Have a look here.
The Scottish Rite Masonic Temple on Wilshire is probably the most mysterious Millard Sheets building (and one of the more mysterious in LA). It's been on and off the market for years (currently seems to be off), and seems pretty hard to get inside--when we called to ask about a tour, we were told that we'd need a city permit to visit. According to a 1994 LA Times article, the building "housed National Guard troops during the 1992 riots and has been used for funerals of police officers." Who knows what secrets this place holds? Masons, obviously, are known for being pretty secretive. Either way, the building is super cool; we'll let Sheets tell you the story of what it is and how it got there...Be sure to look through the photos. It's a magnificent building, with a very uncertain future. It has long been the subject of a battle with the neighborhood over parking, which limits its future use to a potential buyer. It's prime real estate, which probably means a wrecking ball is its fate.
That's a shame... seems like more and more Masonic buildings are being abandoned. I noticed some of the art and bust have tags on them... wonder if there's going to be an auction.
ReplyDeleteI fear we will see more of this, not less. While I have no problem with the idea of a smaller, more human scaled Freemasonry, I hate the thought of some of these beautiful dinosaurs meeting the wrecking ball or simply slowly decaying. They represent a cultural heritage which extends far beyond simply Freemasonry. They belong to the entire country, and their passing represents a terrible loss.
ReplyDeleteEoghan
Hey, brother Chris.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure how I should go about contacting you, but I figured you'd get a kick out of this. There's a new Disney Cartoon which is admittedly not so awful and one of its more charming characters is the old grandpa that seems to be wearing a fez that looks very similar to a certain fraternal order in the masonic family.
See here: http://gravityfalls.wikia.com/wiki/Grunkle_Stan
Feel free to not post this to the page. But look it up. I'm sure there are episodes of the show online and the grandpa's character is, as is the rest of the show, quite charming.
Fraternally and Sincerely
Bro Seamus Stimpson
Columbia Lodge No. 91 (F&AM PA)
Goes to show I'm watching too much TV these days. I was channel surfing when I stumbled upon an A&E Reality show about an extermination crew called "Billy the Exterminator".
ReplyDeleteThe main character, Billy, is, in the fourth episode of season six (I think) featured wearing a Masonic Hat (it's tacky, but very clear. A square and compass with the G in the center and the word Freemason sprawled across the brim).
I have no way of knowing if he's a member of the fraternity (considering every search I make brings up conspiracy threads that have also noticed his hat), but he's wearing it, clear as day (that is, of course, until he dons the protective Bee Suit in this episode).
Fraternally yours,
Bro. Seamus Stimpson
Columbia Lodge No. 91 F&AM PA