Mahomet Masonic Lodge Restoration

Mahomet Masonic Lodge #220 has been a supporter of our town and its citizenry for 164 years.  The Masons provide scholarships for graduating students, school funding, support for Boy Scouts and other community support.  Established in 1856, Mahomet Lodge 220 met for 16 years before the village took the name of Mahomet.  During the first twenty years of existence, the Masons met in a community building called the Union Hall.  It was a two-story building that stood where the Mahomet Administration Building stands today.  The Masons met on the second floor which could only be accessed by an exterior stairway.

By 1873, the Masons planned to move to the second floor of the new Geiger-Rising-Young grocery building.  However, that did not come to fruition because the second floor of the grocery was never built.  The Masons stayed at the Union Hall for another three years.

In 1876, the Union Hall was destroyed by fire.  All Lodge furniture was destroyed.  The records of the Lodge survived as they were stored elsewhere.  Needing a new place to meet, the Masons met at a two-story building on east Main Street for one year.  Next, the Lodge moved to a newly constructed wooden building and met on the second floor while businesses operated on the first floor.  Plans to move in 1911 fell through.  A new Lodge was voted on with a price tag of $1,400.  Fifty-two Masons voted for the new structure, but the plan never came to fruition.  The Masons ended up staying at that location for another 38 years.

By then, a new Lodge was needed desperately.  The old wooden Lodge often swayed in the wind.  The building was razed and a new block building was constructed at the same location.  The new structure, built by the Phillipe brothers, was a 31-foot by 66-foot two story building.  That building is the current home of the Masons.

The cornerstone was laid on April 23, 1949.  A time capsule was placed inside of the cornerstone which included many artifacts from the time period.  The building was dedicated in a ceremony which drew more than 800 people.  A Parade of Masons marched down Main Street with the Peoria Masonic Band leading the way.  The first meeting was held on July 21, 1949.  The Masons have continued to serve Mahomet and the surrounding area from that location to this day.

Other than a replacing the roof and a new awning, little has been done to the building since 1949.  Mahomet Lodge is raising money to seal the outside of the building in dryvit and add some details to the exterior.  We hope to make sure the building stands another 71 years, and future citizens of Mahomet have a Masonic organization to join. 

The photos above show the original building in 1949, a recent photo with cosmetic issues, and a rendering of the future remodel.  This donation will help fund the almost $50,000 remodel, make sure the building can withstand the elements, and improve the look of downtown Mahomet.  It will also mean so much to the members of Mahomet Lodge, some of whom have been members their entire lives, and would like this building and organization to last for future generations of Mahomet citizenry.