In 1920, the Freemasons on Fort Wayne found themselves in need of a new building. The Opera House, the first permanent home for Freemasons in Fort Wayne, had outlived its usefulness and the Masons had left a decade earlier. The temporary accomodations where they had been holding their meetings were wearing thin, and a decision was made that Freemasonry needed a permanent, sustainable, and grand home in downtown Fort Wayne.

The Associated Masonic Trustees contracted with local architect Charles R. Weatherhogg to design a building that would be as strikingly beautiful as it was functional. Weatherhogg had already designed Central High School and the magnificent Anthony hotel in 1908, and his fame in the city was only growing.

Weatherhogg presented his designs to the Trustees in 1921 and the decision was made to go ahead with the project to the tune of $650,000 ($11 million in 2025 dollars).  

The cornerstone was laid for Freemasons Hall in 1923 in a grand celebration attended by hundreds of Freemasons from throughout Indiana.  

Dedicated in 1926, a grand ball was held and all of Fort Wayne was invited. Thousands of residents of the city came and joined in the festivities and toured the completed building

Designed to be attached to the existing Scottish Rite Cathedral (pictured) the buildings were connected by an “Annex” that allowed the two buildings to seat thousands of people.

The building boasts four separate lodge rooms, all identical in size although decorated differently. They are the Corinthian Room, Ionic Room, Egyptian Room and Colonial Room. They are still the largest lodge rooms in the state of Indiana.

In the day to day, upwards of 10,000 Freemasons made the building the home of the their social life.  

Eventually, the Scottish Rite Cathedral was vacated and the Rite moved their meetings and operations to their now former location on Berry Street. The Cathedral was used as a community center until finally being razed in the 1960’s. The lot was converted to the parking lot which Freemasons Hall now owns.

in 1991, the Masonic Temple, as it is more widely known, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (91000273) for its cultural and architectural significance. In 1992 a 501(c)3 Foundation was established to help preserve the building. The 216 East Washington Blvd Foundation, Inc. has donated over 1 million dollars to help maintain the mechanical and historical components of the building; their largest project to date being helping to fund the replacement of the passenger elevator mechanicals in 2023.