Freemasons' Hall - Great Queen Street, London, UK
N 51° 30.896 W 000° 07.299
30U E 699709 N 5711018
The Freemasons' Hall was built after World War I as a memorial to those masons that died during that war.
Waymark Code: WME7PC
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/15/2012
Views: 4
The United Grand Lodge (visit
link) tells us that:
"Freemasons’ Hall is the headquarters of the United
Grand Lodge of England and the principal meeting place for Masonic Lodges in
London. Grand Lodge has been in Great Queen Street since 1775, the present Hall
being the third building on the site.
Built between 1927–1932 as a memorial to the Freemasons who died in the First
World War, it is one of the finest Art Deco buildings in England, and is now
Grade II* listed internally and externally. In addition to the Grand Temple
(seating 1700) there are 21 Lodge Rooms, a Library and Museum, Board and
Committee Rooms and administrative offices. The building is fully open to the
public."
The United Grand Lodge website (visit
link) also tells us:
"The History of Freemasons’ Hall
1769
The premier Grand Lodge announces plans to build a central Hall and begins
registering all of its members to raise funds.
1774
A site is acquired in Great Queen Street, London, consisting of a tavern house
fronting the street with a garden behind leading to a second house. Thomas
Sandby, RA, wins the architect’s competition for the Hall. His Grand Hall is
built over the garden, linking the two houses.
1776
The new Freemasons’ Hall is dedicated on 23 May. In addition to Masonic events,
it becomes an important venue in London social life for concerts, balls,
literary evenings and meetings of learned and charitable societies.
1814
Sir John Soane becomes Grand Superintendent of Works, responsible for the Hall.
In the 1820s he carries out extensive remodelling of the Hall, including the
kitchens and a meeting room, all sadly now lost.
1862 – 1869
Sandby’s original Hall is greatly extended to the east to designs by Frederick
Pepys Cockerill, in a severely classical style. Part of this façade still
exists, now fronting the Connaught Rooms.
1919
The Masonic Million Memorial Fund is set up to rebuild Freemasons’ Hall as a
memorial to the 3,000 members who died on active service in the Great War.
1925
An international architect’s competition is held. The winning design by the
partnership of H. V. Ashley and Winton Newman is based on a massive steel
framework.
1925
On 8 August some 7,250 Brethren had lunch with the Most Worshipful The Grand
Master at Olympia, still the largest ever catered meal served in Europe. At the
end of lunch it is announced that more than £825,000 has been raised for the
building fund.
1927
On 14 July over 6,000 Brethren at the Royal Albert Hall watch the Grand Master
lay the foundation stone for the new building. By means of an electrical relay,
whilst a dummy stone is laid at the meeting the real stone is lowered into place
on the corner of Great Queen Street.
1927 – 1933
Work progresses on the new building, starting with the tower at the west end and
gradually spreading westwards with the gradual demolition of the old Hall.
1933
On 19 July 5,353 Brethren fill the new Freemasons’ Hall and the building is
dedicated to Masonic service by the Grand Master, HRH The Duke of Connaught, KG.
1985
The Hall becomes fully open to the public and sees a return to the original
ethos of being both a Masonic centre and available for non-Masonic events. In a
new departure, it becomes a popular location for feature film and television
dramas.
2007
The storage and filing areas of the lower ground floor are converted into modern
offices in which the four national Masonic Charities are co-located."