National Register of Historic Places

Masonic Temple Building

Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois
Listed
February 11, 1982
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82002532

About this property

The Masonic Temple Building (also known as the Scoville Block, Gilmore's Store, and Scoville Square Building) is a historic Prairie-style building in Oak Park, Illinois, at the corner of Oak Park Avenue and Lake Street. It is in the Ridgeland-Oak Park Historic District and was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The building is one of only a few commercial buildings built in the Prairie School architectural style. The three-story building was built for C. B. Scoville to a design by E. E. Roberts and was constructed between 1906 and 1909. The first floor was designed for retail use, with iron and glass storefronts. A course of limestone separates the storefronts from the upper stories, which are faced with brick. A fourth story was added in 1914. Architectural details in the interior include an oak staircase and a lobby with leaded art-glass windows and marble wainscoting. Oak Park's Masonic lodges were among the building's first tenants. After the Masons vacated the premises, the building was sold to Gilmore's Department Store. The department store used the building from 1930 until it closed in the 1970s. After Gilmore's department store closed, the village of Oak Park bought the building to save it from demolition and contributed public money toward its restoration and renovation. Restoration work including removal of a black glass facade that Gilmore's had applied to the building. The building is now known as the Scoville Square building and houses retail business on the ground floor and offices on its upper floors.

Location

119--137 N. Oak Park Ave.
Oak Park, Cook County, Illinois
41.88809, -87.79485

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
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.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Unity Temple
Industrial
0.1 mi
Scoville Place
Listed
0.1 mi
Thomas, Frank, House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Ridgeland-Oak Park Historic District
Listed
0.3 mi
Gale, Mrs. Thomas H., House
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Fort Dearborn — Evacuation Route Ambush 1812
1812Early Republic
7.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Masonic Temple Building listed on the National Register?

Masonic Temple Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 11, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Masonic Temple Building?

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

What is the period of significance for Masonic Temple Building?

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

Can I research the history near Masonic Temple Building?

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