Lynn Masonic Hall
Also known as: Lynn Young Men's Christian Association
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Located at 64-68 Market Street in Lynn, this four-story brick block was built in 1880 as the home of the Lynn Young Men's Christian Association and is now Masonic Hall. Boston architect H. J. Preston won a design competition for the building, which cost $57,390 and was finished by January 1881. Its facades use pressed brick with buff sandstone trim, pointed-arch wall panels, decorative brick bands and cast-iron railings above the cornice. A high slate hip-on-hip roof covers an interior auditorium. Apart from a modern storefront and doors on Market Street, the exterior remains largely original. The building matters as one of the last Victorian Gothic structures in Lynn's central business district, where most others were lost to the Fire of 1889 and to demolition in the 1960s and 1970s. It is also said to be the first YMCA building in Massachusetts built for that purpose. The Masonic Lodge rented a hall there early on, and the Masonic Temple Association bought the property in 1922.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a major local example of Victorian Gothic architecture, one of very few surviving in Lynn's central business district after the Fire of 1889 and later demolitions. It is also associated with the Lynn YMCA, said to be the first YMCA building constructed for that purpose in Massachusetts, and later with the Masonic order.
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 79000333, listed August 21, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 64-68 Market St., Lynn |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | August 21, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000333 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1880 |
| Architect / builder | H. J. Preston |
| Architectural style | Victorian Gothic |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition and occupied; owned by the Lynn Masonic Temple Association since 1922, with a modern storefront and modern doors on the Market Street facade. |
| Acreage | 7.3 |
| Coordinates | 42.46344, -70.94919 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 79000333.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6709122
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.