Library - Masonic Temple, Library & Museum (original) (raw)
Plan Your Visit
How to make the most of your visit to the Masonic Temple.
Purchase Tickets
See this National Historic Landmark and Masonic wonder for yourself.
Masonic Temple History
The Masonic Temple has a rich history as a staple in the city of Philadelphia.
- Visiting Guide
- Reserve Tickets
- History of the Masonic Temple
- Programs
One of the finest collections for the study of Freemasonry in the country. - Events
Public Events
The Masonic Temple, Library and Museum hosts regular events that are open to the public.
Weddings & Corporate Events
ONE, at the majestic Masonic Temple in Philadelphia, is the perfect venue to host your wedding or corporate event.
Plan Your Visit
How to make the most of your visit to the Masonic Temple.
Purchase Tickets
See this National Historic Landmark and Masonic wonder for yourself.
Masonic Temple History
The Masonic Temple has a rich history as a staple in the city of Philadelphia.
- Visiting Guide
- Reserve Tickets
- History of the Masonic Temple
- Programs
One of the finest collections for the study of Freemasonry in the country. - Events
Public Events
The Masonic Temple, Library and Museum hosts regular events that are open to the public.
Weddings & Corporate Events
ONE, at the majestic Masonic Temple in Philadelphia, is the perfect venue to host your wedding or corporate event.
LibraryKelly Lynch2024-12-19T11:07:50-05:00
Masonic Library
About the Library
The Library, founded in 1817, has one of the finest collections for the study of Freemasonry, and is focused on collecting and cataloging seminal works in Masonic history. Its stacks house thousands of volumes covering all aspects of Freemasonry and its relationship to the Commonwealth. The Library remains a resource for members and academics alike, providing research and lending services in an effort to advance our knowledge and understanding of the Fraternity, its meanings and its place in history.
One of the Library’s prize possessions is an incunabulum, or book printed before 1501. The one in our collection was printed in Basel in 1489. It is really two books bound together, one by St. Augustine on the Trinity, and the other by Robert Holkot on the Apocryphal Book, The Wisdom of Solomon.
The collections are available to everyone who visits the library; however, our Circulating Library is for Pennsylvania Masons only. Hundreds of new books are added each year. Check out the New Resources tab in the Online Catalog for the latest additions.
Genealogy
While staff will make every effort to respond to your genealogical requests in a timely manner, we do not have full-time employees conducting these searches. Most requests will be fulfilled within 1-2 weeks, depending on the number of records requested.
It is the policy of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania to respect the privacy of our members and not to reveal or discuss the status of membership of any living Pennsylvania Mason, except in cases where membership eligibility to join an affiliated body, such as Eastern Star or Job’s Daughters, necessitates this verification.
If you are trying to contact a Pennsylvania Mason, we will not provide you with the address of record, however, we will gladly transmit a message to that member if you provide your name, address and a written request to have him contact you.
(For genealogical, fraternal and historical purposes.)
There is an unfounded expectation that such research will reveal a wealth of factual information about a person. While it is true that some individual Lodges may have kept detailed records, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania can only verify if a man was a member in good standing. It is unlikely any other useful information will be available.
The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania only has information on members in this jurisdiction. If a man was made a Mason in any other jurisdiction, we have no record to verify membership. There never has been a national or central membership database for Freemasonry in the United States. Additionally, we can usually only verify Lodge membership. If pertinent, we can sometimes verify address and occupation at time of petitioning. We do not maintain records of York Rite, Scottish Rite, Shrine or other affiliated organizations.
Requests received often include extraneous details about the men being researched. These details do not help us. Information useful to us in performing this research is the FULL NAME of the subject, last known Pennsylvania address, date of death and, if available, the name or number of the Lodge in which he was reputed to be a member. The occupation and address at time of petitioning may also be helpful to us.
Research is done only during available staff time, when other responsibilities are not pressing. Requests may not be answered for several weeks.
Records
Our records are for Freemasons who have held membership in Pennsylvania only.
Records of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, under normal circumstances, do not include information concerning the names of fathers, mothers, grandparents, etc. In most cases, the only information included would be the name of the lodge, the date of a petition to join a lodge and the dates the brother would have received each of his three degrees.
Make requests via the form to the right. In your request, please include a postal mailing address and a daytime telephone number; sometimes a simple question by our staff can get you a quicker response.
Masonic Records Request
Masonic Book Reviews
Satellite Libraries
Masonic Village at Elizabethtown
One Masonic Drive
Elizabethtown, PA 17022-2199
717-367-1121 ext. 33518
Erie Masonic Temple
32 W. 8th Street
Erie, PA 16501-1350
814-459-2425
Johnstown Masonic Temple
Corner of Valley Pike and Linton Street
Johnstown, PA 15905
814-536-4863
Valley of Williamsport, A.A.S.R.
348 Market Street
Williamsport, PA 17701
570-323-6194
Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center
3579 Masonic Way
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
412-931-1996
Valley of Bloomsburg, A.A.S.R.
150 Market Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
412-931-1996
Subscribe
Enter your email to stay up-to-date on news and events happening at the Masonic Temple.
By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Masonic Temple, Library & Museum. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
Copyright Masonic Temple, Library & Museum | All Rights Reserved | One North Broad Street, Philadelphia PA 19107-2598 | Phone: 1 (215) 988-1900