This Co-Masonic Temple on Regent Street in the inner city suburb of Chippendale was built in 1898. It was originally the hall of the Wesleyan Methodist Church on this site. The church became St Alban's Liberal Catholic Church in 1918 and the Co-Masons bought the hall. The church closed in 1966, as the walls were becoming unstable and during demolition the south wall fell and wiped out most of the rear of the temple, later rebuilt. An unsuccessful development proposal was lodged in 2000 to demolish this building and replace it with a nine storey apartment block. Luckily it was decided that the temple is of historic significance due to its strong physical link to the Wesleyan Church and the Co-Masons. Co-Masonry or Co-Freemasonry is a form of Freemasonry which admits both men and women. In 2008, a successful redevelopment retained the temple for commercial use. A hall was demolished and replaced with more suitable residential buildings up to five storeys beside and behind the temple building.
No comments:
Post a Comment