Freemasons' Hall—The Main Building.

Freemasons' Hall — The Main Building .

IN the proceeding issue we gave illustrations of , and letterpress concerning , the new wing at Freemasons' Hall . In this instance we shall confine

ourselves to the older part of the building , relying upon the accompanying photographs to give some conception of the handsome character of the

staircase , of the ornate Temple , and of many of the apartments in the historic edilice , a structure which we believe to be of so much interest to nil Masons

both within and outside the metropolis . Reference has been made in our hrst article to- the ancient taverns used as places of

meeting before the new home was begun in Great Queen Street . There may be said to be two special periods of interest in the history of the Hall , which litis , so to speak , grown round the old Temple . We allude

to the opening and dedication of the Hall on the 23 rd Ala }' , 177 6 , and the time when , thirty-seven years later , the two Grand Lodges were merged into one . It was on the 27 th December , 1813 ( the Festival of St . John the Evangelist ) , and at Freemasons' Hall that the two Grand Lodges ^ founded in 1717 and 1751 , joined as one body in the Union of the Grand Lodge of England .

ENTRANCE TO TBMPLK .

CLERKS' OFFICE .

The inauguration of "The New" Masonic Hall took place on the . 14 th April , 186 9 , the Grand Master R . W . Bro . the Right Hon . the Earl of Zetland , presiding over Grand Lodge , which was a large and distinguished one , including R . W . Bro . the Right Hon . the Earl of Dalhousie , Grand Master for Scotland , the Right Hon . the Earl Limerick , Prov . Grand Master for Bristol , and many others .

It was largely due to the efforts of Lord Petre , to whose life and work Masonry is greatly indebted , and who succeeded the Duke of Beaufort , as Grand

Master , on the 4 th of May , 1772 , that special attempts were made , as the old historian William Preston informs us , " for better securing the property

belonging to the Society . " A considerable sum had been subscribed for the purpose of building a Hall , and a committee was appointed to

superintend the management of that business . Every measure was adopted to enforce the laws for raising a new fund to carry the designs of the Society into

execution , and no pains were spared by the Committee to complete the purpose of their appointment . By their ' report to Grand Lodge on ( lie 27 th of

April , 1 774 , it appeared that they had contracted for the purchase of a plot of ground and