National Register of Historic Places

Masonic Temple

Ames, Story County, Iowa
Listed
September 11, 2016
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
16000608

About this property

The Masonic Temple, also known as the A.F. & A.M. Hall, Masonic Building, Greeley Building, and the Octagon Center for the Arts, is a historic building located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Built between 1916 and 1917, the three-story, brick, Neoclassical building was designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Liebbe, Nourse & Rasmussen. It was commissioned by Wallace M. Greeley, an Ames banker and civic leader. The building was built at the high point of Progressive Era construction in the central business district, and with several other noteworthy public and semi-public buildings, marked Ames' transition from a rural town to a modern city. Arcadia Lodge #249 occupied the third floor of the building from its completion in 1917 to 1997, when they built a new building on Alexander Avenue. The building features multi-colored brick, symmetrical facades, pilasters for storefronts, cast stone columns that flank the main entrance, and a projecting band of cast stone above the third-floor windows. The building was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. It was included as a contributing property in the Ames Main Street Historic District in 2018.

Location

413, 417, 427, 429 Douglas Ave.
Ames, Story County, Iowa
42.02592, -93.61227

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTAGRICULTURE
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Masonic Temple

This page lists Masonic Temple. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Masonic Temple report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Municipal Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Bandshell Park Historic District
Industrial
0.2 mi
Ames High School
Industrial
0.3 mi
Budd, Prof, J.L., Sarah M., and Etta Budd, House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Old Town Historic District
Listed
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Masonic Temple listed on the National Register?

Masonic Temple was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 11, 2016.

What type of historic resource is Masonic Temple?

Masonic Temple is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Masonic Temple?

The period of significance for Masonic Temple is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Masonic Temple?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Masonic Temple will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Story County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Story County.

Explore StoryCounty ›

More historic places in Iowa

Browse all historic places in Iowa.

View Iowahistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Iowa history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Iowahistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Masonic Temple will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report