The Proposed Appropriation Of The Property For Masonic Purposes.

THE PROPOSED APPROPRIATION OF THE PROPERTY FOR MASONIC PURPOSES .

LONDON , SATTIRLAi : AUGUST % 1 SG 3 .

BY BKO . "W . -T . TIIETJIOTT . Premising that tlie property to lie dealt with , consists of Bacon ' s Hotel , the Offices , the Tavern , ancl Jfos . 60 ancl 59 , Great Queen-street in the front , some small houses in the rear of 59 ancl CO , ancl some

workshops ancl premises in the yard behind the Offices ancl Bacon ' s Hotel , I propose to pull down Nos . 59 ancl GO , Great Queen-street ancl all the small houses at the rear , and to erect on the spot , thus left vacant ( and which is about 19 Sft . deep and 4 Sft . wide ) ,

a new and commodious hall in the rear , and next the street adjoining the Tavern , a house , Mft . square with a handsome stone front , and a porch of elegant and appropi'iate design . On the basement will be several rooms for the

accommodation of the Tyler . On the ground floor , a corridor , 10 ft . wide , leading from the porchway or entrance through the house to a vestibule , in which will be a grand winding staircase leading up to the Masonic Hall ¦ beyond ( ancl under the new hall ) will be hat and cloak rooms ,

dressingrooms , " W . C . ' s , & c , a kitchen or bar for refreshments , and a large , well-lighted coffee room . On either side of the corridor in the front house there are four offices for the Grand Secretary and his Clerks , and a staircase leading up stairs . On the first floor in the front house will be a com

mittee room , whicli will serve as the Grand Officers ' dining room or a lodge room , as occasion requires , 42 by 18 ; a room for the Grand Master , which will serve as a waiting-room , 17 by 13 ; ancl a Grand Officers' room , or library , 22 by 14 , each of these

communicating with a lobby ; and thencs by an elegant and appropriate gallery on one side of the vestibule , the procession and Grand Officers will pass to the upper landing of the winding staircase and into the new Masonic Hall at the rear . The Masonic Hall

will be about 82 by 42 , and is to be devoted solely to Kasonic purposes , in the most ample sense , including the meetings of Grand Lodge , Grand Chapter , the Grand Meetings of the high grades , and other Masonic festivals ; the present hall is 73 by 37 . At the entrance of the hall will be two ante-rooms for

signing names , ancl other purposes , and some retiring i'ooins ; ancl at the north end will be a gallery . On the second and third floors of the front house will be a ktrge lodge room , and two other rooms . Nothing will *> e built over the hall or vestibule . The proposed new buildings , as shown in the ac

The Proposed Appropriation Of The Property For Masonic Purposes.

comp . inying plan , are all to be to tlie west of the tavern , where now Nos . 59 and 60 , Great Queenstreet and several small houses iu Q . ueen's-place are situate . The new building may be snicl to be divided into

three parts : — 1 st . A front house , to consist of four offices , for the use of the Grand Secretary and the Clerk , and a muniment room ; a Grand Master ' s room , ' a Grand Officers' room and library , and a

committee room ; three lodge rooms , ivith two anterooms attached to each , ancl a set of rooms for the resident Tyler ; and this house , with a handsome stone front ancl portico , ancl to be made externally distinct from the tavern , will cost , say £ 3500 . 2 nd . The vestibule and grand staircase , areas , & c ,

to cost £ 1500 . 3 rd . The new Masonic Hall , coffee room , & c , to cost £ 8000 . But the cost is a matter of uncertainty , depending almost entirely upon the amount of ornamentation , and other subjects to be afterwards agreed upon .

" With respect to the" tavern , I propose to give up to the use of the lessees the present hall , and also the temple , which latter I propose to have converted into a large dining room ; and the rest of the rooms can be repaired , or altered , and improved , as may be

necessary , for which purpose a sum of £ 1000 can be advanced to the lessees , if necessary , they paying an increased rent for the increased accommodation ; and I further propose that the tavern be connected with the Masonic buildings on each landing at convenient places , and also to have the present hall and the new hall connected , as shown in the plan .

"With respect to the offices , I propose that they ' shall be used for the three different charities ; each Secretary to haye a private room , and the three committees to have a joint board room ; the rest of the house to be used by the lessee of the tavern , or the lessee of Bacon's Hotel , as can be arranged .

The rest of the property , including Bacon's Hotel , the workshops now let to Mr . Lambert , and those let to Mr . Mann can either be re-let on lease or sold , or otherwise disposed of as may be thought best . The advantages of this arrangement over others

that I have seen are economy and convenience , and at the same time providing in a suitable way for the dignity and comfort of the Masonic body , by having a separate Masonic Hall and offices , and lodges detached from and yet conveniently connected with the

tavern plan . As to economy the new building will cost less than half the suggested plan of Bro . Jennings ( which he represented as the unanimous recommendation of the committee appointed by the Board of General Purposes ) ancl far less than the plan suggested by Bro . Stephen Barton Wilson .