Freemason's Hall, Bristol
History
The building was initially built as The Philosophical Institution for the Advancement of Science, Literature and Art, later becoming a museum. The Philosophical Institution was in operation from 1823 to 1871 and during that time merged with the Bristol Library Society, eventually moving site multiple times and becoming what is now Bristol City Museum. In 1871 it was purchased by the Freemasons of Bristol and converted for their use. It was bombed during the Second World War and burnt extensively. It was rebuilt after the war and reopened in 1955.
The building
Built from limestone with a copper-clad roof, Freemasons' Hall is sited on the corner of Park Street and St Georges Road in Bristol. The main entrance to the building is elevated behind cast iron railings with a gate and bud finials and is surmounted by an interesting frieze depicting a classical Greek scene by EH Baily. This opens into a circular reception area which in turn leads to the lounge and main staircase of the building with access to all floors.
The building, also known as the Masonic Hall, contains a members-only bar, cloakrooms, meeting rooms, three dining rooms, a library, and a number of temples and chapter rooms.
Traditionally a building which has been closed to non-members, more recently Freemasons' Hall has been opened to the public as part of the Bristol Open Doors programme. This attracted new attention from the local press and was well received by curious locals. As an attempt to modernise and attract new members, journalists have been given tours of the building during Open Doors events and the visits filmed along with question and answer style sessions.
References
- ^ "FREEMASONS' HALL AND ATTACHED CAST IRON RAILINGS, Non Civil Parish - 1282205 | Historic England". historicengland.org.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ "Home". The Provincial Grand Lodge of Bristol. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ "Bristol Mark Masons Website". Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ "A Province all of its own: Bristol's Library & Museum of Freemasonry". Freemasonry Today.
- ^ Lavelle, A.B. (2008). "The Bristol Masonic Society - History". Corona Gladiorum. 5 (2007–8): 135–142. Archived from the original on 10 January 2010 – via The Bristol Masonic Society.
This page has been extracted from a paper entitled: 'The Bristol Masonic Society - Past, Present and Future' by AB Lavelle (2008). The full paper may be found in Corona Gladiorum (2007-8), Vol 5, pp. 135-142. [archived version only]
- ^ Gomme, Andor; Jenner, Michael (2011). An Architectural History of Bristol. Oblong Creative Ltd. p. 247. ISBN 978-0955657658.
- ^ Neve, Michael Raymond (1984). Natural philosophy, medicine and the culture of science in provincial England: the cases of Bristol, 1790-1850 (PDF). London: University College London. pp. Chapters 4 and 5.
- ^ "Key Dates - Province of Bristol". provinceofbristol.org.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ Crick, Clare (1975). Victorian Buildings in Bristol. Bristol: Redcliffe Press Ltd. p. 1. ISBN 0905459091.
- ^ "Freemasons' Hall, Bristol". whatpub.com. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ Britton, Mike (October 2007). "Bristol Museum: A Phoenix from the Ashes". Masonic Quarterly Magazine. 16: 46–48.
- ^ Maggs, Neil (23 June 2019). "What happens inside one of the oldest fraternities in the world". BristolLive. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ Maggs, Neil (23 June 2019). "We tried to join one of the most secretive societies in the world". BristolLive. Retrieved 16 January 2021.