Indianapolis Masonic Buildings Vandalized

by Christopher Hodapp

Both the Indianapolis Scottish Rite Cathedral and the Indianapolis Masonic Temple/Freemasons Hall were vandalized this morning by a man wielding a hammer and intent on covering them with graffiti. 

Lynn Andrew Jackson was taken into custody Monday 

(Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department photo)

As of this writing, Lynn Andrew Jackson, 29, was in police custody, charged with misdemeanor vandalism, but authorities are inexplicably resisting charging him with a hate crime.

A little after 10:00AM, Jackson began spray-painting bizarre messages and an unusual, unidentified symbol on limestone walls and heavy wooden doors on the west, north and east sides of the landmark Scottish Rite Cathedral. At the Meridian Street main entry, he oainted messages and took a hammer to one of the Cathedral's many magnificent stained glass windows.

At one point, he attempted to enter the building and asked to take a tour inside, but was turned away by the security guard, because the Cathedral doesn't offer Monday tours. He headed south, pausing to hurl his hammer through a second stained glass window that depicts the 16th degree. 

Cathedral superintendent Tom Fallis told the press that the window damage alone could cost $50,000 apiece to repair.

Crossing North Street, he continued his nonsensical graffiti spree on the cornerstone of the 1909 Indianapolis Masonic Temple and Freemasons Hall, and all along the east wall facing the Pierson Street alley.

By an unfortunate set of circumstances, the south door of the Temple had been momentarily propped open for a package delivery, and Jackson was able to enter the south entry hall, where he continued spray-painting antique photos, marble wall panels and more. In the lobby he sprayed a statue and the front of the welcome desk before being confronted by the security officer.

He had expressed his intent to get to the 5th floor Masonic Library & Museum.

When the guard asked what his reason was for vandalizing the building, he yelled, 'All Masons must die and be thrown into a grave!' while adding that his damage didn't matter, because the 'Masons have millions to fix it with.'

Bizarrely enough, he voluntarily exited the building, sat down on the south steps, and calmly waited for police to arrive, saying he had accomplished what he set out to do. He was taken into custody and booked for 'misdemeanor vandalism under $50,000' and 'intimidation.' 

Despite his 'Masons must die!' threat, there is no hate crime charge as of yet, and it doesn't sound like police have any inclination to investigate it as such, despite the increase in anti-Masonic attacks all around the world over the last few years. I've reported on these attacks many times now, but apparently we don't fall into a neat little protected class authorities commonly cite. The English press keep alleging that police departments are filled with secret Freemasons. If that were really true, these criminals would be charged with hate crimes without question.

Meanwhile, it seems the anti-Masonic conspiracy theories are exponentially increasing in number, intensity, and looniness. As I said in one interview with a TV station today, the Internet is a megaphone for bad ideas. Before we spoke to the press today, our Temple board had a brief meeting to discuss whether we should go public with the story or not. By going on TV, we risk inspiring copycats. But remaining silent can be even more dangerous because the public and our own members need to be aware that Freemasons are under increasing threats of vandalism, and much worse. None of us want to scare the public or our own members away from attending lodge functions. But we have got to raise awareness so that both our members and our neighbors can remain vigilant. And we need to remind our communities that we are alive and well and we remain committed to them. Our goal is to improve society by improving one man at a time through brotherhood, mentoring and enduring friendships. And we are one of the very few sanctuaries where men of every race, religion, political persuasion, economic, and educational level can sit down together in harmony and share what we have in common. In a world that seems hell bent on keeping us all divided and at each other‘s throats, we still believe in the mission of making good men into better ones.

Cost of the damage to our two buildings is not yet known. Unfortunately, stronger security measures will have to be enforced, which absolutely flies in the face of our desire to welcome the public in and tell the story of Freemasonry to as many people as we can. Our magnificent buildings were designed from the very start to be standing beacons of our fraternity to our communities, and none of us want to be forced to lock them down and make them into fortresses. Sadly, there is no easy answer.

Many people have asked how to help financially. By permission of Grand Master John Bridegroom, the Masonic Library & Museum of Indiana has set up a donation link to a special fund that will be evenly shared between the Scottish Rite Cathedral Foundation and the Indianapolis Masonic Temple, specifically for the restoration of the damage caused by this unfortunate incident. Use the QR code below to donate:

Meanwhile, our local news coverage was widespread this evening. The Indianapolis Star sent a reporter, as did every TV station and news radio WIBC-FM93. Just because I want to log them all in one place for my own future reference, I'll link to them all below.

Local press interviews Eric Vermeulen, Director of the Masonic Home Foundation

WIBC-FM 93

An Indianapolis Masonic site was vandalized Monday morning. A hammer was thrown through stained glass at the Scottish Rite before the same man spray-painted the Masonic Museum & Library and yelled, “All Freemasons should die.”
IMPD arrested the man on vandalism and intimidation… pic.twitter.com/XzXKRD7CWt

— 93 WIBC Indianapolis (@93wibc) August 31, 2026

WXIN Fox59 

WTHR-13

WISH-TV8

INDIANAPOLIS STAR

See vandalism at Indianapolis Masonic Temple, Scottish Rite Cathedral

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.

Dayton Masonic Center Cornerstone Ceremony and Open House This Sunday 5/17

by Christopher Hodapp

Ohio's incredible Dayton Masonic Center is celebrating its 100 year anniversary. To commemorate the event, the Grand Lodge of Ohio will be performing a Cornerstone Ceremony this coming Sunday May 17, 2026 at 2PM. 

This will be the 100th anniversary of the dedication of its cornerstone in 1926, two years before the Crash hit the nation. It was a feat our own members today couldn't manage if our lives depended on it (and I can make an argument that they DO depend on it... but that's another discussion). 

The ground was broken on July 20th, 1925, the cornerstone was laid on May 19th, 1926, and the building was opened on April 1st, 1928.

This is a free event open to the public. There's no requirement to register before the event, but doing so at the link below will allow them to plan and make preparations accordingly.

https://www.daytonmasoniccenter.org/events/centennial-cornerstone-celebration-open-house-with-culture-works

If you've never visited this magnificent place and you're anywhere near central Ohio this weekend, make the opportunity to be there, because Masons are losing these massive Temples – built during the heady days between WWI and the Great Depression – every year. The Dayton center is really the last of its kind in the state of Ohio that's still in Masonic hands. 

The Center is located at 525 W. Riverview Avenue across from the Dayton Art Institute, in the Grafton Hill neighborhood. Some details are as follows:

May 17, 2026, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM

2:00 - Reenactment of the Laying of the Cornerstone
2:30 - Welcome by MWB Johnson and Congressman Mike Turner
3:00 - Guests Welcomed into the building to explore the beautiful spaces
4:30 - Grand Finale - Schiewetz Auditorium 

Consider these sobering statistics: It was built by an association of 14 different Masonic lodges and related appendant organizations. Back in the day, Dayton Masons raised $1.5 million in just 7 seven days to finance the building's construction. It took nearly 3 years to complete, employing 450 workers and artisans (many of whom were Masons themselves) and would cost more than $40-million today. 

The Dayton Masonic Center has beautiful lodge rooms, York Rite rooms, and a lavish Scottish Rite 1,700-seat auditorium all under one roof, along with an impressive library, stunning lobbies and social rooms, a ballroom, and much more. Sitting on a commanding hillside overlooking the city and the Great Miami River, even the beautifully landscaped piece of property it sits on gives this temple a far more impressive presence than most urban Masonic buildings jammed into downtown areas have. 

It's truly worth going out of your way to see, and Sunday will be an ideal open house situation to wander the entire building and discover its many wonders for yourself. This Rooms will be open to explore with entertainment curated by Culture Works, a new event organizing partner for the Masonic Center. There will be food throughout the building, and beverages and libations will be served in various rooms. Various live performances will also take place throughout the building.

This event is just part of a $20 million campaign to continue upgrading and operating this stunning temple for the foreseeable future. Don't let it fall out of the hands of the fraternity! We lose these remaining buildings at our own peril, for we will never again even come close to competing with what came before us. As Masons flee places like this in favor of a tin shed in a soybean field, we vanish farther and farther from cultural the landscape of our communities. Yes, our forefathers should have set up foundations and long-range funding to be sure we could preserve them for future generations. But they didn't ask us to build better than they did – only to respect, repair and preserve what they already did for us. 

(H/T: Daniel Fry)

G. Washington Masonic Natl Memorial Wraps Up Major Exterior Restoration

by Christopher Hodapp

The George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria has been undergoing a major (and painstaking) exterior restoration project for the last eleven years. The monument to Brother George was built over a century ago and suffered from increasing water damage, limestone degradation, and even cracks from a 2011 earthquake. Work started on the iconic 9-story tower in 2014 and has at long last been completed.

An article in the local Zebra publication two weeks ago written and photographed by Brother Shawn Eyer detailed the work that was being done.

Cracks in the stone were sealed with epoxy. All of the original mortar was “raked out,” and each joint was repointed with a long-lasting mixture that allows moisture to escape rather than remain and go through freeze-thaw cycles. Weather-capping was installed. New LED lighting was installed to allow for the tower to be lit in many colors. Efflorescence—lime deposits often visible from the ground—was chipped away. In certain places, significant structural damage was repaired using steel rods. . .

For the last several years now, the work has neared completion with the scaffolding located behind the building, along the outer wall of the Memorial’s theater. Finally, the restoration of the temple was completed last month when workers lowered a newly-carved “Dutchman’s repair” into a niche where the 2011 earthquake had caused the coping to split. Now, that damage is completely invisible, and the integrity of the building is restored from top to bottom.

For the first time in a generation, it is possible to see the building in as stately a condition as that when it was first erected: a beautiful beacon of light with a positive and inspiring message.

 Thanks to Paul Keegan and his crew at Hibernia Masonry.

Philly Inquirer Tours Historic Masonic Temple

Monica Herndon/Philadelphia Inquirer

by Christopher Hodapp

A Philadelphia Inquirer reporter toured the incredible Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania's magnificent Masonic Temple for a story over the weekend. 

See "Philly’s own ‘Temple of Doom’ has fossils in the floors, stars in the ceiling, and an Egyptian room," by Stephanie Farr, with photos by Monica Herndon. 

Monica Herndon/Philadelphia Inquirer

Apart from the usual journalistic sniping these days (superficial explanations, an obligatory "dead white guys" comment, and suggesting room names be changed to suit modern sensibilities), it's not bad for giving a drive-by overview of one of the most impressive Masonic buildings in the world.

Monica Herndon/Philadelphia Inquirer

Monica Herndon/Philadelphia Inquirer

One interesting tidbit for owners of our more impressive downtown temples: last year almost 13,000 people toured the Philadelphia Temple, which is more than the number who toured the city's equally impressive city hall building. The public is VERY curious about our Masonic halls. Now, whether that kind of public exposure translates into greater interest in joining is a different question. But it certainly cannot hurt. 

If the world thinks you're dead, beat on the coffin lid and convince them to dig you up.

London's Freemasons Hall Forms Promotional Organization to Market Its Unique Venue

by Christopher Hodapp

If you've watched British television shows over the last 40 years or so that are set anywhere from the 1930s to modern day, I'll guarantee you've seen scenes shot in and around the United Grand Lodge of England's London headquarters, Freemasons Hall, at 60 Great Queen Street, just up the street from Covent Garden. This magnificent art deco masterpiece was completed in 1933 and has a seemingly endless number of interior rooms for the grand lodge, individual Masonic lodges, private meetings and other gathering places like their museum and the Lechworth's Masonic supply shop. Every room has its own distinct style, and it's been used in hundreds of TV episodes and feature films, to say nothing of weddings, fashion, industrial, and art shows, concerts, and all kinds of other specialty events.

The building's trustees have now gone into partnership with a local promotions company and formed a special organization specifically to market the building's unique features for more of these kinds of uses. From the Travel and Tour World website:

London’s historic Freemasons’ Hall has unveiled 60 Great Queen Street as the vibrant new identity for its commercial event offerings. This transformation coincides with Smart Group, the parent company of Moving Venue, expanding its role at the venue. Having secured exclusive catering rights in July 2024, Smart Group now assumes full responsibility for event sales and marketing at this prestigious Covent Garden landmark.

With the launch of 60 Great Queen Street, Smart Group is introducing an array of newly available spaces within the Grade II listed* building, offering an exclusive opportunity for corporate and private events in an iconic setting.

 

Designed to accommodate a diverse range of gatherings, from corporate conferences and product launches to high-end weddings and fashion showcases, 60 Great Queen Street blends architectural grandeur with cutting-edge event design. Collaborating with top-tier industry suppliers, the venue delivers bespoke, immersive experiences tailored to the needs of meetings, weddings, and private celebrations.

Greg Lawson, CEO of Smart Group, said: “Having delivered Christmas parties at Freemasons’ Hall since 2017 and holding the exclusive catering contract since July 2024, we are delighted to embark on the latest phase of our partnership with the United Grand Lodge of England. This is an exciting time of commercial growth for us, as we work with Freemasons’ Hall to enhance the market position for 60 Great Queen Street with our experience of leading sales and marketing activity across our various brands...

Admittedly, London's Freemasons Hall is one of the top 10 greatest Masonic buildings in the world, and they've got plenty to promote. But nearly every grand lodge in the U.S. has one or more incredible buildings with unique spaces that should be promoted to the general public for events. We have lodge rooms, theaters, dining halls, libraries, and other spaces not found anywhere else. Our forebears who built these incredible temples were proud of them and intended them to be part of our communities from the very start. For the most part, Masons aren't very good at building management or promoting our temples as venues. Partnerships with a local promotions company can be a winning strategy for us.

San Antonio Scottish Rite Forms Partnership With City's Philharmonic Orchestra To Preserve Cathedral

Article and photos by Christopher Hodapp

On Saturday, September 7th, the San Antonio (Texas) Philharmonic Orchestra and the San Antonio Valley of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite (SJ) announced the formation of a new 501(c)3 partnership to preserve and modernize the city's beautiful downtown Scottish Rite Cathedral. Under the terms of the agreement, the two organizations will share ownership of the 100-year-old Cathedral, providing the orchestra with a magnificent (and permanent) new home, and the Scottish Rite the opportunity to raise sorely needed money for improving and preserving their landmark Cathedral.

The two organizations took the opportunity to announce their fundraising goal of $50 million.

 

According to the Valley's website:

Several Masonic lodges, the Scottish Rite Masonic Bodies, all major York Rite Masonic Bodies, the Grotto, Eastern Star; Job's Daughters, Order of Rainbow for Girls, the Order of DeMolay, and other associated Masonic fraternal organizations meet in the Cathedral. The magnificent auditorium is acclaimed by experts as one of the most acoustically perfect rooms of its size in the world. Constructed as a Greek amphitheater it produces the effect of an open-air theater, the ceiling being equipped with twinkling stars and blazing planets, creating the atmosphere of a clear summer sky. The proscenium, or opening to the stage, is 60 feet wide and 32 feet high. The auditorium seats 2,062.

I had the opportunity to tour the Cathedral many years ago, and this announcement is an outstanding case of Masons thinking outside of our narrow little boxes when it comes to protecting these irreplaceable temples. All too often Masons get overwhelmed by maintenance costs of these massive buildings, supported by an ever-shrinking membership base. Time after time, they deteriorate while their trustees throw their hands up in despair. We don't seem to believe that the communities around us might see value in preserving them and making them into venues enjoyed by the public.