Masonic Temple - Providence

The Masonic Temple Building is one of the most striking buildings in Providence and was in danger of demolition from the moment its exterior shell was completed. The RI Masons began construction on the Temple and an adjoining public auditorium in 1926, but were halted in 1928 and never restarted due to the Great Depression. In 1945, the State of Rhode Island acquired both properties and completed construction of what would be known as Veterans Memorial Auditorium, but did not complete the Masonic Temple.

Over the decades the State commissioned many studies for reuse (legislative offices, state archives, records repository, parking garage and others) but none were physically or financially viable. The Temple stood in one of the most prominent locations in Providence alongside the RI State House for 75 years; a beautiful neoclassical shell without a use. Its copper roof was stolen by scavengers, the interior of the building was exposed to the elements which accelerated its deterioration..

In 1994 when I became director of the Providence Preservation Society (PPS) we inaugurated our Ten Most Endangered Properties List program which identified and advocated for the preservation of the historic resources on the list. PPS organized and held an intensive one-day charette (with 120 participants from engineering, finance, architecture, and real estate development) which identified several feasible reuses. We then successfully advocated with Governor Lincoln Almond and legislative leaders to enable the private sector to take on the Temple through a national RFP process. In the end, Sage Hospitality Resources successfully proposed transforming the building into a luxury hotel and after a massive rehabilitation the building was transformed into the Renaissance Providence Hotel.

More information can be read in the New York Times article: https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/24/realestate/commercial/24sqft.html