The Indianapolis Masonic Temple Association is pleased to announce that the Scottish Rite of Indianapolis Foundation has awarded Indiana Freemasons’ Hall a grant in the amount of $26,000. The grant money will be applied toward the purchase and installation of new steam coils for the building’s heating system, which are being replaced at a total cost of $52,000.

The Scottish Rite of Indianapolis Foundation has awarded grants to Indiana Masonic organizations as well as non-Masonic organizations in the Indianapolis community for nearly three decades. Indiana Freemasons’ Hall has been a regular beneficiary of the Foundation for the last several years. Their generosity has enabled the IMTA to complete several projects that were very important to the future of the building.

The IMTA is very grateful to the Scottish Rite of Indianapolis Foundation for their continued support of Indiana Freemasons’ Hall. We also wish to thank the members of the Foundation’s board for their service and dedication to the principle of Masonic charity.

Recently, Irish Mechanical wrapped up the installation of a new condensate return pump system which is connected (and vitally important) to the Hall's low-pressure steam boiler. The old system, which had a good long life of about thirty years, finally gave out on us just as the heating season was ending last spring.

This is the old system:

View Image

View Image

Here is the new system. It is in two sections: the smaller section down in the pit is the system's "low point" and is the point to which all of the steam condensate eventually drains after heating the building. In the old system, there was only a tank in the pit and the vacuum pumps wore themselves out pulling the water up out of the pit. The new system uses dual pumps to pump the water up from the low point to the other, larger section which actually draws the vacuum and pumps the water back into the boiler.

View Image

View Image

This was more of a job of artistry than of repair and replacement as everything had to be piped up just so. Building Superintendent Randy Spaulding and Rick from Irish Mechanical spent many a long hour getting things put together and operating again. Here is another view of the back of the system showing the piping.

View Image

This new system is just one of the major infrastructure replacements that are currently being done here at Indiana Freemasons Hall. This $34,000 replacement, the new insulating windows being installed by Moss Glass at a cost of $112,000, along with other improvements such as a good number of new and refurbished steam traps and repairs recently made to our damper control systems, will help to dramatically reduce the cost of heating the building. We should realize savings in the gas bill which currently runs $23,100 annually, will cut our water usage significantly, will be better able to control the heat in the building, and should be able to put off major repairs to or replacement of our 30-year-old boiler for several more years as a result of these improvements.

From Michael Brumback, PGM, Chairman, Library & Museum Board:

The Grand Lodge Library & Museum in Indiana Freemasons’ Hall is on track to open for Founder’s Day 2012. As of Thanksgiving week, dramatic lighting has been installed, the room is being painted to highlight exhibits, and the floors are being refinished. Our IUPUI Interns have completed the design phase of the project, and are entering the execution phase of building the exhibits. The 5th floor foyer is being updated, furniture is being reupholstered, and the new entrance will feature museum exhibits. Fourteen new display cases will be delivered in December, and all artifacts for the first displays have been catalogued and photographed, while future exhibit artifacts have been stored in compliance with archival standards. Many of our historic pictures have been digitized to be displayed on a touchscreen LCD monitor, along with numerous other artifacts for future virtual exhibits.

The Indianapolis Masonic Temple Board Association has secured a $250,000 loan to complete numerous projects around Indiana Freemasons' Hall that will improve the Temple aesthetically and structurally, as well as improving our energy use and safety, and providing new services for our members. The many new projects approved by the Temple Board include:

• New energy-efficient windows for the whole building.
• Repairs to steam traps and improvements to the condensate system that will allow the boiler to operate more efficiently.
• Repairs to the ventilation dampers which will allow greater airflow and exhaust of heat in the summer.
• Installation of internet, phone and cable TV wiring to all floors.
• Plaster restoration and ceiling repair on the 7th floor from damage caused by a 20 year water leak, which has been repaired.
• Replacement of wall sconces missing from the 7th floor.
• Complete renovation of the fire escape, including replacement of the rusting decking with new galvanized decks.
• Extensive repair of exterior limestone spalling.
• Complete renovation and modernization of the 2nd floor kitchen, with new, modern appliances, a new commercial dishwasher, larger ice machine, paint and flooring.

Because of the nature of the loan and the repayment structure, this will make up the total of our discretionary spending for new projects for several years, but it means we are able to accomplish it all in a much shorter period of time. Upon completion of these projects, the total spent on building improvements in the last five years will exceed $800,000. The Temple Board certainly welcomes any financial assistance lodges or individual Masons may wish to contribute to these and other projects. Tax-deductible donations may be made to our 501c3 corporation with checks made out to Freemasons' Hall Inc. and mailed to the Indianapolis Masonic Temple Association, 525 N. Illinois St., Indianapolis, IN 46204.

These are in addition to the many renovations undertaken around the building by the various lodges and the Commandery which have gone far to improve the appearance of the third, fifth and seventh floors. Freemasons' Hall looks and functions better today than it has in literally decades. Much credit goes to the Building Superintendent Randy Spaulding and to Board President James Dillman, who spend untold hours caring for the building, crawling through ductwork, tracing down hidden plumbing lines, or beating up contractors for the best prices for us.

In other news around the Temple, the Grand Secretary's office has temporarily moved to the third floor while the office is gutted and completely remodeled. Both the Scholarship Board office and the state office for Indiana DeMolay have recently moved into the Temple. The international research origination, the Masonic Society, also leases space in the building, along with the Masonic Relief Board of Indiana and the Indiana Masonic Home Foundation.

The Library and Museum on the 5th floor will be open in time for Founder's Day. New cases are being installed, along with dramatic new lighting, and the Museum Board has hired two interns from IUPUI to assist with cataloguing and display ideas to preserve Indiana's priceless Masonic heritage.

Indiana Freemasons' Hall is your Temple. It is not simply the home of the lodges that meet there, but it is the headquarters of our entire fraternity in Indiana, and every Indiana Freemason should be proud of it. Like the Schofield House, the Grand Master has issued a standing dispensation so that any Indiana lodge may confer up to three degrees per year in one of its four lodge rooms without requesting special permission. Simply make a reservation for one of the rooms at the security desk.

New welcome mats printed with our official logo arrived last week and now greet visitors at the west and south entrances.

The Grand Lodge of Indiana Library & Museum has made enormous progress over the summer months in its new home in Indiana Freemasons’ Hall. The painstaking job of opening literally thousands of boxes of items continues, and the volunteer workers have been rediscovering and sorting treasures into a manageable collection. The work is slow at times because of the care required not to cause further damage, and to preserve our heritage. Each carton and every single bit of wrapping paper must be examined to be certain no tiny, priceless item is missed.

The Board has enlisted the assistance of Ramona Duncan-Huse, Senior Director of Conservation and Preservation Imaging at the Indiana Historical Society. We have also hired two Indiana University/Purdue University at Indianapolis interns to aid in organizing, archiving and preserving our most important items, as well as guiding us in making display decisions. The collection of aprons that date from the 1700s is especially in need of care to stabilize the delicate fabric and artwork they contain, as well as research into their origin. Many fragile items were damaged in the 1990s while at the Museum’s temporary home in Franklin during a catastrophic steam leak, and we are determined to protect all we can from further deterioration.

New computer equipment and Past Perfect software has been purchased to assist with the archiving process. New museum cases are being explored, and custom lighting is coming, along with some innovative electronic display equipment that will make the experience more informative, interactive and entertaining than just cases lined with endless rows of coins, medals and other artifacts.

In addition, a website will soon be available to provide information, as well as future expansion that will include an online catalogue of the library’s books and an archive of our museum collection.

In order for any museum to be useful, its collection needs to be changed regularly. Our goal will not be to display everything we have all at once, but to find themes and programs to evolve over time. It will always be a work in progress.

The Library & Museum is located on the 5th floor of Freemasons’ Hall in Indianapolis, and doors will be open during Founder’s Day in January. Regular hours will be forthcoming. If you are interested in visiting or volunteering with this important work, contact the Library Museum Board chairman Mike Brumback, PGM, at mike.brumback@att.net

Most Worshipful Grand Master Gregory C. Walbridge of the Grand Lodge of Indiana Free & Accepted Masons invites all Freemasons to participate with him and the officers of the Grand Lodge to celebrate the Masonic birthday of Brother George Washington. The ceremony will take place at the Masonic statue of George Washington that is located on the South lawn of the Indiana State Capital Building on Thursday, August 4, 2011 at 11 AM.

Brethren will assemble at 10 AM in the parking lot of the Indianapolis Valley of the Scottish Rite located at 650 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204, and will step off at 11 AM sharp in processional to the Statehouse South lawn. The parade route/processional will go from Indiana Freemasons' Hall at North and Illinois Street and travel West on North Street to Capital Ave, South on Capital Ave. to West Washington Street, where it will use the sidewalk to approach the Statue of George Washington on the South lawn. Once at the statue, a ceremony will be preformed honoring George Washington's Masonic birthday, his contributions to Freemasonry, and to the United States.

Grand Lodge Officers will wear morning suit with full regalia. Masters and Lodge Officers wear sport coat and tie (preferred) or lodge polo shirt with pants together with aprons and jewels. All other Freemasons including EA's and FC's same as Lodge Officers above with white apron worn in proper form. Appendant Bodies full regalia. White gloves optional. No shorts please.

Ladies and guests are encouraged to meet the processional at the George Washington Masonic Statue on the South Lawn of the State Capital Building.

Continue reading "G. Washington Masonic Birthday Processional To Indiana State Capitol Building 8/4" »

It's been in the high 80s and even the 90s for the last several weeks in Indianapolis, but the Temple has been markedly cooler than in past years. That's not by accident. Brother Randy Spaulding has been literally crawling inside the ductwork all over the building in an attempt to divine the mysteries of the 101 year old ventilation system. "When they built this place, those men wore wool suits and hats all the time," says Randy. "They didn't just put up with this kind of heat."

Thanks to his hard work and stubborn single-mindedness, he has reactivated a second major air handling system that is pumping hot air out and creating literally a stiff breeze in some parts of the building. And he continues to work on the dampers hidden throughout the system to make it effective in the upper floors.

No, it's not exactly chilly during a 90 degree day. But it's far more inhabitable than it's been literally in decades. Thanks Randy!

Yesterday, Moss Glass from Anderson, Indiana, installed new doors at the south (parking lot) entrance. The new doors replaced the original 1909 doors which had long withstood the ravages of time, but as all of us who had passed through them lately were aware, their time for replacement had come.

Click for larger image

The new doors are designed to be handicap-accessible. The larger door on the right will have an automatic opener (to be installed by early next week). The left-hand door will normally be locked, but can be opened to allow larger items to be brought into the building.

Moss also installed an inner door in the vestibule where an older, wooden door was removed many years ago. Restoring a door to this position will help keep cold air out of the building in the winter, and help reduce our heating bills.

These doors are similar in construction to the proposed replacement windows for which the Board is trying to find financing.

There will be a work day in the Grand Lodge Library/Museum this Sunday, May 15 from 9:00 A.M. until 12:00 P.M. We need a good-sized contingent of brethren, at least twelve to fifteen, to help us finish this stage of the Library/Museum. The more we have, the sooner we can finish. Please join us if you have a couple of hours available on Sunday morning. There will be coffee and doughnuts on the second floor at 8:30.