Masonic Temple and Theater

The Masonic Temple and Theater is a historic building at 516 Hancock Street in New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina. It is associated with Saint John's Lodge No. 3, A.F. & A.M., and combines the functions of a Masonic lodge with those of a theater and community performance venue. The building is notable both for its long architectural history and for its continuing connection with local cultural activity. The original portion of the structure was built between 1802 and 1809. It is a tall, two-story Federal-style brick building, seven bays wide and four bays deep, set above a high basement and covered by a hipped roof. This early section reflects the formal, restrained architectural language of the Federal period and remains the principal historic component of the property. The site also has an association with a duel that took place there in 1802, before or during the period in which the building was constructed. The property changed over time through additions and alterations. A substantial addition was made in 1904, while significant remodeling occurred in 1847 and again in 1917. These interventions created the layered appearance and mixed historical character of the present complex. Rather than representing a single unchanged building campaign, the site records successive phases of use and adaptation in New Bern. Its institutional identity is tied to Saint John's Lodge No. 3, whose Masonic activities give the property its temple designation. At the same time, the theater component has allowed the building to serve a wider civic and cultural role. The Masonic Theatre is currently home to RiverTowne Players, a local community theater group, making the site an active venue as well as a preserved historic resource. The Masonic Temple and Theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. That designation recognizes the significance of the building's architecture, historical associations, and place within New Bern's built heritage. The property is therefore best understood not as a commercial consumer brand but as a historic civic, fraternal, and performing-arts venue whose identity is shared by its lodge history and its continuing theatrical use.

The Masonic Temple and Theater stands at 516 Hancock Street in New Bern, North Carolina, and is historically connected with Saint John's Lodge No. 3, A.F. & A.M. The property is both a Masonic temple and a theater, giving it an institutional and cultural role within the city. Its history extends back to the early nineteenth century, when New Bern was developing a substantial collection of civic, religious, commercial, and residential buildings. The original building was constructed between 1802 and 1809. Its principal section is a tall, two-story Federal-style brick structure measuring seven bays across and four bays in depth. The building rises above a high basement and has a hipped roof. These features give the structure a formal vertical presence and identify the earliest portion with the Federal architectural tradition. The site is also associated with a duel in 1802, an event that forms part of the property's documented historical setting. The structure was not preserved as an entirely static early-nineteenth-century building. It underwent remodeling in 1847, reflecting the changing needs and circumstances of its occupants. A major addition followed in 1904, expanding or adapting the complex more than a century after the original construction. Another substantial remodeling took place in 1917. The resulting property incorporates multiple periods of construction and alteration, showing how the building was repeatedly adjusted for continued institutional and theatrical use. Saint John's Lodge No. 3 is the Masonic organization associated with the building, and the temple function remains central to its historical identity. Masonic lodge buildings commonly serve as meeting places and ceremonial spaces for their fraternal organizations; in this case, that purpose exists alongside a theater function. The combination makes the property distinctive within New Bern's historic architecture, since it represents both organized fraternal activity and public-facing cultural use. The theater portion has continued to support local performance. The Masonic Theatre is currently the home of RiverTowne Players, a community theater group in New Bern. This use gives the historic building an ongoing civic role rather than reducing it to a solely commemorative or museum-like site. The venue's theatrical identity also explains the inclusion of “Theater” in the property's commonly used name. In 1972, the Masonic Temple and Theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The listing recognized the importance of the property as a historic building and recorded its architectural and historical associations. The building's significance rests on the survival of its early Federal-style core, its documented alterations in 1847, 1904, and 1917, its connection with Saint John's Lodge No. 3, its association with the 1802 duel, and its continuing role as a community theater venue. Today, it is best described as a preserved but active historic landmark in New Bern, linking early American architecture, Masonic history, and local performing arts.

• 1972

  National Register listing

  [1]Masonic Temple and Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The Masonic Temple and Theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

• 1917

  Further remodeling

  [1]Masonic Temple and Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The property was remodeled again, contributing to its layered present-day form.

• 1904

  Major addition completed

  [1]Masonic Temple and Theateren.wikipedia.org

  A major addition expanded or altered the historic complex.

• 1847

  Building remodeled

  [1]Masonic Temple and Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The building underwent a documented remodeling as its institutional use continued.

• 1809

  Original building completed

  [1]Masonic Temple and Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The original Federal-style brick section was built during the period from 1802 to 1809.

• 1802

  Duel associated with the site

  [1]Masonic Temple and Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The site is documented as the location of a duel in 1802.

A historic New Bern civic and cultural landmark combining Masonic institutional use, Federal-period architecture, and community theater activity.

• Fraternal meeting and ceremonial space

  Masonic lodge facilities

  The building serves as the home of Saint John's Lodge No. 3, A.F. & A.M. Its temple function represents the property's original and continuing connection with Masonic organizational activity, including lodge meetings and related institutional use.

• Community theater venue

  Masonic Theatre

  The theater component provides a performance space within the historic building. It is currently associated with RiverTowne Players, a local community theater organization, and allows the property to function as an active cultural venue in addition to its historic and fraternal roles.

• 1972

  Masonic Temple and Theater listed on the National Register of Historic Places[1]Masonic Temple and Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The New Bern Masonic Temple and Theater received National Register of Historic Places recognition, formally documenting its architectural and historical importance.

1. 1Masonic Temple and Theateren.wikipedia.org