В Данвилле реставрируют исторический масонский храм, возведенный после разрушительного пожара 1920 года

To the casual passerby, it is a stately ten-story structure of terra cotta and reinforced concrete standing at the corner of Main and Union Streets. But to those alive in the bitter winter of 1920, it is something much more. It is a monument born from tragedy. On the frigid night of January 3, 1920, flames burst from the Z. V. Johnson department store and, driven by gale-force winds, swept through the very heart of the 400 block of Main St. Firemen battled heroically for hours while water froze beneath their feet and sparks filled the midnight sky. One by one, some of the city's finest businesses fell victim to the raging inferno. Standing prominently at the corner of Main St. and South Union St. was the five-story Masonic Temple. Many believed its sturdy masonry walls would withstand the inferno. Instead, smoke soon poured from beneath the roof, windows burst from the intense heat, and before morning the familiar landmark had been reduced to a gutted shell, with partially collapsed walls. The loss marked one of the darkest chapters in Danville's commercial heritage. Plans soon emerged for an entirely new Masonic Temple, twice the height of its predecessor and unlike anything previously seen in Southside Virginia. Constructed of reinforced concrete and richly ornamented terra cotta, the new building would be virtually fireproof, combining modern office facilities with elegant commercial storefronts and magnificent and ornately appointed Masonic quarters. Construction was ambitious and, at times, difficult. Unexpected delays caused by improperly fabricated structural steel failed to diminish the determination of those overseeing the project. Every obstacle was met with the conviction that Danville deserved a building equal to its growing reputation. By the fall of 1922, the outline of the building stood against the Danville skyline. Scaffolding slowly began disappearing from around the façade with merchants eagerly prepared to occupy the new building. Every storefront facing Main and Union Streets had been leased before construction was complete. The prominent Main Street corner became home to Patterson Drug Company, whose marble tile floors matched those of the grand lobby itself. Above its sales floor, a mezzanine housed the prescription department while a lift and dumbwaiter connected the store to basement stockrooms, making it one of the most modern drug stores in Virginia. Next door, Brown Jewelry Company created what many described as one of the finest jewelry establishments in the Commonwealth. Rich mahogany showcases, skilled watchmakers, and an upstairs workshop reflected the elegance expected of a first-class jeweler. The third Main Street storefront welcomed Rich-Moore, offering fashionable men's clothing beneath soaring ceilings and a mezzanine used for offices and displays. Visitors entering the Masonic Temple from South Union Street pushed through a double set of revolving doors, encountering a handsome marble-floored arcade-style lobby extending through the heart of the building, capped with a barrel-vaulted ceiling with inset translucent panels, providing natural light to the lobby. Where the present-day entry to the bathrooms are, with the display cases, was originally home to a marble encased cigar stand. Closest to the elevators was the lone display case and tucked behind it was a telegraph room. Right before you went down the steps to the basement there was a phone booth hidden in the wall. The cigar stand would later be removed and replaced with a more expansive display case which was shared and later altered when the bathrooms were added into the adjoining store. That store was originally occupied, shortly, by a bank and later a book and stationary supply store in the first decade of opening. Below street level, the Temple Barber Shop became another attraction. Advertised as Danville's most modern barber shop, it featured six chairs, expert barbers, immaculate surroundings, and every modern convenience. Above the bustling stores rose 188 office suites served by elevators, telephones, mail chutes, and janitorial service. The uppermost floors housed the beautifully appointed Blue Lodge, Royal Arch Chapter, and Knights Templar rooms, together with a banquet hall and an auditorium capable of seating five hundred persons. The building quickly became much more than a Masonic headquarters. Doctors, attorneys, insurance agencies, merchants, civic organizations, and professional offices filled its upper floors. In 1926, while Danville constructed a new City Hall, municipal departments temporarily occupied twenty offices in the Temple, and City Council even conducted its meetings within the building's auditorium, turning Danville’s premier office, retail and lodge building into Danville’s seat of government for a time. As the decade progressed, businesses adapted and expanded. Brown Jewelry introduced an optical department, while storefronts on Union Street welcomed new merchants. Yet despite changing tenants, the Temple remained what its founders intended; a thriving center of commerce, business, and civic life. For more than a century, the Masonic Temple has been a witness to Danville's changing fortunes. It has welcomed generations of merchants and professionals and served as a center of commerce, business, and civic life. Though it has stood largely vacant over the past decade or two, the building's story has never truly ended. Today, restoration efforts are underway to transform the historic landmark into a boutique hotel, carefully preserving its architectural character while giving it a new purpose. Just as the Masonic Temple rose from the ashes in the 1920s to become a symbol of Danville's resilience and optimism, it now stands on the threshold of another new beginning, once again welcoming visitors and playing a vital role in the life of downtown for generations to come.