The first Masonic Lodge in Michigan (which at the time was in the Northwest Territory) was founded in 1764. They have had a couple of names and have been chartered under a few different Grand Lodges, but today they are Zion No. 1. I am not sure if we can list all the meeting places used in Detroit prior to the current Masonic Temple at 500 Temple Ave. By using James F. Smith's "Dateline 1764 Michigan Masonry Vol. 2", I am going to try. J. F. Smith shows a sketch of the citadel and states that "it was in the officers mess that the Lodge No. 1 at Detroit met." No dates are given as to how long they met there. The Steamboat Hotel also appears to be an early meeting place for Detroit Masons. For in his book, Brother Smith reports "It was on August 10, 1821, that a number of Master Masons met here to consider the need for a second lodge. An adjourned meeting was held four days later and eleven brethren were present, and it was on this occasion that the petition was signed by those present, seeking a warrant from the Grand lodge of New York. The request went out on August 20, 1821. It was in this hotel that the larger Masonic banquets of the period were held. " He goes on to say that the Council House on the Southeast corner of Jefferson and Randolph became the Masonic Hall in 1826 and was the birthplace of the Grand Lodge of Michigan. After petitioning Grand Master Lewis Cass, who then was also the Territorial Governor of Michigan, the Craft, which at that time included Zion Lodge No.1, Detroit Lodge No. 2, and Monroe Chapter No. 1, was given permission to build a second story on the old Council House. A building committee was appointed and another story added which was lathed and plastered outside and gave the building a unique appearance. The Oliver Newberry Building, at the corner of Jefferson and Cass was the meeting place of Detroit Masons from 1841 to 1851. When discussion was held to build a new hall, the Newberry building was described by Brother Farnsworth of Detroit No. 2 as: "It was a big bare place of which the chief ornament was a great iron stove weighing, perhaps, 1,500 pounds." The building had been the scene of a fire and while the first floor had apparently been reconditioned, the room in which the Masons met had received little attention and thus it was that the bodies were desperately anxious to find newer and better quarters. Monroe Chapter No. 1 proceeded by a special act of the Michigan legislature to form a corporation capable in law "to purchase, take,receive, hold and enjoy …estates real and personal." The Chapter then contracted for a thirty-year lease of a lot at 131-135 West Jefferson Avenue. After securing assurance from all of the Masonic bodies then meeting in Detroit that they would become tenants; the chapter proceeded to erect a four story building on the leased land. The land was leased from Brother Joseph Campau. The terms of the lease called for the erection of a four story brick building to cover the whole of the Jefferson front and extend back some eighty feet with a good stone wall foundation at least sixteen inches thick. The four stories had to average at least ten feet each and the cellar wall to be at least seven feet six inches in height. The basement was dug and the Cornerstone laid on September 2, 1851 by Past Grand Master E. Smith Lee, a Past High Priest of Monroe Chapter and the first Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of Michigan. The building when completed consisted of two stores on the ground floor and four offices on the second floor. The third and forth floors were apparently used entirely for Masonic purposes. Meeting in the Temple along with Monroe Chapter No. 1 were Zion Lodge No. 1, Detroit Lodge No. 2, Monroe Council No. 1, and Detroit Encampment No. 1 (now Detroit Commandery No. 1 K.T.) The building was first occupied in 1852. Thus, Detroit had its first building built for the purpose of being a Masonic Temple. All previous buildings were built for other purposes and used for Masonic meetings. The building was not dedicated until St. John the Baptist Day, June 24, 1857. During its thirty-year period of service, other Masonic organizations became occupant of the building. These included Charity Lodge No. 94, Ashlar Lodge No. 91, Kilwinning Lodge No. 297, Peninsular Chapter No. 16, the Detroit Scottish Rite Bodies and the St. Andrews Society. In was in 1891 that the need for a larger Masonic Temple was first actively considered. Plans to finance it were then begun. On August 11, 1892, the preliminary organization purchased three lots at First and Lafayette for a price of $50,200. By the end of the year they had collected $60,000 in gross receipts from all the Masonic bodies. Brother Smith goes on to say: "At this time Michigan Sovereign Consistory owned the property adjoining the lots purchased by the preliminary organization. Through a well-timed negotiations the two properties were merged, and a permanent Masonic Temple Association was formed. Each organization turned over its funds to this Association and instructed the officers to proceed. This was the beginning of the current Masonic Temple Association who owns and operates the current Masonic Temple at 500 Temple Ave. The Association was finally incorporated in 1894. It is interesting to note that the Masons of this time period raised funds equal to $80 per member, in the midst of one of the greatest periods of financial depression that this country had seen up to that time. It is also interesting to note that the Lafayette Temple was completely inadequate in less than 20 years. The Temple was seven stories tall and was dedicated and opened in 1895. Brother Smith wrote in the book, 150 Epic Years, Detroit Lodge No. 2: It was a Seven story red stone structure. The height of the entire building from grade to top of the ridge measured exactly 140 feet and the height below grade as 12 feet. The Cubic content of the building was 1,743,600 and the seating capacity of the auditorium was 400 on the floor and 350 in the balcony. The excavation for the temple started on October 1, 1894, the concrete foundations were laid October 22, the foundation stone was laid November 12, and the Cornerstone was laid January 23, 1895 The total building cost were $344,198.00. Dedication ceremonies were held on June 24. St. John the Baptist Day, 1895, and following the elaborate ceremonies, thousand of Detroit Masons and their families made a tour of the building. The Mayor of the City of Detroit, Past Master William Maybury served as chairman of the Masonic Relations Committee. This is the West Lodge room in the Detroit Masonic Temple on Lafayette This is the Center Lodge room in the Detroit Masonic Temple on Lafayette This is the East Lodge room in the Detroit Masonic Temple on Lafayette   This is the Masonic Temple on Lafayette in Detroit, Michigan 1895-1926 This picture is from a book called Palestine Album that was printed in 1905. The book says: "reunion of Palestine Lodge, December 6, 1901. 550 at dinner, 505 being brethren of Palestine Lodge. The largest number of members of a single Lodge ever brought together." The reason I include this picture here is that from the date, and from other descriptions of rooms in the old temple, it is my belief that while it is not labeled as such, I believe this room is the drill hall on the top floor of the old temple on Lafayette. Below you will read about the Cadillac Athletic Club who bought the temple from us. They describe the top floor as: "The top floor is one of the largest and best ventilated gymnasiums in the state -- thirteen thousand square feet of floor space, "   The above picture is scanned from "Freemasonry in Michigan, Vol 2." It appears on page 484. The five rooms shown are: Top left: Red Cross Room (Commandery) Bottom left: Commandery Asylum Center: Michigan Sovereign Consistory Cathedral Top right: a lodge room (doesn'say which one) Bottom right: Royal Arch Chapter Room This is a second picture from the same book. It is from page 490. The five rooms shown are: Top left: Lodge Room Library Bottom left: One of the banquet rooms Center: Front door Top right: Main Hall Bottom right: Michigan Sovereign Candidates Room Starting on page 477 we find: The East Lodge Room on the third floor was occupied the first four evenings of each week by Union, Oriental,Schiller, and Ashlar Lodges respectively. The West Lodge Room by Kilwinning, Detroit, Zion, and Palestine Lodges. The large hall on the fourth floor floor was devoted Mondays to Monroe Council, and the next four evenings of each week to King Cyrus, Peninsular, and Monroe Chapters; and Detroit Commandery in the order named. (webmasters note: I am sorry if these pictures are not the best, but the book I scanned them from was published in 1896. My thanks to Brother Ron Blaisdell for making the book available.) Brother Dan Rose recently found a booklet that described the Cadillac Athletic Club, which is the club who purchased the Masonic Temple on First and Lafayette Avenue. In the book, it describes the building, floor my floor. I can only image that some of it was like this when the Masons owned it and some has been changed. The large gym sounds like the drill hall and the third and sixth floors sound like they may have been the lodge room, Commandery Asylum, and maybe the Scottish Rite rooms. First, second, and fifth floors may not have changed much. But here is what they said. The club reaches seven stories above the street and contains every convenience of modern club life. The top floor is one of the largest and best ventilated gymnasiums in the state -- thirteen thousand square feet of floor space, embracing all necessary athletic equipment, including two basket courts, volley ball court, indoor baseball diamond, tennis court, light and heavy punching bags, stall bars, weight and rowing machines, boxing ring and wrestling mats, etc. The sixth floor is now being remodeled and will soon consist of as fine a dining room and a grill room as could be wanted. The fifth floor houses the Crystal Ball Room, private dining rooms, etc. The fourth floor contains a modern billiard and pool room with six tables, and six handball courts and two squash courts (said to be the finest in the country.) The third floor is now undergoing extensive alterations. Ten bowling alleys and twenty-two hundred steel lockers are being installed, also twelve needle shower baths and a finely equipped steam and masseur room. The second floor contains the ladies lounge, managing directors office, and board room, trophy room, and the balcony of what will be our swimming pool. The first floor contains the club offices, cigar stand, lobby, Michigan A.A.U. Office, check room, assistant manger's office and our handsomely appointed main lounge. The swimming pool will be on this floor. The basement contains the abbey room, card room, barber shops, workshop, furnace room, laundry, paint shops, etc. Further improvements will be undertaken as soon as deemed advisable.