May 31, 1893 Masonic Hall Rooms Dedicated

The night of December 30, 1880 saw great destruction on Main Street by fire. A second fire in February 1891 brought about additional loss of buildings.*

So how are these two fires tied together? The 1880 fire began at Peter Shaffer’s home when hot embers from a fire were placed in a wooden container. That home stood on the lot where today stands the Interlaken Masonic Hall. As for the American House fire of 1891, Farmerville Lodge held their meetings in the adjacent building which burned along with the hotel.

That second fire left the Masons without a meeting place. Thankfully they had been able to save records and meeting paraphernalia from the fire. They met for a time “over A. V. Minor’s store, corner Main and Mechanic streets.” [Farmer Review June 2, 1893]

Needing a new meeting space after the American House fire, members of the Lodge formed the Masonic Hall Association and purchased the former Shaffer property.

The Farmer Review of April 22, 1893 noted, “Work on the Masonic hall is progressing rapidly. When finished Farmerville lodge will have a hall second only to the Masonic hall at Ithaca.”

On the afternoon of Wednesday May 31, 1893, “R.W. James E. Batsford, acting Grand Master…opened in the rooms formerly occupied by Farmerville lodge [Main at Mechanic]…and proceeded to the new hall on Main street where the rooms were dedicated in due and ancient form.” Over 200 Master Masons attended the event, with neighboring and distant lodges represented.

That evening the Master Mason degree was conducted “in full costume by members of St. Paul’s lodge of Auburn, and we believe it to be the only time the degree has been worked in full costume in this county. There were two interesting notes about both the evening and the building. After the degree work the 40 members of the Auburn lodge needed to get home. Being 1893 “they [were] taken across the lake about 2 a.m. where a special train returned them to Auburn.”

As with any building project, some item is often delayed. “It is regretted the windows for the main room did not arrive until Thursday morning, for they are fine, of cathedral glass with Masonic emblems worked in and they would have made the interior decoration complete.” [Farmer Review June 2, 1893]

One of the front windows as seen from the Lodge Room.
Author's collection

Today, 124 years later, the Lodge is still meeting in the hall. Over the years, other organizations have also met there. The kitchen and dining room, as well as more retail space on the first floor were completed in 1908. A variety of businesses have occupied the first floor. Many may recall Peterson’s, Braden’s and Whittier’s Dry Goods stores. Today the space is occupied by Hubbard Heating and Plumbing.

The Masonic Hall, Main Street Interlaken. Peterson's Dry Goods on the first floor.
Interlaken Historical Society photo collection # 1428.

* See American House Fire Feb 11, and watch for the December 30 snippet too.

Dewitt’s Diary Tuesday, May 31, 1921

I cultivated my field corn for the first time this morning.

Ovid, Lodi, Trumansburg and Interlaken High Schools had a field Day picnic on the Interlaken Athletic field today. About 3000 people there.

Eva [Edna’s sister] and a Powell girl were over here today. Edna took them down to town this afternoon.

Emory [hired man] came back from Cortland this noon. Fitting ground for beans this afternoon.

Had a nice shower and a change of wind to the North this evening.