{"nrhp_refnum":"05000245","name":"Farmersville Masonic Lodge No. 214, A.F. and A.M","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"101 S. Main st.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Farmersville","county":"Collin County","state":"TX","lat":33.16553034900005,"lon":-96.36008030699998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2005-03-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Social History"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story Italianate commercial block of locally quarried limestone at 101 South Main Street on the town square in Farmersville, Collin County, Texas. It was built c. 1888 for Farmersville Masonic Lodge No. 214, A.F. & A.M.","why_significant":"The nomination argues significance under Criterion A in the area of Social History, at the local level, for its association with the early fraternal history of Farmersville. The lodge met upstairs from 1889 until 1966, and many prominent early citizens were members. It is also one of the oldest surviving buildings on the square and withstood fires that destroyed parts of downtown.","narrative":"Built around 1888 on the town square in Farmersville, Texas, this two-story limestone building served as the home of Masonic Lodge No. 214 for nearly eight decades. The Italianate design features a bracketed pressed tin cornice, a round-arched second-story window, and locally quarried, rough-faced ashlar walls. A ground-floor mercantile space was rented to businesses, while the upstairs hall held lodge meetings from 1889 until the Masons moved to a new building in 1966. The lodge was chartered in 1858, and many of the town's leading citizens belonged to it. Members also performed ceremonial duties, such as laying church cornerstones. The building survived the fires that repeatedly damaged the downtown district and is among the oldest structures on the square. Its first floor has housed a local newspaper since 1956. Water damage and neglect have affected parts of the structure, but its limestone masonry, cornice, and painted stencil work remain largely intact. It was recognized for its role in the town's early social and fraternal life.","period_of_significance":"c. 1888 - 1955","architect_builder":"unknown","architectural_style":"Late Victorian: Italianate","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"The first floor still houses a newspaper office, while the upstairs fraternal hall is abandoned. The building has water infiltration and deterioration and needs stabilization.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:24.121899-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/24/9715/40971524/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/05000245.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05000245/d596289096-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/05000245/d596289096-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Renelibrary","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FarmersLodge1.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Renelibrary</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FarmersLodge1.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40971524","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmersville_Masonic_Lodge_No._214,_A.F._and_A.M.","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5435836"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/collin-county/farmersville-masonic-lodge-no-214-a-f-and-a-m-05000245/"}