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New Releases: "Sacramento City Hall" watercolor by Linda Acrey view details Ads: -

ABOUT THE BUILDING AND THE ARCHITECT The Masonic Temple in Sacramento is a uniquely handsome building, and an outstanding representative of fine craftsmanship and rich design for its era. Its unusual design draws from several architectural style and design motifs to create a varied and rich, if unusual, combination of images. The building also possesses a medieval quality that suits the Knight Templar figures guarding the entry, as well as the origins of the organization the building represents. The Temple is uniquely intact, with its original Lodge rooms and elaborate ornament, functioning original Otis elevator, light fixtures designed specifically for the building, oak paneling and oak doors with inlaid wood, stained glass windows, HVAC system in its original condition, hardware, marble-faced stairs and restrooms, cast bronze balustrades, highly unusual terra cotta design features, and grand auditorium space. The building has a presence of its own, strongly reflecting its era and its unique artistic expression. It has experienced very few alterations, and has even retained a number of pieces of its original furniture, including three massive oak and slate pool tables, a large double-sided Arts and Crafts Style couch and a number of rustic and well-used leather and wood chairs. The building is the most thoughtfully detailed, best designed and most intact example of a fraternal organization building remaining in the Sacramento region. The nearby Elks Building interior with its grand meeting rooms has been much modified and turned into offices. The I.O.O.F. Building has been dramatically remodeled on the exterior, although it retains some of its interior design from a later-than-original era. The Masonic Temple has retained both its original exterior and interior design, and a very high degree of integrity. The architect for the building, Rudolph Herold, was a prominent Sacramento designer who completed an impressive number of works in Northern California prior to his death at age 56. Herold was responsible for the design of the Sacramento City Hall, Forum Building and Capitol National Bank Building, as well as a number of other prominent local landmarks. Herold's years of architectural study in Europe, particularly Vienna, during the early part of the 20th century, appear to be responsible for his bold combinations of past and very new motifs into architectural interpretations uniquely his own. For example, the body of the building, roof and materials suggest Mediterranean motifs. The arched windows, entry, and classical terra cotta frieze and cornice detail suggest Beaux Arts elements, and the proportion and image of the band of third floor windows and the design of the cast metal balustrades reflect Chicago/Prairie School design. Terra cotta materials and the tiled floors reflect the Arts and Crafts movement, some of the light fixtures appear derived from Art Nouveau design, and the shape and placement of terra cotta "stones" in the lobby is reminiscent of Renaissance stonework. He manages to incorporate these seemingly disparate elements into an interesting cohesive work with its own perspective. The materials and craftsmanship in all portions of the Temple are particularly outstanding. All of the ornamental detailing in plaster, terra cotta, wood or cast metal is finely executed. The wood paneling in the Lodge rooms and recreation rooms is carefully matched and in excellent condition. The terra cotta throughout the building is interesting in image, finely executed, and in excellent condition. The building maximizes the use of the versatile material, a favorite Arts and Crafts Movement medium, and combines it with fine woods, varied and imaginative stencil-work and gold leaf design in the meeting rooms, and ornamental cast metal work in the lobbies and marble-faced stairway balustrades. The Masonic Temple is the best remaining example of Rudolph Herold's work in Sacramento. Essentially all of the other buildings in Sacramento designed by Herold have received alterations and modifications. The interior of the City Hall except in the most central public portions of the building has been much remodeled, although some detailing now covered might be restorable. The Forum Building has been remodeled several times, losing original ground and upper floor integrity in particular. The Capital National Bank building has little remaining of its original interior. The Courthouse has been demolished, and the Del Paso Country Club much remodeled. The Masonic Temple is the only major Herold building that has retained almost all of its integrity still remaining in Sacramento. The building's architect, Rudolph Herold, was born in San Francisco in 1870. At the age of 18 he took a job with McDougall & Sons, a building firm that eventually evolved into an architectural firm. After several years with McDougall, Herold set out on his own as an independent architect and taught architecture at the Lincoln Evening School. Soon after, Herold went to Europe for a three year stay to study architecture. After his return, Herold moved to Sacramento in 1901 and he soon gained a reputation for his work on public buildings. Herold was a master of many styles of architecture, but was particularly adept with the use of terra cotta ornamentation. Over the years Herold produced many memorable public and private structures, such as: Sacramento City Hall  Sacramento County Court House Sacramento County Jail Sacramento County Hospital Tehama County Jail Capital National Bank Masonic Temple Forum Building Gormley Building Del Paso Country Club Mercy Hospital Weimar Sanitarium in Colfax Providence Hospital and Nurses Home in Oakland Majestic Theater Herold also designed many educational institutions, such as: Lincoln School Marshall School St. Francis School and Priory Holy Rosary Academy in Woodland Auburn High School Sutter Jr. High There were a large number of residences designed by Herold for families such as: Didion  Margen McClatchy  Keyes Diepenbrock  Senator Bills The above information was provided by the Masonic Lodge members. Please note: The author's name was not provided.

Start your “Scenes of Sacramento” collection today For more information on any of our products or services or this fundraiser contact: Artist: 916-685-1312, email OR for more information this fundraiser contact The Sacramento Masonic Temple office: 916-443-5058 Masonic Contacts: Rick Keltner or Phil Hartiman