Address 1043 Nevadaville Road Completed 1861 Town or city Nevadaville | Country United States Opened 1861 | |
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Architectural style Old West, Neo-Classical Elevation 9050 ft (2760 m) above mean sea level Current tenants Nevada Lodge No. 4 A.F. & A.M. | ||
The Nevadaville Masonic Temple is the Masonic lodge building in the ghost town of Nevadaville, Colorado, just outside of Central City, Colorado.
History
The building has served and continues to serve one lodge of Freemasons, that of Nevada Lodge No. 4 A.F. & A.M. The lodge was founded by Andrew Mason, one of the early settlers of the American Midwest in search of gold, who served as the lodge's first Worshipful Master. Nevada Lodge No. 4 was originally granted dispensation as Nevada Lodge U.D. (also called Nevada Lodge No. 36) in the Kansas Territory by the Grand Lodge of Kansas on December 22, 1860. When the Kansas Territory became the Colorado Territory in 1861, the Grand Lodge of Colorado was formed, and chartered Nevada Lodge No. 4 by Rev. John Chivington, the first Grand Master of Colorado Masons.
The lodge originally met in an upper room of the Ira H. Morton building in Nevadaville (then simply called Nevada City) until the town burned on Septemberth, 1861. Following this they then built a second story for their lodge room above a store on Main Street (now Nevadaville Road), purchased the whole property, including the lot of the former lodge room. This is the building as it stands today. The entire building cost $7,140, and is credited to M. S. Burhans as the contractor. The ground floor had rented space for shops, and the upper story contains the 22 foot by 45 foot lodge room along with the Tiler's room and preparation room; the remainder of the second floor was for offices and sleeping quarters. The exterior is primarily load-bearing brick and stone, with a cast-iron storefront.
After the turn of the century, and especially after World War I and World War II the population of Nevadaville declined. The lodge ceased using the building, and began to meet in the Central City Masonic Temple, which was final by July 1942. In June 1965 the brethren of Nevada Lodge No. 4 entertained the idea of holding regular lodge meetings once again in the building in Nevadaville, with the purpose of raising funds for restoring the building. The Nevadaville Masonic Temple is still actively used by the lodge members, who continue to restore the building.