Detroit Masonic Temple Library Booted From the Biggest Temple in the World

by Christopher Hodapp

The trustees and management of the massive Detroit Masonic Temple have evicted the Detroit Masonic Temple Library from the building. The 10,000-volume library has been in the building since it was opened a hundred years ago, and in recent years they have also organized and operated the popular tours of the landmark building. 

I find it hard to believe that the Temple Association couldn't accommodate the Library somewhere with its 1,000 (mostly unoccupied) rooms and over a 550,000 square feet of space. It's almost unbelievable for the Temple Association to find no way to keep this precious resource in this amazing structure. It is the largest Masonic building in the world, so I'm speculating that there were other reasons besides crowding. Possibly money; possibly some unannounced plan to redevelop the building (how many times have I heard THAT one up there?); possibly a plan to move it to the Grand Lodge up in Alma (about 80 miles northeast of Grand Rapids); and just possibly this is down to nothing but clashing egos, which happens all too often these days. But whatever the reason may be, this announcement is shocking. 

(EDIT: I've just been told that the situation involves NONE of my speculations...)

The following press release was posted on the Library's Facebook page today:

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING LIBRARY NAME CHANGE & RELOCATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DETROIT, MICH - JULY 2, 2026

Our name has changed a few times over the past 143 years, but our mission has always remained the same: to preserve the rich history of Freemasonry in Detroit. With this in mind, we have decided to re-adopt our original 1882 name: Masonic Library of Detroit. These changes will be gradually rolled-out over the coming weeks and months. We feel this historic name better represents our broader purpose, and is more appropriate following recent events.

On June 30th, 2026, the long-standing lease for our space on the 4th Floor of the Detroit Masonic Temple expired, and the Masonic Temple Association of Detroit declined to offer a renewal lease. We are deeply saddened by having to leave our home of 100 years, but we remain steadfast in our mission, particularly the preservation and digitization of our historic documents & 10,000-volume collection of Masonic books. Our new business address for donations and correspondence is: 1401 W Fort St. #32090 Detroit, MI 48233.

While we have thoroughly enjoyed providing engaging & informative tours of the Detroit Masonic Temple in partnership with the Masonic Temple Association of Detroit for the past decade, as of February 2026, the Masonic Temple Association terminated our tour operating agreement without notice. We are unaware of what plans the Masonic Temple Association may have for tours going forward. We will certainly miss sharing our knowledge, passion, and love of the Detroit Masonic Temple with our Brothers as well as the public at large.

We wish the Detroit Masonic Temple a happy Centennial Anniversary, and wish the Masonic Temple Association of Detroit success in their future endeavors.

For further inquiries, please contact us at: info@masoniclibrarydetroit.org

The business address of the newly renamed Detroit Masonic Library is nothing but a post office box, so there's no word on where the actual collection may go at this time.

Online Tour of the Detroit Masonic Temple

by Christopher Hodapp

If you've never had the chance to visit the world's largest Masonic building, Detroit's Masonic Temple, Brother Rob Moore, the docent, caretaker and all around good guy was interviewed for an online Youtube show called Powers Pow Wow. The result is a 90-minute, top to bottom video tour of this incredible architectural gem. 

Click the video above or follow the link HERE.

The Temple is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

Detroit Masonic Temple Online Tour

If you've never had the opportunity to travel to Detroit, Michigan and visit the Detroit Masonic Temple in person, or it's been a while since you've been there, you can now take a very detailed virtual online 3-D tour of its major facilities.

Visit the website at www.themasonic.com, click on 'facilities' and prepare to be dazzled at what the Masons of Detroit created in the 1920s. After almost a century, the Detroit Temple remains one of the most significant examples of Masonic architecture anywhere in the world.

Just from a lodge room decorating point of view, consider that all of the Temple's Blue Lodge rooms in the Fraternal Tower are EXACTLY the same size and design. (In fact, if you go to the old Scottish Rite floor that was inexplicably covered from end to end in cheap hardware store paneling in the 1960s, you can see a completely unfinished lodge room and its cement block walls that shows you what all of the other lodge rooms looked like before the painters, plasterers and woodworkers got to work.)

Here's what they did with a few of them.

With over 1,000 rooms inside, be aware that they only have a handful online, and it's pitched to potential renters.

Detroit Hosts 2019 Masonic Library & Museum Association Conference: 9/20-22

The Masonic Library & Museum Association was founded in 1995. Its ongoing mission is

“to assist and support, through education, facilitation of communication, coordination of effort, and other means, those individuals charged with the collection, management, and preservation of the Masonic heritage.” Its members range from trained museum and library professionals to dedicated members of the fraternity who work voluntarily and have all different levels of experience. Membership in the MLMA is open to any person who expresses an interest in Masonic libraries or museums. Institutional membership is open to any Masonic body considered “regular” by most Grand Lodges in the United States.

The Detroit Masonic Temple Library, Archive, and Research Center is hosting the 2019 Masonic Library and Museum Association Conference. The center is located in the breathtaking Detroit Masonic Temple, 500 Temple Street, Detroit, Michigan. The Detroit Temple is the largest building in the world dedicated to the Masonic fraternity.

Participants will enjoy two days of excellent presentations, and unparalleled networking and fellowship.

Masons and non-Masons alike are welcome to attend.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Friday, September 20th

• 12:00 pm: Finger lunch 
• 12:30 Brian Rountree, President, Masonic Library and Museum Association: Welcome/Introductions
• 1:00: Rob Moore, Executive Director, Detroit Masonic Temple Library, Archive, and Research Center 
• 1:30: Dirk Hughes, Director, Michigan Masonic Museum and Library 
• 2:15: Mark Tabbert, Director of Museum and Library Collections, George Washington Masonic National Memorial: "George Washington and Freemasonry "
• 3:00 Library Service Work
• 6:00 Dinner

Saturday, September 21st

• 9:00 am: Coffee/light refreshments 
• 9:30-11:30: Detroit Masonic Temple tour 
• 11:30-1:00: Lunch on your own
• 1:00: Glenn Visscher, Museum of Masonic Culture, Trenton NJ: "Building and Developing a Masonic Museum "
• 1:30: Maureen Harper, Collections Manager, Scottish Rite Museum and Library: "Packing Artifacts for Shipment "
• 2:00: Thomas Hauder, Past Grand Master, Grand Lodge of Nebraska, A:. F:. & A:. M:. "Freemasonry and the Roman Catholic Church "
• 3:00: Christiano Franceschini, Museo Simbologia Massonica, Firenze, Italy: "Freemasonry in Italy "
• 4:30: Visit Burton Historical Collection
• 6:00: Dinner on your own 

Sunday, September 22nd

• Optional Library Service Work 

Registration includes attendance of the entire program and dinner on Friday evening. Tickets for this event are priced at $75. But if you take advantage of their Early Bird rate, it is just $55 per person through August 20th. The cutoff for general registration is September 8th ($90 after that).

To make reservations, visit the Eventbrite page HERE.

ACCOMMODATIONS

A block of rooms has been reserved at Motor City Casino Hotel (2901 Grand River), a short distance from the Temple. Register by calling 1-866-STAY-MCC and mention the Detroit Masonic Temple Library block or go to this link:

https://booking.motorcitycasino.com/?package=091919MASO#/

QUESTIONS?

Contact Rob Moore at 248-863-8008 or dmtdocents@gmail.com

Levant Preceptory in Detroit Last Weekend

Many thanks to the members and guests of Detroit Commandery No. 1 last Saturday for their kind hospitality as Levant Preceptory traveled to Michigan to portray the Order of the Temple in period costume. Sir Knights came from Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Canada and Trinity Commandery No. 80 in Downer's Grove, Illinois for the day, and it was a great way to spend a Saturday. Lunch and dinner were outstanding, and the Detroit Masonic Temple is the perfect place to perform this degree.

Photos thanks to Phil Whisner.



(Left to right) Chris Hodapp, Jim Dillman, Jim Iles


Front Row
Chris Hodapp, Jim Dillman, Terry Turner, Tom Tuttle, Grand Master of the Grand Encampment William H. Koon II, Grand Commander of Indiana Paul Cole, Jack Wallace, and Hermits Rob Kumpfer and Mark Haworth


Back Row
Jim Iles, Phil Whisner, Mitchell Rohrbaugh, Aaron Taylor, Carson Smith, Dale Adams, John Bridegroom, and Hermit Gary Messer

Thanks especially to Grand Commander Cole and Grand Master Koon for coming out and seeing us. Levant Preceptory is Indiana's period recreation Knight Templar team, which operates under the charter of Raper Commandery No. 1 in Indianapolis. Sir Knights participate from all across Indiana.