Masonic Temple Building

324-328 Third Street

The Masonic Temple Building is a two-story brick
building located on the main commercial thoroughfare in downtown Farmington. The building, built in 1917, is eligible for Heritage Landmark designation because its facade contributes significantly to the historic character of the downtown commercial district. It is a notable local example of the Neoclassical Revival mode in commercial architecture and the property’s historic use by fraternal organizations and small business enterprises also reflects an important broad pattern in downtown history.
The designer of the Masonic Temple ably translated the Neoclassical cornice, pilasters and entablature the commercial building. One of five downtown buildings that have been evaluated as possessing pivotal significance for preserving the area’s distinctive historical character, the Masonic Temple shows how the availability of brick shaped the building environment of Farmington’s central business district. In general, nineteenth and early twentieth century builders relied upon brick facings to symbolize prosperity and security. The Masonic Temple also uses the distinctive buff-colored Kasota stone to accent its Neoclassical design elements, which together form a potent symbol of the lodge’s standing in the community.
Historically, the common rooms in downtown commercial buildings frequently functioned as the meeting rooms for certain fraternal organizations, which flourished in Farmington during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. For many years the Masons met in rented rooms, using the Griebe Block from 1881 until the construction of the present temple in 1917.
Designation on 09/04/01