Albert Pike Memorial Temple, Masonic temple in Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
The Albert Pike Memorial Temple is a Classical Revival building finished in Indiana limestone, with a front colonnade of 19 Ionic columns, each 40 feet tall, occupying one city block at 700–724 Scott Street. The three-story structure plus basement and rigging loft covers 156,000 square feet. Entry is through three sets of massive bronze doors flanked by cast concrete eagles.
The current temple is the third Scottish Rite consistory built on this Scott Street site. Charles E. Rosenbaum, who had chaired the building committee for the Scottish Rite House of the Temple in Washington, D.C., oversaw its construction; local Masons George R. Mann and Eugene Stern, designers of the Arkansas State Capitol, drew the plans, and the building was completed in 1924. A fire in 1952 destroyed the oldest section, after which the interior was modernized with new climate control. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
The building houses the administrative offices of the Scottish Rite for the Orient of Arkansas, the Grand Lodge of Arkansas, and the Grand York Rite for the State of Arkansas. It also hosts Western Star Lodge #2, Albert Pike Lodge #714, and Hugh de Payens Commandery #1. The Valley of Little Rock was among the first in the Southern Jurisdiction to use lights, props, and dramatized degrees.
The facade runs along Scott Street between 7th and 8th Streets, where the nineteen Ionic columns and three bronze doors are visible from the sidewalk. Since 2014 the building has been rented out for public events, so interior visits depend on what is booked; confirm access before travelling.
Three massive bronze doors mark the entrance and give the building an especially dignified appearance. Cast concrete eagles are positioned on both sides of the facade, complementing the classical design.
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