Mecca Temple
Also known as: City Center 55th Street Dance Theater
Why it's listed
Mecca Temple is a large theater and lodge building at 131 West 55th Street in Manhattan, extending through the block to West 56th Street. Harry P. Knowles designed it for the Shriners, and it was built in 1922-24. The 55th Street front is a sandstone cube topped by a green-glazed tile dome, with an arcade of nine horseshoe arches, polychrome glazed terra cotta and the scimitar and crescent motif. A twelve-story brick tower on 56th Street held lodge rooms and offices, and the 3,000-seat auditorium has Moorish-inspired interior decoration. The design is valued as a rare, well-preserved example of fraternal architecture, with decoration that signals the order's Middle Eastern heritage and a layout that reflects its uses. After financial troubles in the 1930s, the city acquired the property, and in 1943 the City Center of Music and Drama opened here. It later became a home for dance companies and still operates as a dance theater.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a distinctive, intact example of fraternal architecture in New York City. Its Moorish-inspired design, with an alfiz, horseshoe arches and the scimitar and crescent motif, expresses the Shriners' heritage while reflecting the building's varied functions. It also housed City Center of Music and Drama from 1943, an early case of local government subsidizing the arts, and continues as a dance theater.
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 84002788, listed September 7, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 131 N. 55th St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Manhattan |
| Listed | September 7, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002788 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific dates 1922-24) |
| Architect / builder | Harry P. Knowles |
| Architectural style | Moorish-inspired (described as "Saracenic," "Moorish-Baroque" and "modified Arabian") |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in use as a dance theater; condition listed as excellent and altered, with the interior seating pitch and rear auditorium wall rebuilt recently to improve sight lines. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.76403, -73.97949 (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 84002788.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q535631
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.