Masonic Temple (Casper, Wyoming)
The interior is arranged, from the bottom up, as basement, a first floor, containing the ballroom, the second floor containing the lodge and banquet rooms, and a second floor balcony. The basement contains a card room and once had a two-lane bowling alley. A now-unused caretaker's apartment is on this level. A boiler room, dining room and kitchen are also found on this level. A half-story up, the main entrance opens into a vestibule with stairs descending to the basement and ascending to the first floor. A ballroom originally occupied most of the first floor, but was converted to a lodge room in 1964. A small orchestra stage was enclosed. Men's and ladies' lounges or card rooms are also on this level. The second floor contains another lodge room, a banquet hall and a kitchen. The rooms on this level have high ceilings. A balcony overlooks the lodge room.
The estimated cost of the temple was $40,000. It was built by local contractor G.A. Ukensky. The ballroom and banquet hall were rented for public gatherings. By 1924 the lodge membership was 533. Homer Schaffer, the architect, practiced as an architect for only a few years between 1912 and 1915. He later became involved in furniture sales before moving to Cheyenne and becoming a car salesman after 1926. In 1931 he and his family moved to Alamosa, Colorado where he operated an electrical contracting business, designing buildings from time to time.
See also
- Townsend Hotel next door, also on the National Register
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ "Masonic Temple". Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ Rosenberg, Robert G. (February 1, 2005). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Masonic Temple". National Park Service. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
External links
- Photographs of the Masonic Temple at the National Park Service's NRHP database
- Masonic Temple at the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office