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 14
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Saturday, Pittsburgh, August 13, 1887.
A special meeting of the Trustees of the Masonic Fund Society was held at 8 o'clock, P. M., at 403 Smithfield st. Present, Messrs. Herdman, Baer, Oliver, McCandless, Shidle and Glass, President. A communication from Trustees of A. & A. Rite tendering the use of their room for the use of the Lodges, temporarily rendered necessary by the burning of the Hall, 5th Ave., on Friday night, 12th inst. The fire totally destroyed the Hall. A notice was communicated by the Building Inspector directing us to secure the walls of the Hall. Mr. C. Baer was directed to see Mr. Chambers in regard to the walls. Messrs. Sam'l Harper & Geo. W. Guthrie were selected to examine our Charter and determine our authority relative to the erection of a new Hall.
Brother Shidle then, as D. D. Grand Master, inserted in the newspapers a call for a meeting of lodge officers, but which was attended by the brethren in general, the notice appearing in the papers, on August 15, as follows:
The W. Masters and Wardens of the Lodges that occupied the Temple, Fifth Avenue, are requested to meet on Tuesday evening at 419 Wood street, second floor, 7:30 P. M. A full attendance is re- quested.
By Order of G. C. Shidle,
D. D. G. M., Twenty-eighth District.
This meeting was largely attended, plans were discuss- ed for the future, and the Trustees were able to announce that they had rented the Renshaw building for the term of one year, wherein the Masonic Bodies would be able to meet just as soon as the necessary modifications in the build- ing could be made. The structure, used for commercial pur- poses, stood and still stands at the corner of Liberty ave-
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nue and Ninth street. This location was convenient. The building had been secured by the Hall Committee of the Board of Trustees, Brothers Herdman, Shidle and Baer, who the day after the fire began a search for a meeting place for the lodges. They were thus in position to report to the brethren at the meeting of August 15 that a new home had been found. Accordingly, with great haste the third story of the Renshaw building was remodelled for Masonic pur- poses. So rapidly and effectively was this work carried on that the lodges met there in the second week of the follow- ing September. An interesting record is left of the action of the Board relative to the rental of the third floor of the Renshaw property, at a meeting held October 4, 1887, as follows :
On motion, it was resolved that it is the understanding that the Trustees in fitting up the Renshaw building, do it for the benefit of the Lodges, and that the Lodges pay the amount of the expense for the same; and that the rents are to be so proportioned as to cover the expense of fitting up and the cost of keeping up the rooms; and it is further to be understood that the income from the Lodges in the Renshaw building is in no way to be considered as revenue for the general stockholders.
The first meeting of the Trustees after the fire was con- vened an hour or so before the general gathering of the brethren, called by D. D. G. M. Shidle for the evening of August 15. This first session of the Trustees which was held at the office of Brother McCandless on Fourth avenue, was attended by Brothers Herdman, Baer, McCandless, Shidle, Pollock and Oliver. President Glass being absent, his place was filled by Brother Shidle. Various matters were discussed and the Hall committee was directed to arrange for the removal of the ruins on Fifth avenue. The next gathering of the Trustees was on the evening of August 23, in the office of Brother McCandless, of which this record has been left:
Present, Messrs. Herdman, Shidle, Pollock, Baer and Glass, Presi- dent. The Hall Committee reported that they had rented a Hall for the use of the Masonic bodies, for temporary use, for one year and seven months, with the privilege of one year more, from Mr. Ren- shaw, corner of 9th & Liberty Sts., for the annual rent of Eight Hundred Dollars; he to provide heat, light and water. The Society
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to fit up the room to suit their purposes. On motion, the report was adopted.
On motion, the proposition of Mr. Egan to tear down the walls of the burned Hall and clear away all the rubbish for the sum of $2,000 was adopted.
Later the above amount for clearing away the debris was reduced to $1,750. By the second week in September all the Bodies formerly in the old Hall were quartered in the Renshaw building. To the lodges which had lost their War- rants new ones were given by the Grand Lodge and all the Bodies quickly replaced their burned property and jewels.
The Masons being now settled in their new quarters, where also the Board of Trustees met, the absorbing ques- tion then was not, "Shall we build a Hall ?" but "Where shall we build the Hall?" There was, in fact, no question at all as to the construction of another Masonic edifice, but the problem was over the selection of a location. There were conflicting opinions and preferences as to this point. How- ever, as is shown by action taken at subsequent meetings of the stockholders, the very general preference among the brethren, favored the erection of a Hall or Temple on the Fifth avenue site, which was, it was contended, large enough and altogether convenient. Another feature of this friendly controversy that influenced the brethren was the argument to the effect that it would probably be necessary to amend the charter of the Masonic Fund Society in order to establish a legal right to build a Hall on any other ground than that then owned by the Masonic Fund Society. In a written opinion covering legal points submitted to them as to the purchase of the property and the interpretation of certain provisions in the Charter of the Masonic Fund So- ciety, Attorneys George W. Guthrie and Samuel Harper, noted lawyers of Pittsburgh, advised that in order to avoid the probable necessity of amending the charter, it would be advisable to erect the proposed Masonic edifice on the Fifth avenue ground. By the beginning of November, 1887, only a few weeks after the disastrous fire, the question of loca- tion was practically settled. It was decided to put up the new hall on the site of the old one, and at once to get into conference with architects. This action was authorized at a meeting held November 8, 1887, as this record shows:
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On motion, the Hall committee, Messrs. Herdman, Shidle and Baer, were instructed to consult their architects relative to the con- struction of a new building, on the lot on 5th Ave., to replace the building which was destroyed by fire; they are also directed to write to Mr. Windren, architect, Philadelphia, asking him to come to Pitts- burgh and give his opinion on the matter.
Resolved, that a full report of the affairs of the Society be made to the stockholders at the meeting in December.
There was another meeting of the Trustees on Novem- ber 29 in the brief records of which we find the statement that, "The plans for a new Hall on the ground on 5th Ave. were discussed." Then on December 5, 1887, came the first meeting of the stockholders since the fire in August. It was convened in the Renshaw building, and the chairman was Brother John Dunwoody, of Milnor Lodge, No. 287, Brother A. M. Pollock being secretary. The following is the record:
This being the occasion of the Report of the Trustees, the Report was read by the Secretary, giving full details of the financial con- dition and progress towards building a new hall. On motion, the report was adopted, and ordered to be filed. The written opinion of the attorneys of the Board, Messrs. Harper and Guthrie, was read by the Secretary, and after full discussion, Mr. W. B. Lupton moved that the Trustees of the Masonic Fund Society be authorized to pro- ceed at once with the erection of a suitable building on the site of the old Hall on 5th Ave., which motion was seconded, when Mr. Geo. T. Oliver offered an amendment, that action on the motion of Mr. Lupton be postponed until the first Tuesday in Jan'y, 1888, at 7 o'clock P. M., and that the Trustees be instructed in the meantime to have the architect proceed with the plans of a new building, which amendment was adopted.
The action of Brother Oliver in having the above mo- tion postponed until a subsequent meeting of stockholders, was caused by a desire to show deference to the small minority which was opposing the choice of the old site as the location for a new building. The Board of Trustees had already declared unanimously for the old location, and they had accordingly gone ahead and made some arrangements for the plans of the edifice, doubtless feeling that the vote of the stockholders would be with them. They had not judged wrongly. The adjourned session of stockholders was held the following January 7, in the rooms of the
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Americus Club then at No. 417 Wood street. Brother Pollock was secretary, and he has left this record:
The following stockholders were present: Geo. F. McDonald, representing Lodge No. 287; Sam'l Steel, Lodge 253; Matthew M. Felker, Commandery No. 1; Jas. B. Youngson, A. S. Bishop, Lodge 221; W. B. Lupton, Geo. P. Balmain, A. B. Wigley, Theodore Have- kotte, McCandless Lodge 390; T. R. Boss, Lodge 484; Rob't Lockhart, Zerubbabel Chapter, No. 162; Jos. Eichbaum, Job Ablett, John Dun- woody, Geo. H. Brown, Sam'l Harper, Henry H. Arnold, Stephen C. McCandless, A. M. Pollock, Geo. Glass, Jas. Herdman, Geter C. Shidle, W. G. McCandless, C. C. Baer, George T. Oliver.
Mr. John Dunwoody called the meeting to order, and stated the object of this adjourned meeting to be the consideration of a resolu- tion offered at the meeting, December 5th, 1887, by Mr. W. B. Lupton, "authorizing the trustees to proceed at once with the erec- tion of a suitable building on the site of the old Hall, 5th Avenue, action on which was postponed by a motion made by Mr. Geo. T. Oliver, until Tuesday, Jan'y 3rd, 1888, at 7 o'clock, P. M.
The resolution was read, and also the report of Messrs. Guthrie & Harper, giving their opinion as to the powers of the Trustees under the Charter.
After a full discussion, a vote was taken, which resulted as fol- lows: In favor of the resolution-seventeen votes; against it-nine votes.
This action determined the erection of a new Masonic Hall to be on the site of the old Hall on 5th avenue.
Whatever difference of opinion there had been-and in fact, for a time there was considerable difference of opinion -as to the place on which to put up the new structure it was now ended. The decision of the Board of Trustees in favor of the Fifth avenue lot was formally and effectively confirmed by the stockholders, and from this date on the question did not again rise with any force, until years after- ward, when a movement began for the erection of another new Masonic edifice and ended in the selection of the site of the present great Temple. Having decided definitely as to the site, another proposition came up, to the effect that more ground should be acquired in order to enlarge the hold- ings of the Craft on Fifth avenue, but this proposition was negatived, and no additional ground was ever bought there.
Before the year 1887 ended the stockholders, of course, held their annual December meeting for the election of trustees for the ensuing twelve months. The old Board
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was unanimously reelected, being then, for 1888, as follows: George Glass, President; Herdman, Treasurer; Pollock, Sec- retary; and Brothers William G. McCandless, Geter C. Shidle, Charles C. Baer and George T. Oliver. The Board held its first meeting in 1888 on January 3, and this session is especially important as being the one at which was ap- pointed the first regular Relief Committee, in accordance with the provisions of Art. VI of the Charter, to the effect that when there shall come applications "for relief and assistance for those who come within the true intent, mean- ing and object of the Society, the said Board, or such of them as are above designated, shall or may disburse to the applicant or applicants such portion of the Society's funds as may be just and proper, in conformity with the wants and necessities of the party to be relieved." This first Re- lief Committee was made up of the following Trustees: Brothers Glass, Herdman and Pollock, officers of the Board. The creation of this permanent agency through which the Board could carry on its ever increasing work of fraternal helpfulness was certainly an important, as it was also an effective, addition to the factors through which the Trus- tees realized the great purposes of the Order-to give aid and encouragement whenever they were needed. And in this connection it may properly be said here that at no time has the Board of Trustees confined this noble work of help- fulness to only members of the Masonic Fraternity. Their financial aid has more than once been willingly extended to cases of necessity and to charitable and other institutions outside the Craft.
At this meeting of the Trustees on January 3 Brothers Herdman, Baer and Shidle were named the Hall committee for 1888, a committee which would have important and ex- acting duties and responsibilities on their hands, now that a new Hall was to be erected. Backed by the stockholders the Trustees then went resolutely ahead with the big task of preparing for the construction of the building. The question of funds was of course one of the first things to be considered, and it was in a general way decided that the cost of the new structure should not exceed $150,000, and, as will be seen further on, it was agreed to issue bonds for
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HISTORY OF THE MASONIC FUND SOCIETY
that amount, secured by a mortgage on the Masonic prop- erty. Having consulted various architects and builders and examined various tentative plans, the Board in March, 1888, made choice of those offered by Sheply, Rutan & Coolidge of Boston, Mass. The selection was made from numerous plans sent in, each set of plans being designated by special words or marks, without the names of the owners thereon. Thus when the Trustees voted on the choice, they were ignorant of the names of the architects who had submitted the various sets of plans. The unanimous choice fell to the Boston architects. The firm of Sheply, Rutan & Coolidge was at this time well known in Pittsburgh. There were the successors as architects of that celebrated genius, Henry Hobson Richardson, in the construction of the present Alle- gheny County court house, which from an architectural standpoint is considered to be one of the noted edifices in the world. Mr. Richardson had died in the year 1888, and his great creation was finished by the Boston architects. The design for the new Masonic Hall called for only a six story structure, but by reason of the great height of each story the building when completed towered over every other building then on Fifth avenue.
Having thus adopted the plans and chosen their ar- chitects, the Trustees proceeded to advertise for bids for the construction of the Hall. The successful bidder proved to be Charles A. Balf, of Pittsburgh. This choice was made at the opening of bids tendered at a meeting held June 23, of which this is the record:
Resolved, that the bid of C. A. Balf, offering to erect the build- ing of red sandstone for One Hundred and twenty-five Thousand Seven Hundred Dollars, ($125,700), be accepted, subject to a bond of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000), with two or more sureties; and forfeiture of Seventy-five dollars ($75.00) per day for not completing within the limited time. Unanimously adopted.
Although there is no mention in the minutes of the So- ciety prior to July 10, 1888, as to the manner of securing funds for the construction of a Hall, it is evident, from subsequent records, that the details had been completed of a plan by which the trustees should procure $150,000 by an issue of bonds to that amount, secured by a mortgage on the Masonic property. Then at the request of the Trustees,
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a stockholders meeting assembled on July 10, for the pur- pose of confirming the plans adopted by the Board. They had, prior to this session, sent out among the brethren the details of this plan in the form of a circular, of which the following is an exact copy :
Pittsburgh, July 1st, 1888.
The Masonic Fund Society is about to construct a new building to replace the Hall destroyed by fire last summer. The contract has been let, and the building will be ready for occupancy in something less than a year from this date. The building proper is to cost $125,700, and is estimated that about $25,000 more will be required to complete and furnish it, making the total expenditure about $150,- 000. To raise this sum, the Trustes have determined to issue bonds to the extent of $150,000, secured by a mortgage on the property of the Society. The bonds will be dated October 1st, 1888, will be pay- able in 20 years after date, and bear interest, payable semi-annually, at the rate of four per cent. per annum. They will be issued in denominations of $1,000 and $500, to suit subscribers.
It is not anticipated that the entire amount of $150,000 will be required, but the Trustees think it best to provide for that sum, to guard against all possible contingencies. They will only issue, how- ever, the amount actually required. When the building is completed and paid for, all unissued bonds will be cancelled.
We have been assured that all the bonds can be placed with one party; but the Trustees think it is due to the different Bodies meet- ing in the Hall, as well as to the members of the Fraternity, to give them an opportunity of subscribing for such amounts as they see proper. They, therefore, invite subscriptions from any Mason or Masonic Body up to the 1st day of September next, after which date all bonds not subscribed for will be disposed of in the market. It is earnestly requested that subscriptions be sent in as early as possible to the undersigned, No. 91 Wylie avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Fraternally,
A. M. Pollock, Secretary.
To accept this plan formally a stockholders meeting was held July 10 in the Masonic rooms in the Renshaw building, and the chairman of that gathering was Brother Joseph Eichbaum, of Pittsburgh, who was then the R. W. Grand Master of the Jurisdiction of Pennsylvania. Brother Pollock acted as secretary, and the record left by him of this meeting is of particular interest, as it gives the names of the stockholders who were present. The record is:
The Secretary read the following Resolution, which was unani- mously adopted:
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"Resolved, that the Trustees be and they are hereby authorized to borrow a sum of money not exceeding One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars for the purpose of erecting a building on the prop- erty of the Society on Fifth Avenue, in the City of Pittsburgh; that for that purpose they issue coupon bonds in one or more series, pay- able in not exceeding twenty-five years, of such denomination or de- nominations and at such a rate of interest not exceeding six per cent. per annum, as they may determine, and that they grant a mortgage to such person as they may select as Trustee, upon the property and franchises of the Society, to secure the payment of the same."
The following stockholders were present:
Thomas R. Boss, representing Pittsburgh Lodge No. 484.
Alfred S. Bishop, representing Franklin Lodge No. 221.
Theodore Havekotte, representing McCandless Lodge No. 390. George T. Oliver.
Robert Lockhart, representing Zerubbabel Chapter No. 162. Samuel H. Steele, representing Washington Lodge No. 253. John Dunlevy.
Geter C. Shidle.
George F. MacDonald, representing Milnor Lodge No. 287.
Charles C. Baer.
George Glass.
William B. Lupton.
Joseph Eichbaum.
Samuel Harper.
A. M. Pollock.
William Black, representing Allegheny Lodge No. 223. Job Ablett, representing Dallas Lodge No. 508.
The Trustees then met on July 28 to put into effect the plan as given in the above quoted minutes of the stock- holders' meeting. They selected the Fidelity Title & Trust Company, of Pittsburgh, as trustee of bonds amounting to $150,000, and executed in favor of that corporation a mort- gage on the Masonic property on Fifth avenue. After this financial arrangement was completed, there never came to the Society any pressing trouble about money to carry to the end the work of putting up the building. The next matter to which they had to turn their attention was the formal laying of the corner stone. The first record of this transaction is found in the minutes of a meeting held by the trustees July 3, 1888, at which this action was taken:
Resolved, that an invitation be extended to Joseph Eichbaum, R. W. Grand Master of Masons in Pennsylvania, to lay the Corner Stone of the Free Masons' Hall, with appropriate Masonic ceremonies, on the anniversary of the burning of the old Hall, August 12th, 1888;
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and that Messrs. Shidle and Baer be appointed a committee to make the necessary arrangements.
Further action concerning the new Hall was taken at the trustees meeting of July 28, when it was, "Resolved, that the motto to be placed on the new Hall be FREE- MASONS' HALL, and that the architect be notified of the same." It was under this significant designation that this Hall was always known until it was disposed of by sale in the year 1914. At this same session, July 28, it was resol- ved, "on motion of Mr. A. M. Pollock, that Mr. George Oliver be requested to deliver an address at the laying of the Cor- ner Stone." But Brother Oliver was then in Europe, and having been apprised of his selection as orator, sent a cable- gram from London, saying that he would not be back in time to attend the ceremony. The Board then designated the eloquent George W. Guthrie "to perform that duty."
For some reason not given in the records, at a meeting held August 7, the date of the laying of the corner stone, which had been fixed for September 12, which was the an- niversary date of the destruction of the old Hall in 1887, was changed to Tuesday, September 11, and on that day the impressive event took place. It was an important day in the city of Pittsburgh, and Fifth avenue was packed with people who desired to witness the ceremonies. Due to the wise foresight and admirable diligence of Brother A. M. Pollock, secretary of the Board of Trustees at that time, we are able to present here a notably complete and interesting report of the proceedings. This recital of the events of the day, with the names of so many members of the Craft, is set down by Brother Pollock as the report of the "Commit- tee to whom was referred the arrangements for laying the corner stone of the new Free Masons' Hall, 5th Ave.," and is as follows:
Agreeably to the request made by the Trustees, the R. W. Grand Master, Joseph Eichbaum, Esq., assisted by the other Grand Officers of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, conducted the ceremonies, and at high noon, Sept. 11th, 1888, the copper box containing the following articles was placed in the niche by Brother Thomas R. Patton, Grand Treasurer. The R. W. Grand Master, after the usual ceremonies, pro- claimed the Corner Stone duly laid. Bro. George W. Guthrie deliver- ed the address, which was full of fraternal sympathy, abounding in
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reminiscences, and held the closest attention of the great crowd of brethren in attendance.
The Grand Officers officiating were as follows:
Joseph Eichbaum, R. W. Grand Master,
Clifford P. MacCalla, R. W. Deputy Grand Master,
J. Simpson Africa, R. W. S. Grand Warden,
Michael Arnold, R. W. J. Grand Warden,
Thomas R. Patton, R. W. Grand Treasurer, Michael Nisbett, R. W. Grand Secretary,
David A. Stevenson, Lodge 45, Assistant Grand Secretary,
Stephen S. McCandless, Lodge No. 287, Senior Grand Deacon, William Mazer, Lodge No. 231, Junior Grand Deacon, Richard H. Allen, D. D., Grand Chaplain, Joseph E. Lewis, Lodge No. 390, Grand Steward,
William McConway, Lodge No. 484, Grand Steward, Thomas J. Hudson, Grand Marshal,
John D. Kramer, Lodge No. 318, Grand Sword Bearer,
William S. Bell, Lodge No. 544, Grand Pursuivant, William A. Sinn, Grand Tyler,
Geter C. Shidle, D. D. G. M., 28th District,
James S. Mckean, D. D. G. M., 32nd District,
Matthias H. Henderson, D. D. G. M., 26th District,
William B. Meredith, D. D. G. M., 27th District, George W. Guthrie, Lodge No. 221, Orator.
The lodges in the line of procession, headed by their Worshipful Masters, were as follows:
Corinthian
Lodge, No. 573.
Alexander M. Johnston
Meyersdale
554
Kennedy Price
Duquesne
546
Henry Moseley
Centennial
544
Robert J. Hardy
Oakland
535
John Rebman
John W. Jenks
66
534 James A. Minish
Ionic
525
Walter Lyon
Guyasuta
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