Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania

MASONIC LIBRARY AND MUSEUM OF PENNSYLVANIA

“It’s a tribute to Pennsylvania Masons that they recognized the need to preserve their heritage.”

As both a Freemason and a retired librarian, Brother Carl Doan is very aware of the benefits of the Masonic Library and Museum of Pennsylvania.

“It’s important to preserve Masonic history, with Freemasonry being the oldest fraternal organization in the world,” he said.

“We have such a great and long history, it’s both natural and necessary for Masonry to have a museum to store and display artifacts, as well as a library to hold our written legacy. We celebrate our past and should do everything we can to preserve it.” Carl lives in New Jersey now, but he grew up in Pennsylvania. While a student at Elizabethtown College in the 1970s, Carl catalogued historic homes and buildings in Marietta, PA, for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

Last year, Carl was contacted by a professor at Elizabethtown College who was teaching a course where students worked with Marietta officials to recognize historic structures and promote the town. The students found some of Carl’s earlier work and reached out to him.

“One of the students found an old tavern and thought maybe there was a tie with Masonry, but he couldn’t find any direct connection,” Carl said. “Since I lived near Philadelphia, I figured I could find out. There was a lodge in Elizabethtown that had closed its doors and moved to Marietta.”

Carl contacted Masonic Temple librarian Cathy Giaimo. Together, they located the lodge register, names of lodge members and a list of bylaws. He learned the Square & Compass Inn was the original meeting place of Lodge No. 116, until around 1825. He sent his findings to the students. Calling the library an “invaluable resource,” Carl also appreciated that Cathy was accommodating in letting him use the materials.

“It’s very refreshing to have a friendly atmosphere and access to documents,” he said.

Carl has worked for the Burlington County (NJ) Library and was a librarian in New Jersey Governor Tom Kean’s office. A self-proclaimed “history buff,” for him, the Masonic Temple will always be a highlight. “It’s a magnificent place,” he said. “It’s a tribute to Pennsylvania Masons that they recognized the need to preserve their heritage and the core of what they believe in, which is housed in that building. It’s a treasure very few states have. They should be very proud they’ve been able to maintain and keep it.”

As the Masonic Temple was periodically closed for tours and Masonic lodge meetings due to COVID-19 in 2021, we undertook important maintenance and restoration projects, as well as organized our archives and enhanced our online reach. The Illumination Project, which will light the Masonic Temple alongside other landmark cultural institutions on the Avenue of the Arts, was successfully funded, thanks to generous supporters.

Thank you to all who continue to help us share the light of Freemasonry. • Garnered 238% INCREASE in views on Masonic

Temple’s YouTube page

• Catalogued 4,500-5,000 OBJECTS in the archives

• Added 61 NEW BOOKS

• Answered 340 RESEARCH REQUESTS

• Catalogued 3,127 MANUSCRIPTS