Freemasonry is a worldwide fraternal organization with a membership of approximately four million men including two million in the United States. I have several items in my collection related to Masonic libraries. The most recent addition is the postcard shown above which proclaims "Greetings from a Unique Library". The unique library is the Masonic Library of Iowa which is located in Cedar Rapids, IA and is part of the Grand Lodge of Iowa. The postcard also indicates that the library is "The Only Masonic Library Building in the World". That building was built in 1884 and is also depicted on the envelope displayed above. The envelope was mailed in 1886. The 1884 building was replaced in 1955 by a modern building which is displayed below. The library is actually a library and museum and is open to visitors on week days. The Iowa library may have been the only Masonic library building in the world in 1884, but there are many Masonic libraries and museums today. They even have a Masonic Library and Museum Association. The diversity of America's libraries is amazing.
1 comment:
Interesting stuff here! Thanks! I had not heard of this library, but am impressed with the look of the now-58-year-old new one. And this made me wonder whether there was any connection between Mason City, Iowa, and the Masons. I had never thought about that before.
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