(by Randy Mason, The Kansas City Star, December 06, 2023)
Fraternal organizations like the Oddfellows, Elks and Masons were a staple of American life in the late 1800s and early 20th century. They met in halls like the Scottish Rite Temple at 7th Street & Ann Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. The 1909 Gothic Revival style structure replaced the group’s original home, which had been destroyed by fire three years earlier. The new version was made of brick and limestone, most notable for the kind of crenelated parapets often found on medieval castles.
With its large meeting rooms and auditorium, the temple served, until Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall was built a few blocks away, as the largest “event space” in town. It was the headquarters for Red Cross activity during WWI, and…
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