Description of Historic Place

The Masonic Hall is a two storey, rectangular, wood frame building with vernacular Art Deco details. It is now located in the historic community of Port Haney, west of the Haney Bypass.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Masonic Hall is linked to its architects, McCarter and Nairne, designers of the Marine Building in Vancouver, and one of the most prominent firms in the Province at the time of the Hall's construction in 1931. An unusually small commission for such popular and prolific architects, their involvement indicates the prominence and sophistication of the Prince David Lodge No. 101 as well as the scale of construction that was occurring during the depressed years of the early 1930s. Local contractor Dugald Brown, a mason, built the Temple.

It is a very good, locally rare, example of vernacular Art Deco styling. The architectural elements convey a sense of solemnity and ceremony, illustrated by facade elements such as the regular placement of windows, wooden ornamentation and the strong use of symmetry. The use of commonly available materials and simple ornamentation reflects the Depression period when little capital was available for new construction. The interior plan is guided by the concepts of symmetry and procession. A large foyer at the entrance is flanked by service areas and leads into a banquet hall with large open windows. From the foyer a stairwell leads to the second storey and a large anteroom that opens into the windowless Lodge Room. The plan is significant because it indicates the building's function as both a ceremonial and social gathering place.

The Masonic Hall is also valued for its association since 1931 with the local Masonic order, Prince David Lodge No. 101, who built and still use the Temple.

The early settlement of Port Haney was centred on the Fraser River, which provided the earliest access before the development of roads through the area. Over time, significant commercial and residential activity occurred and Port Haney became a major transportation hub in the region. Decline set in after the Great Depression and a devastating fire in 1932 that destroyed much of the business centre. The fire caused commercial activity to relocate to the north along the newly opened Lougheed Highway, a make work project that connected the Fraser Valley communities by road. Port Haney remains as a heritage precinct and a reminder of the early history of the City of Maple Ridge and the development of its original small town centres.

Originally located on Lougheed Highway, the Hall was moved in 1980 to its current location to preserve it as part of a valued collection of historical buildings with similar setbacks and orientation in the heritage precinct of Port Haney.

Source: Planning Department, City of Maple Ridge

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Masonic Temple include its:
- form, scale and massing
- symmetrical massing and rectangular plan
- lapped, horizontal wooden siding with wide profile
- double hung, multi-paned wooden sash windows (4-over-4 on main facade, 6-over-6 on side facades)
- false front pediment
- simplified Art Deco geometric frieze at cornice
- Masonic symbol above entry and set into sidewalk
- inscribed corner stone
- surviving interior features including doors, window and door trim and plaster walls