Lincoln, Maine

Brandon Russell
"Research your topic and summarize the ‘who, what, when, and where’ in the form of a few paragraphs"

Imagine one day at sundown, you walk by a mysterious building. You look, then out of nowhere two bulky men dart out in front of you and invite you to their secret meeting at the Masonic Hall.

The Masonic Hall was built by Asa F. Richardson in 1904 for the purpose of meetings and other purposes. It was located on the intersection of Main and Burton Streets. The first meeting was held March 25, 1904 by the Freemasons. The hall also held a pool hall, family theater, and a gymnasium in which they had basketball games and boxing matches. The town office was on the second floor, also the court system was located there, and eye exams were taken there. They also had a private kitchen, the Masonic Lodge, reception rooms, army and police offices located on the top floor. Public dining rooms and kitchens were in the basement.

People other than the Masons were allowed in the hall since it was a public building, though, like the Rainbow Girls and some high school civic students who attended town meetings. The town continues to hold meetings here.

The Masons were sort of considered cultists by some, but by others they were considered holy men of Christian faith. The Masons were very mysterious because they held secret meetings and other gatherings. They were for sure a secret organization. The Masons continue to use this hall for their meetings.

Bryce Pelkey
"Create a statement and prove or disprove it with evidence from your research"

Statement: The Masonic Hall was, and is still, an important building to the town of Lincoln.

The things that prove this statement include the fact that important meetings were held at the Masonic Hall, like town discussions and secretive meetings held by the Freemasons. Also, it was a place where people could hang out; there was a pool hall and a theater named The Family Theater. Last, the hall is still on Main Street today and is the Lincoln Town Hall where town meetings are held.

The things that disprove this statement are that not as many important people that came to Lincoln have visited there. For example, it is said that the 18th president of the United States, Ulysses S. Grant, stayed in the Lincoln House Hotel. As far as we know, no notable people have visited or made an impact on the Masonic Hall.

Justin Smith
"How does this topic connect to you in your life today?"

The Masonic Hall is located on Main Street in Lincoln. It can connect to my life because they still use the same building for some meetings. My dad has been to town meetings there before. It’s not as popular a meeting place as it used to be. Also, it is now used as the Lincoln Town Hall where you can get your hunting and fishing licenses. I could get mine there. Another thing is, you can get a passport there and you can also register your vehicle and many other things. My parents register their cars there every year. The last way I can connect with this is, I usually watch the Lincoln Homecoming Parade from the front of the Masonic Hall in the summers.

Works Cited

“Masonic Hall, Lincoln, 1904.” Maine Memory Network. Maine Historical Society. Web. 6 Apr. 2010. http://www.mainememory.net/bin/Detail?ln=33503

Morrison, Roger. "Masonic Hall." Telephone interview. 6 Apr. 2010.

Pinkham, Addie B. Lincoln Historical Society, Various Articles. Lincoln Historical Society. Print.