Highland Park Masonic Temple
Why it's listed
At the southwest corner of Figueroa Street and Avenue 56 in Highland Park, this two-story brick building combines street-level shops with a second-floor lodge room and dining hall. Architect Elmore R. Jeffrey, himself a member of the lodge, designed it in a Mediterranean/Spanish Revival style. Features include a five-arch second-story colonnade with twisted columns, a tile overhang on corbels, a frieze of Masonic symbols and an ornate pediment at the Avenue 56 entrance. Masonic Lodge #382 formed in 1906, bought the site in 1919, laid the cornerstone in December 1922 and held its first meeting in the building in July 1923. Other fraternal and youth groups also met there. The building is considered important for its role in the community's civic life and as one of few surviving brick-faced commercial and institutional buildings in the business district. The period of significance ends in 1939. Storefronts were altered in 1935 and 1955, and a 1988 rehabilitation restored the transoms.
Significance in brief: It is significant in social history under Criterion A as the first permanent home of Masonic Lodge #382, one of Highland Park's influential civic organizations. It is also significant under Criterion C as a very good example of a mixed-use commercial building in Mediterranean/Spanish Revival style, one of a small number of brick-faced institutional buildings in the district.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 89002268, listed January 18, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 104 N. Avenue 56, Los Angeles |
|---|---|
| County | Los Angeles County |
| Listed | January 18, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89002268 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1922-1939 |
| Architect / builder | Jeffrey, Elmore Robinson |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and early 20th century Revivals: Spanish Revival, Mediterranean Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated in 1988 as a certified rehabilitation; storefronts, offices and meeting spaces are in use, and the building is still used for social gatherings and community meetings. The Masons sold it in 1982. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 34.10901, -118.19450 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 89002268.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5759005
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.