The cornerstone removal was a symbolic step in the process that
will see the redevelopment of the lodge site at 3500 S. Sherman
St.
By By: Tom Munds
Leonard Albertson looked on July 27 as he watched removal of the
Englewood Masonic Lodge No. 166 cornerstone he saw cemented in
place almost half a century ago.
The cornerstone removal was a symbolic step in the process that
will see the redevelopment of the lodge site at 3500 S. Sherman
St.
This is part of the preparation for demolition of the lodge
building to make way for redevelopment of the 1.6-acre site at East
Hampden Avenue and South Sherman Street.
Albertson was among about 150 people who attended the ceremonies
marking the cornerstone removal. He said the removal ceremony is
important just as the cornerstone-laying ceremony was almost 50
years ago.
“Putting that cornerstone in place was a big day for us as, for
the first time, we were getting our own lodge,” the 81-year-old
said. “Just like today, state and local Masonic officials gathered
here for the ceremony. Laying the cornerstone was a major event for
our lodge. Today is important too because we are preparing to watch
our new lodge built. It is nice to be able to see us take another
major step in the history of our lodge.”
The ceremony actually included removal of two cornerstones, the
one installed by the lodge in 1956 and the cornerstone installed
when the Lowell School Building was constructed in 1910. Both
cornerstones will be stored and used when the new lodge is
built.
There was nothing behind the school-building cornerstone but, as
expected, there was a time capsule behind the lodge
cornerstone.
State and lodge officials presided and a crowd looked on as the
time capsule was opened.
There almost was a hitch because the copper box was tightly
soldered shut by a plumber who was a lodge member in 1956.
Fortunately, a current lodge member was able to use a pair of tin
snips to open the capsule in time for the ceremony.
As recorded in state archives, the time capsule contained items
like lists of the names of lodge members, the youth groups – Jobs
Daughters, Rainbow Girls and DeMolay – and the women’s group, Order
of the Eastern Star. There also were Englewood newspapers reporting
the laying of the cornerstone as well as lists of names of
Englewood city officials, members of the Englewood Police
Department and members of the Englewood Fire Department.
One unexpected item was an Englewood parking ticket issued to a
senior lodge member. There were several photographs and other
Masonic-related documents of the time.
Items all reflected the time in 1956 when the Masonic Lodge
transformed the former Lowell School into its new home.
Actually, the former school was the third meeting place for
Englewood Masonic Lodge 166.
The lodge was chartered in 1926. The members met at Mayflower
Church for several years before moving their meetings to the
Oddfellows Hall in the 3400 block of South Broadway.
Jim Glasscock, lodge secretary, said a land swap provided the
building and property that became the Masonic lodge.
“A member died and willed some property to the lodge,” he
explained. “The school district was looking for additional land for
the high school (now Flood Middle School) and we owned the adjacent
property. The district had closed Lowell School so there was a land
swap.”
Lodge member Arla L. Fidler attended classes at Lowell
School.
“One of the things I remember about the school was there was
only one stairway and there wasn’t an outside fire escape,” he
said. “So, the school district installed a fire chute from the
second floor. Fire drills were great fun because we got to slide
down the fire chute.”
Fidler was a lodge member when the cornerstone was put in
place.
“This was an old school so it took a lot of work to make it into
our lodge,” he said. “It took time but everyone pitched in to make
the former school our lodge home.”
Glasscock said he joined the volunteers working on the
lodge.
“I was in school and a member of the DeMolay (young men’s
organization sponsored by the Masons) at the time they were working
on the school,” he said. “We would come down here on the weekends
and work. Just about everyone pitched in on the project. The
members of the lodge and the youth groups worked on the building
and the young women and the Eastern Star ladies prepared meals for
the workers.”
The project took 11 years. Glasscock said almost all the
materials were donated and just about all the work was done by
volunteers.
A major part of the project was installing the marble on the
outside of the building, transforming the former red brick
schoolhouse into the Englewood Masonic Lodge.
After the time capsule was opened, the public left the lodge
meeting room as lodge members went through a brief ceremony to
remove all the items used in the meetings and rituals. Those will
be used at the temporary home at the Englewood Shrine Club and then
there will be a ceremonial procession to return the items to the
meeting room when the new lodge is completed.
The final symbolic gesture was for the worshipful master to be
the last to leave as he turned out the lights in the meeting room
for the final time, signaling the closing of the building as a
Masonic lodge.
To contact Tom Munds, e-mail him at tmunds@ccnewspapers.com or
call 303-566-4108.