USA > Pennsylvania > Allegheny County > The history of the Masonic fund society for the county of Allegheny from the year 1847 to 1923; with biographical sketches of deceased members of the Board of trustees By Hiram Schock. > Part 13
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The Fund for Charity shall be placed at the credit of the Secre- tary of the Board of Trustees, in one of the banks of the City of Pitts- burgh, and shall be only disbursed by him upon the order of the Re- lief Committee, which shall consist of three members of the Board, to be elected by the Board at their annual organization.
In accordance with that provision, we find the following in the record of a meeting of the Board held November 3, 1873 :
Whereas, The Masonic Fund Society being now in condition to comply with the requirements of the Charter and By-Laws, relative to disbursements for charitable purposes; Resolved, that five per cen- tum of the net profits be placed in the hands of the Secretary, to be
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taken charge of and managed by him according to Article VIII. of the By-Laws.
This arrangement was put into practical effect immedi- ately. In the same minutes we come upon another evidence of the successful management of the financial affairs of the Society. A dividend of 50 per cent. was declared, as the record shows :
Resolved, that a dividend of Fifty per centum per annum be and is hereby declared on the capital stock of this Society, out of the profits of the last year, together with the accumulations of previous profits, free of government tax, payable to the stockholders, or their legal representatives, on and after the twelfth day of January, 1874.
The stockholders met December 27, 1873, to elect Trus- tees for the ensuing twelve months, and with this election came the first change in the membership of the Board dur- ing a period of thirteen years. Without doubt there would have been no new trustees chosen then had not Brother William Noble refused to be a candidate for re-election, ow- ing to ill health, which in fact resulted in his death before the end of the year 1873. His place was filled by the elec- tion of Brother William Thompson, at that time a shoe mer- chant with his place of business at No. 16 Fourth avenue, Pittsburgh. He was a member of St. John's Lodge, No. 219.
In this year, the Masonic Fund Society and the Craft in general suffered another great loss in the death of Col. Wil- liam Phillips, in April, 1874. He had been elected a Trustee in December, 1857, and was chosen president of the Board to succeed James W. Hailman, who died in 1860, and held that office at the time of his demise. His death took place after an illness of two months, at his residence, No. 177 Third avenue, in Pittsburgh. He was widely known as a manufacturer and an influential leader in the promotion of railroad enterprises and other interests. At his death the City Hall was draped in mourning and memorial resolutions were adopted by various municipal bodies, by banks and commercial organizations generally. His funeral was a no- table one, and was attended by many prominent men from numerous parts of the United States. The Board of Trus- tees elected Brother Davage to succeed Brother Phillips as President, and in December the vacancy on the Board was filled at a stockholders meeting December 28, 1874, by the
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election of Brother George Glass, energetic and popular in Masonic circles, and a member of Washington Lodge, No. 253. He was a prosperous baker and had a baking establish- ment on Wylie avenue, near Tunnel street. Before the close of the year the Board again signalized their growing finan- cial strength by declaring a dividend of 20 per cent.
When the Board met the first time in 1875, in January 4, the members were, Brothers Thomas Davage, President ; James S. Herdman, Treasurer; Alexander M. Pollock, Secre- tary, and James Shidle, William P. Anderson, William P. Thompson and George Glass. At this meeting another change of janitors was made. Brother Charles F. Porter, who several years before, had succeeded Brother Richard Prich- ard in that position, was himself, succeeded by the late Thomas C. Graham, of Lodge 45. In later years this well known Mason became Tyler of the Bodies in the Fifth ave- nue building and retained that position until a few months before his death, March 1, 1916. Brother Graham, who was long affectionately known to the Craft as "Tommie," served in the capacity of janitor first and then tyler for a period of over 40 years in the Masonic Halls on Fifth avenue and as Tyler of the various Bodies in the present Temple until his death in 1916.
The records of the meetings of the Board during the year 1875 mention only routine business, including the pay- ment of quite a number of bills. On April 6 came the an- nouncement of the death of another member of the Board of Trustees. This was Brother William J. Anderson who had died late in March. He was a member of Franklin Lodge, No. 221, was a highly esteemed member of the Fraternity and had long been prominent as a manufacturer, of the firm of John Anderson & Co., iron founders. Another of the ground rents on the Masonic property was extinguished by purchase by Treasurer Herdman, who reported June 1, 1875, that he "had purchased the interests of B. F. Anderson, G. W. Anderson and Elizabeth Graham in the ground rent of the Hall property, according to direction of the Board, for the sum of $250." The business of the year as shown by the minutes was signaled by announcing a dividend of 12 per cent.
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The old Board was re-elected to serve during the Cen- tennial year of 1876, the members being Brothers Davage, Herdman, Thompson, Shidle, Pollock, Glass and Ferdinand E. Volz, the latter elected to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Brother Anderson. Brother Volz was a pastmaster of Franklin Lodge, No. 221. He had been in the year 1852 assessor of water tax in the city of Pittsburgh and in 1854 was elected Mayor. At the time of his election as trustee he was paymaster in the employ of the Allegheny Valley Railroad Company. The Board's officers during 1876 were: Davage, President; Herdman, Treasurer; Pollock, Secretary.
Then on April 2, 1876, the Board lost another valued member by death. This time it was the greatly esteemed Brother Thomas Davage. His demise caused widespread sorrow not only among the members of the Craft, but also among a wide circle of friends generally.
A matter of interest connected with the Masonic Hall was the permanent closing in 1876 of the famous "Concert room" for public entertainments. It was leased to the firm of Campbell, Williamson & Dick, to be "used exclusively for the sale of dry goods, and for no other purpose whatever." This firm continued to occupy the hall until the building was destroyed in 1887 by fire. There having been no celebra- tions or other events during the Centennial year at which the Board of Trustees had figured as a Body, there are of course no references to that great celebration ; but as indica- tive of the financial status of the Board a dividend of 15 per cent. was announced. On December 27 the stockholders elected the Board for the year 1877, two new members being chosen, Brother Davage having died and Brother Volz not being re-elected. The membership at the beginning of this year were: President, Shidle; Treasurer, Herdman; Secre- tary, Pollock; and Glass, Thompson, William G. McCandless and Charles C. Baer. The latter was the head of the firm of Charles C. Baer & Co., tobacco merchants on Wood street, and was a member of Milnor Lodge, No. 287. Brother Mc- Candless, who was also a member of Milnor Lodge, 287, was in the insurance firm of Swearingen & McCandless, with offices on Fourth avenue. According to the minutes of the
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year, 1877, only routine business demanded the attention of the trustees, and in November they declared a 15 per cent. dividend. The stockholders retained the old board for 1878 and they did the same at the end of 1879. The first minutes of the year 1879 announce the death of that beloved and useful Mason, James Shidle, who died on the 15th of Janu- ary. The record relative to this sad event is as follows:
Brother James Herdman announced the death of James Shidle, our late President, which occurred on the 15th day of January, 1879; when, on motion, Resolved that A. M. Pollock, Secr'y, be requested to prepare resolutions expressive of the sentiments of this Board relative to the deceased, and report the same at our next meeting.
Brother James Shidle had been a member of the Ma- sonic Order for about 40 years and was a charter member and past master of St. John's Lodge No. 219, having be- longed first to old Ohio Lodge, No. 113. He was at the time of his death prominent in business circles as a wall paper manufacturer, and was one of the vice presidents of the Pittsburgh Dollar Savings bank. Brother George Glass was chosen by the Board to succeed Brother Shidle as President, and during the year 1879 much attention was given to im- provements and repairs in the Masonic building, and in No- vember a 15 per cent dividend was declared. When the stockholders met to elect a Board for 1880 they chose all the old members and elected Brother George T. Oliver to fill the vacancy on the Board caused by the death of Brother James Shidle. The new trustee was a prominent attorney and member of the law firm of Oliver and Rogers. He belonged to St. John's Lodge, No. 219. Repairs in and about the Hall, the prompt payment of bills and the announcement of a 12 per cent. dividend were the features of the minutes of the year 1880. During most of these twelve months Secretary Pollock had been confined to his home by illness, and his work was performed at the meetings of the Board by Brother Charles C. Baer. The Board was re-elected for 1881, but no matters of particular consequence came up for con- sideration. However, we get the information from the min- utes of a meeting held July 5 that "on motion, the Secre- tary, A. M. Pollock, was granted leave of absence during his contemplated visit to Europe." By November of the same
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year Brother Pollock, much improved in health, was back in his office as secretary. In December a 12 per cent. divi- dend was declared and the Board was re-elected by the stock- holders to serve through the year 1882. At a meeting of the trustees held July 4, 1882, the death of Brother William Thompson was announced, in the following words :
The death of William P. Thompson, one of the Trustees of this Board, having been reported, it was on motion, resolved, that a com- mittee be appointed to prepare appropriate resolutions to be reported to the next meeting of the Board. The president appointed Messrs. Pollock, Baer and Herdman.
In November another 12 per cent. dividend was an- nounced. In this year, 1882, is found on the records of the Society the first distinct reference to the question of the erection of a more commodious Masonic building in Pitts- burgh. But is is evident, as is shown by other sources of information on this subject, that the matter had been the subject of serious consideration for some years prior to 1882. In fact, the brethren had frequently urged, in an in- formal manner, the Masonic Fund Society to take official action in the matter. But the Trustees were cautious Ma- sons and they knew that would be an undertaking invol- ving a large sum of money. They felt that the time had not yet arrived when the assumption of so heavy a financial burden could be risked. They willingly recognized the need for a larger home for the Bodies, and they agreed that a new building would have to come before many years. But it was a question that grew more insistent, by reason of the steady growth of the Masonic Fraternity in Pittsburgh and the lack of sufficient space in the structure they then occu- pied. Already in 1873 the Scottish Rite Bodies, being seriously handicapped for space, had removed from the Fifth avenue Hall and were occupying a building known as Library Hall, still standing on Penn avenue near Federal street. It was then suggested by the Trustees that some- thing might be done in the way of securing more room by remodeling the old Hall. With this plan in view, Brother Charles C. Baer offered the following resolution at a meet- ing of the Trustees held December 4, 1882:
Resolved, that the Board of Trustees be authorized to expend a sufficient amount of money, not exceeding five hundred dollars, to
1
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ascertain whether the present Hall Building can be remodeled, or a new building constructed, so as to accommodate all the Masonic Bodies in this city.
The resolution was adopted, but no further action was taken that year, and the stockholders kept the old Board in for the year 1883. To fill the vacancy caused by the death of Brother William P. Thompson, the stockholders elected Brother Geter Crosby Shidle, the second of that name and family to become a trustee. He was a son of the James Shidle who died in January, 1879, and a Mason held in the highest esteem by his brethren. He had been appointed D. D. Grand Master in 1882 and was a member and past master of Milnor Lodge, No. 287. The Trustees declared a 12 per cent. dividend in December and the stockholders re- elected them all for service during 1884. In this year the question of erecting a new Hall or enlarging the old one be- came more insistent. All the Masonic Bodies then in ex- tence in Pittsburgh could not find accommodations in the Fifth avenue building, and when the trustees met on Febru- ary, 1884, the session was attended by a committee of the brethren, representing the Scottish Rite, who formally brought the matter before the Board. The record of this meeting is as follows:
A committee consisting of Messrs. Sam'l Harper, Benj. Darling- ton and Geo. Balmain, representing Gourgas Grand Lodge of Per- fection, appeared before the Trustees for conference in relation to providing accommodation for the Bodies of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Pittsburgh, in the same building with the other Masonic Bodies of this city.
The question of a new Masonic Temple was very generally dis- cussed; when, on motion, it was resolved to defer action for the present.
So this matter was left in abeyance; although the question was further urged and discussed in a circular letter sent out by some of the Blue Lodges, in which a proposition was made that a general committee of the local Masons should meet in Masonic Hall, January 29, 1885, "to consider the feasibility of the Society erecting a new Masonic Temple." But this meeting never took place. The usual 12 per cent dividend was announced at the end of 1884 and the Board was reelected by the stockholders for 1885. Accustomed as we are these days to so many con-
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veniences, it will perhaps be read with surprise that it was not until the year 1885 that the Masonic Hall, erected in 1851, was heated by means of natural gas. But the big glowing stoves of the earlier period were comforting and efficient heat producers, and coal was abundant and cheap. But the gas came in at last, as we are informed by the following careful entry:
On motion of Mr. McCandless, resolved, that it be left discretion- ary with the Hall Committee to introduce for heating purposes natur- al gas.
The next year electricity was used for the first time to light the building. The Board wound up its business for 1885 by declaring in November the usual 12 per cent. divi- dend, and the stockholders re-elected the entire seven to serve through 1886. The minutes of the Board this year deal only with rentals and improvements to the Masonic building, including the proposition to put in an elevator. The Board was re-elected for the twelve months of 1887. The minutes of the Society during the early part of this year show that the movement among the brethren for a new hall, or at least a larger one, was being more earnestly backed up. At a meeting held March 1 a contract was let for the erection of an elevator in the building and for mak- ing important changes in the interior of the structure, in- cluding the placing of a convenient fire escape. It is indeed probable that by the end of this year some decisive steps would have been taken towards the formulation of a plan for either a new structure or the enlargement, if possible, of the one then in use.
But neither any plan for a new structure nor any of the projected improvements mentioned above were carried into effect; and never again did the Board of Trustees meet in that Fifth Avenue Masonic Hall after their session of July 8, 1887. Their next regular meeting was fixed for August 2, but for some unknown reason there was not a quorum present.
Ten days later the Masonic Hall was totally destroyed by fire.
On the evening of Friday, August 12, 1887, the famous old structure which had stood, an ornament to the city, for a period of thirty-seven years, and about which had be-
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come clustered so many treasured Masonic memories, crumbled into ruins. It was a great loss to the Masons. But unlike the destruction of the little Masonic building in the great conflagration of 1845, it was not a calamity. From a financial standpoint the burning of the hall in 1887 did not involve a burden. The real loss came from the destruction of treasured lodge charters, records and other property. These were gone, of course, and some of them could not be replaced. But upon the building itself there was an insurance which almost covered the loss, and the question of raising the necessary funds with which to erect another and better building was one which, in fact, did not cause the brethren generally, nor the Board of Trustees in particular, any worry. The Craft in Pittsburgh was then strong and influential. It had at its head some of the best business men and financiers in the community; and it is not improbable that there was a feeling of satisfaction over the fact that now at last the new and more commodious Hall was to come soon. Nevertheless, the brethren wit- nessed the destruction of their building with sincere re- gret, and they made heroic efforts to save property and records. The flames were first noticed about 9 o'clock in the evening, the fire having started in the basement of the building. This basement was used by Campbell & Dick, merchants, who occupied, as tenants of the Hall, the large store room fronting on Fifth avenue, which formerly had been the famous "Concert room." The brave work of the firemen prevented an extensive spread of the flames, and the chief loss in property was the destruction of the Ma- sonic edifice and the Hamiliton building adjoining, then the highest building in the city. Including the building, the furniture and the property of the Masonic Bodies which met in the Hall, the financial loss to the fraternity was about $65,000.
Reporting the destruction of the Hall to the Grand Lodge, the R. W. Grand Master, Brother Joseph Eichman, himself a citizen of Pittsburgh, said at the Annual Com- munication in December, 1887:
On the night of August 12, 1887, a disastrous fire occurred in Pittsburgh, which involved the destruction of the Masonic Hall, in
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which a number of Lodges met. Some of the lodges lost all of their property, including their Warrants, and it became necessary to issue Dispensations to five of them to enable them to continue their labors.
A Pittsburgh newspaper describing the ruins the day after the fire, said: "A glance at the walls of the Masonic Hall is all that is necessary to convince anyone that all that is left of the structure will have to be entirely torn down." And, of course, that was what had to be done. The flames had left nothing but blackened and swaying walls.
Another great chapter in the history of Pittsburgh Masonry had closed.
It is with mingled emotions of pride and regret that we close here this recital of the many events connected with the past of the old structure, and take a retrospective glance back through the years to that bright day of the Fourth of July, 1851, when the devoted and zealous Brother Hailman, then D. D. Grand Master, and the R. W. Grand Master William Whitney, presided over the impressive ceremonies which marked the laying of the corner stone of the edifice, now in 1887 in ruins. It had been a memorable hour of triumph for those early brethren of the Craft, and with justified pride and pleasure Brother Hailman could well say, as he then did say, addressing directly his fellow members of the Board of Trustees:
Brethren of the Masonic Fund Society-Permit me to con- gratulate you upon the event which has just been consummated. Well may you rejoice, my brethren, upon this occasion; well may you indulge in bright anticipations of the happy success of your under- taking.
That "happy success" had not failed to materialize amazingly. With steady minds and buoyant hearts the long succession of Trustees had successfully carried out their alloted tasks; and the Trustees for the year 1887 could say with full truth that they, too, would in their turn take up the burden of bringing into existence a new and larger Masonic edifice, thereby increasing and solidifying the in- terests and the growth of the Craft in their great city.
As for the old Masonic Hall, just destroyed, it can be said that it had become an important feature in the com- munity. Its auditorium, or "Concert room," large for those
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days, had long been popular. Its famous opening in 1851 by the renowned Jenny Lind, as a place for public enter- tainments, has become a legend in the historic annals of Pittsburgh. Shortly after this event the concert room was remodeled under the supervision of that interesting authority on theatrical entertainments whom the local newspapers of the time referred to affectionately as "Old Joe Foster," who had been manager of the ancient Drury theater. During a number of years most of the best theatrical presentations and public lectures were given in the hall and it continued to be a place for high class popular amusements until the Opera house was erected. Thus the old Masonic building, laid in ruins in 1887, had served two good purposes. It had been the headquarters and the home for the local Masonic Bodies, and it had furnished intellec- tual and recreative entertainment for the people in general.
So we pass on this old Masonic Hall into the realms of history, with salutations of triumph and of regret.
CHAPTER V.
ERECTION AND DEDICATION OF FREEMASON HALL.
Preparations for New Structure After Destruction of Old Hall- Discussion Over and Selection of Site for Second Edifice-Fifth Avenue Location Decided Upon-Plans Selected for Splendid Structure-Stockholders' Meetings-Arrangements Made for Issue of $150,000 of Stock-Architect and Builders Selected- Cost of Erection of New Hall to be $125,700-Arrangements for Large Loan-Corner Stone Placed, Bro. Joseph Eichbaum, R. W. G. M., Officiating-Edifice to be known as "Freemasons Hall"- Imposing Dedication Ceremonies-First Meeting of Trustees in New Hall-Death of James Shidle and Alexander Pollock-First and Only Amendment to Charter-Deaths of James Herdman and Geter C. Shidle-New Adjustment of Issue of Stock- Movement for a Larger Hall Started-Board of Trustees and Stockholders Prepare Plans for Sale of Fifth Avenue Property, Purchase of New Site for Erection of a Temple.
T HE famous old Hall on Fifth avenue having, as we have seen, been totally destroyed by fire in August, 1887, the Trustees of the Masonic Fund Society lost no time in proceeding to the business of providing for the erection of a more commodious and imposing edifice. There was no opposition to this project. Instead, there developed a most hearty cooperation on the part of the Pittsburgh brethren generally. They realized that at last they were to have a Hall which should be much larger than the former one, better adapted to the growing needs of the Craft, and wherein all the Bodies might find ample and elegant accom- modations. The Scottish Rite Bodies were particularly de- sirous of removing from their meeting place in Library Hall on Penn avenue to a building erected by Masons and designed especially for the presentation of Masonic work. There was, therefore, a fine spirit of unanimity of desire and action prevalent among the local Craft, and the Trus- tees felt no hesitancy in starting as quickly as possible the work that should bring into existence a new Masonic edifice, worthy of the great Fraternity and an ornament to the city.
But first the Trustees of the Masonic Fund Society had to take up the matter of securing a meeting place for the
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Masonic Bodies which had occupied the old Hall. Brother Geter C. Shidle, one of the Trustees, was then also D. D. Grand Master, and he and the Board acted in hearty accord. On the next evening after the conflagration, which had occurred on August 12, they met, and among the first matters attended to was a proposition to secure legal ad- vice as to the question of the location of the proposed structure. Brother Pollock, then secretary of the Board of Trustees, has fortunately left on record details of this and subsequent gatherings at which important affairs relative to the matters then in hand were considered. His minutes of this meeting held August 13, the first after the destruc- tion of the Hall, are as follows:
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