HE question of a new site became an active one as soon as it was seen that the Grand Street property would have to be abandoned owing to the dissatisfaction it created among the craft, and any number of locations were suggested. The most practical was one on the west side of Broadway between 18th and 19th Streets which Robert D. Homes had obtained the refusal of for $400,000. That price, however, was more than the trustees cared to assume, but while they were cogitating the refusal was withdrawn and the property was disposed of for $680,000. The search for a site was a long and persistent one, but at the meeting of 1869 the trustees stated that they had purchased the piece of land at the northeast corner of 23d Street and 6th Avenue for $340,000. This choice seems to have met with the hearty approval of the fraternity. It was free of all incumbrances except a lease held by one party, and when the transfer was made the entire cost was paid with the exception of a mortgage for $87,500, against which the trustees held a mortgage on the Grand Street property for $81,500. The 23d Street purchase then yielded a rental of $17,000 and the trustees, with the proceeds of the Grand Street mortgage and this rental, did not doubt their ability to pay off the balance of $87,500 before the mortgage was due on May 1, 1870, pay all necessary expenses and have a little left over. Then with a magnificent piece of unencumbered property on their hands they proposed to enter the money

market as borrowers of a sum necessary to build the hall, looking to the revenue derived from it and the subscriptions of the brethren to pay off in time the amount so borrowed.

The hall and asylum committee thus laid their future plans before the brethren at the same meeting:

There has been received at the Grand Secretary's office from Lodges for per capita tax to the credit of the Hall and Asylum Fund, up to the present time, about $22,000: rent of 6th avenue property to May 1, 1870, $17,000; estimated per capita tax for ensuing year, to be realized on or before next June communication, $22,000. Add these together and we have a sum of $61,000, which, as a little mathematical calculation will show, will meet the balance of debt and leave $54,000 and over with which to meet building operations.

It is proposed to erect a building that will cost from $250,000 to $300,000, and to do this a loan of $200,000 will be effected.

The interest, taxes and insurance on the property will amount to about $22,000 a year, rather under than over.

The income of the building will be from $30,000 to $40,000 annually, and this is no exaggerated calculation.

The debt, therefore, as it will be seen, will be from the completion of the edifice self-liquidating, thus honoring and carrying out the idea of the noble originators of the scheme that there should be no harassing burden of debt upon the fraternity.

It is curious to read this document, where the care with which the course of the future was laid down with so much decision, and to remember the herculean effort which was needed in after years to lift the craft from the slough into which this self-complacency

in time landed it. However, everything looked smooth on the surface, the future seemed lined with golden promises, and it was determined to lay the cornerstone of the Temple in June, 1870.

Napoleon Le Brun, probably the most noted architect of his day in America, a member of the fraternity, was commissioned to prepare the plans of the new structure and in due time his scheme was approved. Meanwhile a determined effort was made to add to the building fund and an appeal was made in every Lodge. The Grand officers made speeches nightly and all sorts of schemes were placed on foot-even picnics were not thought inappropriate to add to the coffers. And here, be it said, that the Lodges possessed of means subscribed liberally, many more than once dipping generously into the general fund, while individual subscriptions were taken up at many of the meetings. The trouble was that the system was irregular and, in some cases quite unauthorized. It was said, and it is to be feared that the assertion was based on truth, that not one half of what was raised in the name of the Temple reached the coffers of the Hall and Asylum fund, and this, not so much on account of any direct peculation, as from the looseness of the system which was permitted to prevail. However, loose as the system was, it yielded a considerable sum and at the meeting in June, 1870, the trustees announced that the mortgage on their property had been paid off, the ground stood clear of all indebtedness, that they had received in subscriptions $15,310.06 and, besides had $44.887.58 in the way of funds from their regular sources of income. The buildings on the property had been removed and the plans of the architect, so far as they had been prepared, were fully approved, except that one Lodge (Pyramid) had protested against the walls being of granite, as marble was considered more in keeping with Masonic traditions. But it was felt that in the climate of New York granite was a more enduring material than

Brady, Samuel Jones, Zachariah Dederick, Joseph J. Couch, John G. Barker, Joseph Koch, James R. Elsey, Jesse B. Anthony, George W. Gregory, Thompson Burton, L. H. Conklin, Levi M. Gano, William A. Brodie and Benjamin Flagler.

The procession was a memorable one, the grandest which New York had ever yet seen. The Grand Lodge met in Irving Hall and the array of officers, present and past, as well as the representatives of foreign Grand Lodges, made a magnificent sight with their jewels and regalia, but to the Mason's heart the most significant and beautiful part of the

parade was the long ranks of 12,500 Master Masons, arrayed, according to old regulations, "in dark clothing, high black hats, white linen aprons and white gloves," who formed in line. under the very capable direction of the Grand Marshal of the day, Brother H. Clay Preston. On the procession reaching the ground Grand Master Gibson and the other dignitaries took their position on a covered platform in the east while the Wardens occupied similar platforms at their appropriate places, west and south.

The ceremony was performed with all the ritualistic ceremony of the craft. The proceedings opened with prayer by the Rev. R. L. Schoonmaker and then an anthem written and composed by Harrison Millard, was sung by the brethren of St. Cecile Lodge.

Here we meet to lay the stone,

Here our temple shall be found;
Here our hearts, not hands alone,
By the mystic tie are bound.
Here the craft will meet again

On the level, tried and known,
Meet as brothers, part as men,

Bound by ties now sacred grown.

The cornerstone contained the mementos usually placed in such receptacles-copies of Grand Lodge transactions, of the printed orders of the day and the local newspapers; coins, photographs, seals and the like. As it was lowered into its place an anthem, written by Gen. Albert Pike, was sung by the brethren of St. Cecile and then Grand Master Gibson handed the implements of the craft to the architect and finally the stone was declared duly and truly laid. The brethren of Mozart Lodge, Philadelphia, then sung an anthem written by Richard Vaux, Past Grand Master of Pennsylvania. Then followed an oration by the Rev. E. S. Porter, and soon after the brethren dispersed, the two bands which had varied the proceedings with much enjoyable music-Dodworth's and that of Mozart Lodge-leading the way. Most of the Lodges had banquets or receptions in their

Lodge rooms in the evening, where they not only celebrated the auspicious proceedings of the day themselves, but entertained many of the brethren who had poured in from the country Lodges.

The scheme of the proposed bunding as described from the architect's plans was fully detailed at the time of the cornerstone laying and we here copy one of these notices, that which appeared in the New York "World." It not only describes the building but is an apparently official account of its inception and the entire article is, from the historian's point of view, well worth preserving.

There are now 5,000 Masonic Lodges in this country, with a membership of 500,000. The Lodges of this State number 700, containing 100,000 members. Since 1843 a movement has been in progress in this society to raise a fund, which, being properly invested, should afford a constant and perpetual endowment for an asylum, where every one having a legitimate claim on the benevolence of the order might find a ready answer to his or her needs. It was concluded that the best means of securing an endowment would be to purchase real estate in the city of New York sure to increase rather than decrease in value, and from its revenues to secure an eternal and never-failing source of revenue for the support of an establishment in some part of the State, where the proper beneficiaries could receive unstinted attention. Accordingly, in June, 1843, R. W. Brother James Herring drew up a subscription paner and $300 was immediately subscribed. Various means were taken to increase the fund besides the devotion of the surplus income of the order. Edwin Forrest gave $500 in 1859. Ole Bull gave concerts in its aid. In 1849 it was $4,121. In 1858 it was $12,879, showing that it gained less than $1,000 a year at that time. But in 1860, through donations from the Grand Lodge, balls, etc., rose to $31,111. In 1864 there were donations from Lodges amounting to $20,000, and the fund stood $74,310. Still increasing donations and a fair that produced $50,000 made it in 1867 $207,694. Some years earlier a property had been bought at Grand and Crosby streets, and $41,875 was cleared by the sale of this in 1869. In 1870 the fund stood $381,013. It was now thought best to buy a site for the hall, and the plot was purchased at the corner of Sixth avenue and Twenty-third street. This property is 144x98 During the same year the The whole cost of the temple,

feet, and cost $336,126.33. hall was commenced.

including ground, up to this time, is $721,463.81, while the actual amount of the fund is $500,668.54. Finding that Masons did not make up the deficiency fast enough, the trustees have issued bonds for $400,000 based on a first mortgage of the property. They hope, however, to have the place clear of debt before long, so that they can devote the income, estimated at $50,000 per annum, to the building and maintenance of the asylum.

The style of architecture that has been selected is the renaissance, and the design is exceedingly chaste and well proportioned. The building is five stories high, and each story is distinctly represented in the exterior. A pavilion ornamented by columns and surmounted by a quadrangular dome fifty feet square at the base and rising 155 feet above the pavement is the main feature on Twenty-third street. Curtains embellished with allegorical statuary connect this center compartment with corner pavilions, each twenty-six feet square to the base, rising ninety-five feet to the top of the main cornice and capped by a Mansard roof. The front on Sixth avenue is in harmony with that on Twenty-third street.

The first story is entirely arranged for stores, three large ones on the street and four on the avenue. The main entrance will be on Twentythird street, in the curtain next to Sixth avenue, and has a Doric portico. In front of this portico will be placed two Masonic columns, surmounted by globes 20 feet high, the significance of which will be duly appreciated by Masons. These, together with the statuary and the arms of the Grand Lodge on the fifth story, will form the only indications of the purpose of the building. This entrance leads directly by a wide flight of stairs to a large corridor 20 feet wide, 66 feet long and 30 feet high, on the

second floor, from which immediate access is obtained on the east side to the Grand Lodge room, 84 feet, and 30 feet high, calculated to seat 1,000 persons comfortably, in addition to which a gallery across the west end of the room will accommodate 150 persons. The throne of the Grand Master will be in a recess at the east end, with retiring and accommodation rooms conveniently located on each side. From this corridor is also reached on the west side the parlor of the Grand Master, the parlor and offices of the Grand Secretary, the fire-proof archive-room, and others. At the north end of the corridor is the stairway leading to the upper stories. The reception halls above are 20 feet wide, 68 feet long and 22 feet high, from which entrance is gained on the east side of three tylers' rooms, connected by ante-rooms with three Blue Lodge rooms, each 62 feet long. On the west side of the corridor is a large banqueting room, with steward's rooms adjoining. The stairway leads next to the fourth story, which is 22 feet high, and contains two Blue Lodge rooms and one Royal Arch chamber room the same size as those on the floor below.

The latter room will be arranged with certain novel and valuable conveniences and will be complete in every respect.

The whole of the fifth story will be devoted to the use of the Knights Templars, and it is believed this Commandery hall will be the most complete ever constructed, and will greatly increase the effect of the imposing ceremonies of the order.

The first story and all the halls, corridors, and stairways throughout will be of the best fire-proof construction, and a large elevator will traverse the building from the first to the fifth story, so that in case of accident the entire building can be emptied in five minutes.

HE echoes of the cornerstone laying had hardly died away before. a campaign for funds was entered upon. Something tangible had been accomplished and the brethren were. asked to make the measure of accomplishment still greater. For a time subscriptions flowed in. A Masonic picnic yielded $5,000, the Grand Commandery sent in $3,000, and the Grand Chapter $7,000, and many of the subordinate Lodges contributed in wonderful liberality, but it seemed as if the craft had created an agency whose cry for more was insatiable. At the meeting of 1871, it was shown that $395,000 had been sunk in land, foundation, etc., and that at least $400,000 more would be needed to complete the work. For this the trustees still asked for subscriptions, for it was still their hope to pay for the entire construction as it arose, so as to leave the rents derived from it for the purposes of the Asylum. But the subscriptions did not continue in anything like the proportion required, the brethren began to feel tired of hearing appeals read or made in person for money, either out of Lodge funds or out of their pockets, and the inflow into the treasury began to drag. Meanwhile the walls of the building were rising up and contractors were needing money, while the wherewithal had to be provided for interior furnishing and other incidentals, much of which had been unforeseen. To give them more power in the premises the act of incorporation of the trustees was amended, investing them with borrowing

powers and enlarged scope in the financial management of the building. Then bonds were issued and sold, but for a time, although these securities bore 7 per cent interest, they were slow to negotiate, and a loan had to be arranged with the National Trust Company. When Grand Master Fox called the Grand Lodge to order on June 3, 1873, in the building-then by no means finished, internally-it was stated that they had received in all, from all sources $837,399.01. Of this they had some $18,000 on hand to meet present emergencies, but they had contracted debts in bonds or loan amounting to $271,000.

With the evidence before them of a splendid building, fully adapted for the uses of the craft, and standing in one of the leading thoroughfares of the commercial metropolis of the new world it was thought that the brethren who attended the Grand Lodge session of 1873 would again unloosen the purse strings of the Lodges and of their brethren. One report submitted said:

When three years ago the cornerstone was laid, furnishing a most tangible evidence of having a hall of our own, it was thought that under the inspiration of that step the means necessary to complete not only the hall but also to carry out the much more important object of the building of the asylum would come forth generously and amply, but it has not been so. While the Trustees have put forth every effort, used every exertion, and under the vote of the representatives in Grand Lodge assembled, have erected the hall, trusting to the support of the fraternity of this jurisdiction, it is not a source of congratulation to us that they have done so under difficulties, and that owing to financial