{"nrhp_refnum":"76001640","name":"Masonic Temple","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"74 S. 2nd St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Chambersburg","county":"Franklin County","state":"PA","lat":39.93571950000006,"lon":-77.65935804199995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1976-06-18","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story brick Masonic lodge building with a stuccoed exterior in Chambersburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, built in 1823-24.","why_significant":"The building is the oldest Masonic building west of the Susquehanna River and has been used exclusively for Masonic purposes. It was spared when Confederate forces burned Chambersburg on July 30, 1864, reportedly because the Confederate commander was a Mason. It is regarded as a fine example of early Classical architecture, unusual for the area at the time.","narrative":"Built in 1823-24 in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, the Masonic Temple is a two-story brick building with a stucco veneer applied in 1905. Brother Silas Harry served as both architect and contractor; on May 15, 1823, he offered to construct and finish the building for $2,500. The building measures 32 by 67 feet and has a false front, a recessed entrance supported by two columns, a large semicircular stained glass window above the entrance, and a frieze of triglyphs and swagged metopes beneath a dentilled cornice. Its roof has gables extending in four directions. It is the oldest Masonic building west of the Susquehanna River and has been used only for Masonic purposes. Confederate forces burned much of Chambersburg on July 30, 1864, but the temple was spared, according to tradition because the Confederate commander was a Mason. A two-story addition was built in 1966 by Buchart and Harn Associates of York.","period_of_significance":"1823-1899","architect_builder":"Brother Silas Harry (architect and builder/contractor)","architectural_style":"Neo-classical","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":null,"vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:30.94119-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/76001640.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76001640/8833d2a5f8-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76001640/8833d2a5f8-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Smallbones","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Masonic_Temple_Cburg.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Smallbones</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Masonic_Temple_Cburg.JPG"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"82003789","name":"Chambersburg Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/pennsylvania/chambersburg-historic-district-82003789/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71994973","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masonic_Temple_(Chambersburg,_Pennsylvania)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6783713"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/franklin-county/masonic-temple-76001640/"}