History of the
Historic Eau Claire
Masonic Temple
The Eau Claire Temple of Free
Masonry has been the headquarters of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite – Valley
of Eau Claire since its construction in 1927. This historic building was
designed by renowned architect, Edward G. Hancock, specifically to provide
facilities for the Scottish Rite. The four Valley of Eau Claire Scottish Rite
bodies were chartered between 1922 and 1924. Then came the task of providing an
appropriate home. This 47,000 square foot Classic Revival style building is
faced with white Indiana limestone with most floors of terrazzo. It contains the
auditorium, wardrobe, a grand ballroom, small dining room, commercial kitchen,
classroom, offices, three lounges, and two Symbolic Lodge rooms. The larger of
the two lodge rooms is the home for the Eau Claire York Rite. In today’s dollars
it would cost $11,750,000 to replicate this building. It has been designated by
the Eau Claire Landmarks Commission as a historical landmark in the City of Eau
Claire and by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1988 to be listed on the
National Register of Historic Places.
This historic building is now owned by a separate non-profit corporation
managed by an 18 member board of directors in which 3 trustees each from the
three Eau Claire lodges, the two York Rite Bodies and the Valley of Eau Claire
serve as directors. The cost to maintain this historic home to many Masonic
organizations is shared by the Masonic organizations which use the building on a
per capita basis according to membership of which the Valley of Eau Claire is
about two-thirds.
Historic Eau Claire Masonic Temple
Office Hours
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Monday Through Friday