
* American Krusaders
** [[Hulda's Beauty Chapter No. 2 American Krusaders]]
** [[Patillo's Success Chapter No. 3 American Krusaders]]
** [[Bolden's Success Chapter No. 7 American Krusaders]]
** [[Owens Delight Council No. 387 American Krusaders]]
** [[Pride Ruth Chapter American Krusaders]]
** [[Tellers Success Chapter American Krusaders]]
* Order of the Eastern Star
** [[Imperial Chapter UD Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Therah Chapter No. 4 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[James A. Davis's Chapter No. 19 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Evening Star Chapter No. 19 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Cape Jessamine Chapter No. 51 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Silver Queen Chapter No. 58 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Mary"s Success Chapter No. 68 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Myrtle Day Chapter No. 104 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Superior Chapter No. 134 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Howard's Beauty Chapter No. 168 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Mizpah Chapter No. 194 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Gordon Heights Chapter No. 307 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Pride of Birmingham Chapter No. 370 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Erwin Success Chapter No. 381 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Naomi Chapter No. 385 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Beulah Star Chapter No. 418 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Lilly of the Valley Chapter No. 419 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Avondale Chapter No. 451 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Daniel Pride Chapter No. 467 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Loving Progress Chapter No. 518 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Sherrod's Choice Chapter No. 556 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Pride of Sayre Chapter No. 557 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Terrell's Chapter No. 562 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Evening Star Chapter No. 578 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Cannon's Beauty Chapter No. 589 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[True Friend Chapter No. 627 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Lilly Bell Chapter No. 687 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Golden Beauty Chapter No. 703 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Peace of Unity Chapter No. 708 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[White Swain Chapter No. 758 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Geometry Joy Chapter No. 765 Order of the Eastern Star]]
** [[Martin Beauty Chapter No. 70 Order of the Eastern Star]]
* Free & Accepted Masons
** [[Spring City Lodge No. 94 Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Mt Tabor Lodge No. 114 Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Jethro Lodge No. 140 Free & Accepted Masons]]
| valign="top" |
** [[Triune Lodge No. 430 Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Mt Hebron Lodge No. 463 Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Imperial Lodge No. 619 Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Woodlawn Beauty Lodge No. 646 Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Wilson Chapel Lodge No. 693 Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Byrd's Pride Lodge No. 718 Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Wood's Joy Lodge No. 758 Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Council Lodge No. 778 Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Pride of East Birmingham Lodge No. 836 Free & Accepted Masons]]
** [[Rosemont Chapter No. 865 Free & Accepted Masons]]
* Knights of Tabor
** [[Knights of Tabor No. 30]]
** [[Knights of Tabor & Daughters of the Tabernacle Chapter No. 31]]
* Royal Arch Masons
** [[Red Cross Consistory No. 2 Royal Arch Masons]]
** [[Zerubbabbee Chapter 3 Royal Arch Masons]]
** [[Kappa Chapter No. 4 Royal Arch Masons]]
** [[Zerubbabel Chapter No. 3 Royal Arch Masons]]
* Labor Unions
** [[American Federation of Labor Local No. 1044]]
** [[American Federation of Labor Auxiliary No. 32]]
** [[International Association of Colored Machinist Helpers Local No. 19]]
** [[Firemen & Oilers Local No. 433]]
** [[Friendship Local No. 6059]]
** [[Jefferson Lodge No. 2021]]
** [[Lathers Local No. 7]]
** [[Movings Picture Operations Local 836A]]
** [[Railroad Aux. 6108]]
** [[Seminole Lodge 6060]]
** [[B.A.R.E. Lodge 304]]
** [[Birmingham Printing and Paper Products Union 569]]
** [[United Mineworkers Local 12830]]
** [[Switchman's Union No. 18152]]
** [[Boiler Makers Helpers Local No. 8A]]
** [[Brotherhood of Railway Clerks LOcal No. 6060]]
** [[Southern Car Local No. 1812]]
** [[Southern Railwroad Freight Handlers Local No. 6108]]
* Other Masonic Bodies
** [[Airport Highlands Lodge 289A]]
** [[Abigail Chapter No. 46]]
** [[Naomi Chapter No. 44 Heroines of Jericho]]
** [[Burns Beauty Court No. 44 Heroines of Jericho]]
** [[Bethlehem Star Society No. 1]]
** [[Birmingham Tent 18 A.W.]]
** [[Birmingham Camp 62 A.W.]]
** [[Good Luck Chapter No. 232]]
** [[Greene Beauty Chapter 807]]
** [[Khedive Temple No. 16 Ancient Egyptian Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine]]
** [[Lily of the Valley Chapter]]
** [[Owens Delight Council 387]]
** [[Persia Commandery 2]]
** [[Queen Elizabeth Court]]
** [[Victory Court Heroines of Jericho]]
** [[Sunbeam Chapter 844]]  
|}


==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Colored Masonic Temple auditorium.JPG|Interior of the auditorium. Photo by Austin H. Stone]]
File:Cornerstone.jpg|Cornerstone of the Masonic Temple Building. Photo by Austin H. Stone.]]
File:Colored Masonic Temple directory.jpg|Building directory from the Colored Masonic Temple on display at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
File:Firehose.jpg|Protests outside the Colored Masonic Temple during the Birmingham Campaign, 1963 {{BN}}
File:IMG 1186.jpg|Martin Luther King Jr playing at Stag Billiard Parlor, 1963. Grand Master S. J. Bennett visible in background
File:Endowment.PNG|Office of the Endowment Secretary. Photo by Austin H. Stone
File: Trunk.JPG|Trunk belonging to Geometry Lodge No. 410 in a meeting hall. Photo by Austin H. Stone
</gallery>
==References==
==References==
* {{CD-1941}}
* {{CD-1941}}
Line 44: Line 256:
* Weiss, Ellen (2012) "Robert R. Taylor and Tuskegee: An African-American Architect Designs for Booker T. Washington." Montgomery: New South Books ISBN 1588382486
* Weiss, Ellen (2012) "Robert R. Taylor and Tuskegee: An African-American Architect Designs for Booker T. Washington." Montgomery: New South Books ISBN 1588382486
* Edgemon, Erin (February 26, 2017) "Historic civil rights landmark launches fundraising campaign." {{BN}}
* Edgemon, Erin (February 26, 2017) "Historic civil rights landmark launches fundraising campaign." {{BN}}
* Van der Bijl, Hanno (November 20, 2019) "Developer eyes mixed-use project at Masonic Temple in city center." {{BBJ}}
* Watson, Nathan (February 14, 2022) "$29M renovation underway for Masonic Temple Building." ''[[Bham Now]]''
* "Historic Masonic Temple in Birmingham Receives Mellon Grant to Preserve Artifacts." (April 21, 2023) {{BT}}


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.mwphglofal.org/glhistory.html Grand Lodge History] at mwphglofal.org
* [http://www.mwphglofal.org/glhistory.html Grand Lodge History] at mwphglofal.org
* [https://www.gofundme.com/PrinceHallMasonicTemple AL-Colored Masonic Temple Project] at gofundme.com
* [https://www.gofundme.com/PrinceHallMasonicTemple AL-Colored Masonic Temple Project] fundraiser by [[Ken Collins II]] at gofundme.com
* [https://abandonedsoutheast.com/2022/07/05/the-most-worshipful-prince-hall-grand-lodge-a-last-look/ The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge: A Last Look], photographs by [[Leland Kent]] at abandonedsoutheast.com
* [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-0DWRb6haF5F_KPQHI-9TU2KnISuiO1H 2022 video tour by Austin H. Stone.]


[[Category:Colored Masonic Temple|*]]
[[Category:Colored Masonic Temple|*]]
Line 53: Line 270:
[[Category:1924 buildings]]
[[Category:1924 buildings]]
[[Category:4th Avenue Historic District]]
[[Category:4th Avenue Historic District]]
[[Category:Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument]]
[[Category:Fallout shelters]]
[[Category:Buildings]]

Latest revision as of 14:22, 26 October 2023

View of the Colored Masonic Temple

The Colored Masonic Temple (officially the Masonic Temple Building) is an 8-story Renaissance-Revival style building located at 1630 4th Avenue North. It was constructed for the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Free & Accepted Masons of Alabama and is a contributing structure to the 4th Avenue Historic District. The building was developed under the leadership of Grand Master Walter Woods and the $750,000 cost was funded entirely by contributions, without taking on any construction debt.

The brick building was designed by the firm of Taylor & Persley (Robert Robinson Taylor and Louis Hudson Persley), and built by Windham Brothers Construction. The cornerstone was laid in 1922 and the building opened on April 1, 1924. Its design features an engaged limestone temple front on the south facade. The architrave and frieze of the Corinthian entablature was segmented to make room for the fourth-floor windows. The dentil cornice is continuous, and wraps two sides of the building, dividing the upper and lower sections. The upper part of the facade is gridded off into two and 1 1/2-story sections, separated by pilasters and smaller entablatures.

Throughout its history the building has housed the offices of notable African-American professionals, businesses and organizations, and a popular drug store and soda fountain on the ground floor. Its auditorium, with a capacity of 2,000, was used for meetings, ceremonies, concerts, dances, cotillions, mass meetings and other special events. The Duke Ellington Orchestra and Count Basie's big bands played regularly in the Temple ballroom.

In October 1932 the auditorium hosted an All-Southern Scottsboro and Civil Rights Conference organized by the Communist Party-affiliated International Labor Defense. Speakers included Donald and Alice Burke, Mary Leonard and Ben Fowler. Most of the hundreds of people who came to participate were turned away by a police intimidation.

The Alabama NAACP held a meeting to reorganize in the Auditorium in the 1930s.

Three ground floor rooms were used for the Booker T. Washington Library, the first public lending library open to Black citizens in Birmingham. The offices of the NAACP, in this building, were padlocked following litigation by Arthur Shores over an African American student attempting to enroll in The University of Alabama. May 26, 1956 order by Montgomery Circuit Judge Walter Jones banning the organization from operating in the state of Alabama.

The 1960s saw the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham, with the Colored Masonic Temple playing a large role. Many protests and sit ins were organized in the building, Martin Luther King, Jr. visited the Temple during the Birmingham Campaign. A makeshift infirmary was set up to treat wounded protesters during the riots. One of the largest demonstrations of the Birmingham Campaign was held in Kelly Ingram Park in front of the Temple. Attorney Arthur Shores operated from his offices in the Temple, leading the Civil Rights legal battle in the South. The home of Shores, along with the homes of many other Civil Rights leaders working from the Masonic Temple, such as accountant T.L. Crowell, were bombed by white supremacists. The home of then Mayor Albert Boutwell was also targeted by dynamite, although the bombs were disarmed before they could explode. These bombings led to the name of Dynamite Hill in the Smithfield neighborhood, and Birmingham to be nationally nicknamed "Bombingham". Shores led efforts to integrate Birmingham City Schools and to nullify thousands of those arrested during demonstrations during the Birmingham Campaign.

Around the 1990s, problems began to arise with HVAC systems and funds to keep the Temple operational. Around 2011, all tenants had moved out entirely, and the building shuttered and left dormant.

In the 2010s, space in the hallway by the Masonic Auditorium was damaged by fire, suspected to be from squatter activity. The Temple was fitted with a security system to aid in protection of the structure.

The Masonic Temple was still used for meetings of the the Prince Hall Grand Lodge until 2022 renovation efforts began.

Redevelopment proposals

In January 2009 Main Street Birmingham hosted a workshop at the building to generate ideas for creative redevelopment. A campaign to raise $10-15 million for restoration and expansion of the Temple Building was launched by the Grand Lodge in 2017, shortly after it was made part of the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument. Schemes for possible expansion discussed at the time included a multi-story parking deck to the west of the Temple with retail spaces on the ground floor.

In November 2019 The Lodge announced that it was working with Historic District Developers (a venture of Henderson & Co. of Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina with Direct Invest Development LLC of New York) on a $29 million mixed-use redevelopment of the building. Urban Impact Inc. and the Birmingham Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity also participated in the project, which was intended to qualify for Historic Preservation Tax Credits, New Market Tax Credits, and Opportunity Zone tax credits.

Plans for the building include incubator retail, maker-space and office space. The project's design phase continued into 2022, with the start of construction planned for late that year.

The interiors of the Colored Masonic Temple building have been preserved by the closing and dormancy of the building. Prior to renovations beginning in 2022, a time capsule of life in Birmingham for African Americans from 1924 on to the 1990s survived, including fully-furnished and stocked dental offices from the 1930s and 1950s, Masonic meeting halls stacked with boxes of records and regalia dating as far back as the 1920s, artifacts from the Civil Rights era, and dozens of file cabinets filled with paperwork from the operations of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge and all affiliates in Alabama during the 20th century. These artifacts are being processed and catalogued by the Lodge for preservation and historical interpretation with the support of a $670,000 from the Mellon Foundation.

Tenants

Fraternal organizations and labor unions

Gallery

  • Interior of the auditorium. Photo by Austin H. Stone]]

    Interior of the auditorium. Photo by Austin H. Stone]]

  • Cornerstone of the Masonic Temple Building. Photo by Austin H. Stone.]]

    Cornerstone of the Masonic Temple Building. Photo by Austin H. Stone.]]

  • Building directory from the Colored Masonic Temple on display at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

    Building directory from the Colored Masonic Temple on display at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

  • Protests outside the Colored Masonic Temple during the Birmingham Campaign, 1963 The Birmingham News

    Protests outside the Colored Masonic Temple during the Birmingham Campaign, 1963 The Birmingham News

  • Martin Luther King Jr playing at Stag Billiard Parlor, 1963. Grand Master S. J. Bennett visible in background

    Martin Luther King Jr playing at Stag Billiard Parlor, 1963. Grand Master S. J. Bennett visible in background

  • Office of the Endowment Secretary. Photo by Austin H. Stone

    Office of the Endowment Secretary. Photo by Austin H. Stone

  • Trunk belonging to Geometry Lodge No. 410 in a meeting hall. Photo by Austin H. Stone

    Trunk belonging to Geometry Lodge No. 410 in a meeting hall. Photo by Austin H. Stone

References

  • Polk's Birmingham (Jefferson County, Ala.) City Directory, including Fairfield and Homewood (1941) Richmond, Virginia: R. L. Polk & Co.
  • Ruisi, Anne (January 12, 2009) "Masonic Temple in downtown Birmingham draws preservationists." The Birmingham News
  • Weiss, Ellen (2012) "Robert R. Taylor and Tuskegee: An African-American Architect Designs for Booker T. Washington." Montgomery: New South Books ISBN 1588382486
  • Edgemon, Erin (February 26, 2017) "Historic civil rights landmark launches fundraising campaign." The Birmingham News
  • Van der Bijl, Hanno (November 20, 2019) "Developer eyes mixed-use project at Masonic Temple in city center." Birmingham Business Journal
  • Watson, Nathan (February 14, 2022) "$29M renovation underway for Masonic Temple Building." Bham Now
  • "Historic Masonic Temple in Birmingham Receives Mellon Grant to Preserve Artifacts." (April 21, 2023) The Birmingham Times

External links

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