Scottish Rite Cathedral, Masonic temple in Shreveport, Louisiana

The Scottish Rite Cathedral at 725 Cotton Street is a Beaux Arts building designed by Edward F. Neild, measuring 133 feet 1 inch by 110 feet 5 inches. It contains a three-level auditorium seating five hundred, a marble lobby with a pair of matching marble staircases, a banquet hall, a kitchen, a masonic library, a wardrobe room, a DeMolay room, offices, and a basement.

The Scottish Rite Cathedral was designed in 1915 by Edward F. Neild, a member of the Shreveport Scottish Rite, and completed on 1 July 1917 at a final cost of $186,477.28. Its grand opening on 12 November 1917 featured two organ recitals by Chicago organist John Allen Richardson, followed by a dance with music from the Shriner's El Karubah Band and Orchestra. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 and became a contributing property of the Shreveport Commercial Historic District on 16 May 1997.

The building functions as a gathering place for Masonic members and houses a speech clinic that serves local children free of charge. This dual purpose reflects how the institution has stayed rooted in community life over the decades.

The building sits on a main street and is easy to locate with clearly defined spaces for different functions throughout. It is helpful to call ahead if you want to see specific areas, as certain spaces may be reserved for events.

Architect Neild went on to work on notable national projects including renovations of the White House and the Truman Memorial Library in Missouri. His work on this local temple showed the skills that would later take him to major government commissions.