Scranton Cultural Center

Masonic Temple and Scottish Rite Cathedral
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple
Location:	416–420 North Washington Avenue Scranton, Pennsylvania
Coordinates:	41°24′39″N 75°39′38″W / 41.41083°N 75.66056°W / 41.41083; -75.66056Coordinates: 41°24′39″N 75°39′38″W / 41.41083°N 75.66056°W / 41.41083; -75.66056
Built:	1930
Architect:	Raymond Hood
Architectural style:	Gothic Revival, Romanesque Revival
Governing body:	Board of Directors 501(c)3
NRHP Reference#:	97001259
Added to NRHP:	November 7, 1997[1]

The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple (formerly the Masonic Temple and Scottish Rite Cathedral) is a theatre and cultural center in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The Cultural Center's mission statement is "to rejuvenate a national architectural structure as a regional center for arts, education and community activities appealing to all ages."^[2] The Cultural Center hosts off Broadway performances, music and stand-up comedy performances and special events including weddings and proms. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[3]

History

Architect Raymond Hood designed the Masonic Temple, which houses the cultural center.^[4] The Masonic Temple is designed in a combination of Gothic Revival architecture and Romanesque Revival—Richardsonian Romanesque.^[3] The building was completed in 1930. The temple has a dual nature; it houses the Scottish Rite Cathedral and a masonic lodge. In fact, the design of the building is a tribute to masonry.

The Masonic Temple houses The Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Theatre with 1,866 seats, The Governor Robert P. Casey Library, a "Ladies Parlor" and a Grand Ballroom which can hold 2,700 for standup performances, Shopland Hall, a 600 seat theatre located on the 4th floor, Craftsmen Hall on the 3rd Floor as well as Snyder and Gazda Hall, serving as Lodge room for the Masonic Fraternity. Most of the facility is open for public usage and rental through the year. Visitors to Scranton can visit the Temple and take a tour that highlights the architecture of the building as well as its present day uses.

A relief of a dragon above the entrance to the Scranton Cultural Center.

Performances

The Cultural Center features regular performances by Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic. It has also hosted performances by contemporary musical artists, including Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews, N Sync, Backstreet Boys and Maroon Five. Broadway Theatre of Northeast PA puts on Broadway musicals, including Rent, Mamma Mia! and Les Miserables.

Description

Construction of the Masonic Temple and Scottish Rite Cathedral was begun in 1927. The building took three short years to finish. The Temple was inaugurated on January 2, 1930 when the first meeting was held in the building. The rectangular plan building is clad in coursed ashlars of Indiana limestone supported by the structural steel framework. At approximately 180,000 square feet (17,000 m²), the building houses two theatres, meeting rooms, a grand ballroom, as well as numerous other rooms and areas. There are ten levels of the building, only five of which can be accessed by elevator. The remaining five levels include two storage floors about the fourth floor, a small light room at the very top of the building that measures approximately fifteen feet in diameter and can only be reached by a ladder connecting to the room, and the sub-basement which goes down two levels or sixty feet below the basement floor.

Masonic Symbols

Masonry symbols can be found throughout the Masonic Temple and Scottish Rite Cathedral, although it may not be apparent to those unfamiliar with Masonry. Shopland Hall, the small theater on the fourth floor, contains many Masonic symbols. An image of the Crusade is depicted above the stage, as well as shields motifs. These are important symbols to the Masonic Fraternity. Also two-headed eagles are depicted on the ceiling of the theater. Supposedly Frederick of Prussia introduced the symbol of the two headed eagle when the Scottish Rite was in its formative stages. The Robert P. Casey Library features the quintessential symbol of the Freemasons, a shovel, a pick, and a crowbar, in a glass case. Not only are these three items symbols of Masonry, but they were also the ground breaking tools used during the construction of the Masonic Temple. Also in the Casey Library is a grandfather clock that features many Masonic Symbols carved into the wood, including the shovel, pick, and crowbar motif, as well as the symbol of the square and the compass with the letter “G” in the center.

The future

The Cultural Center began multi-million dollar restoration project in the mid 1990s. Electrical services were updated and air conditioning was installed. The ballroom's walls and ceilings were also restored.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania

References

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. no date specified. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html. 
2. ^ Cultural Center's Homepage
3. ^ ^{a b} "Masonic Temple and Scottish Rite Cathedral". Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. National Park Service. http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/delaware/mas.htm. Retrieved September 16, 2008. 
4. ^ Cultural Resources Group, 1997, NRHP Nomination Form for Masonic Temple and Scottish Rite Cathedral Enter "public" for ID and "public" for password to access the site.