Masonic Temple

Local Masons organized in 1915 and promptly hired Lansing architect Samuel D. Butterworth, a fellow Mason, to design a meeting hall. Butterworth rejected the practice of designing Masonic halls as elaborate classical temples, and instead blended simple Neoclassical detailing with elements of the popular Commercial style. Upon its completion in 1916, the Masonic Temple was one of only a few buildings in “downtown” East Lansing. The Masons sold the hall in 1986 and the interior was subsequently demolished. In 1998 the Chappelle Development Company purchased and rehabilitated the building as office and residential space. The Masonic Temple remains one of the city’s important landmarks and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.