“I was at Grace Episcopal Church the other day,” Daymon Edwards wrote, “unloading foodstuffs for our food bank, and was watching the work going on at the old Masonic Temple (across the street from the church, at 1572 Franklin Ave.) … a topic of curiosity with many people, wondering the usual: Who, what, when and how much.

“Anyway, they are starting to put the exterior cornices up. There will be two cornices, the one on the top and one just below it. The cornice is made of aluminum, and will last a long time in our weather.”

The first Masonic Lodge in Astoria was established in 1854. A 2004 article in The Astorian explained that after the 1922 fire, the original lodge was destroyed. The current site was procured, but a mansion had to be moved out of the way, so it was put on rollers and moved to Exchange street. 

A fireplace from the mansion is in the present lodge, which was dedicated on May 3, 1924. The architect was Robert Rennsselaer Bartlett (1876-1950). He was the first general manager of the Port of Astoria, and a charter member, and one of the incorporators, of the Astoria Golf and Country Club. He also designed the club’s building in 1924. 

The building is now owned by Lum Lodge, LLC, as of Oct. 17, 2024, according to Bizapedia. It’s a joy to see it finally being restored. (Photo: Daymon Edwards; Insert: John Gaasland)