Vermont Masonic Hall

Vermont Masonic Hall
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	N. Main St., Vermont, Illinois
Coordinates	40°17′42″N 90°25′39″W / 40.29500°N 90.42750°WCoordinates: 40°17′42″N 90°25′39″W / 40.29500°N 90.42750°W
Area	less than one acre
Built	1891-92
Architectural style	Chicago, Gothic, Commercial Style
NRHP Reference #	88002236[1]
Added to NRHP	November 16, 1988

The Vermont Masonic Hall, also known as the Vermont Hardware Store Building, is a historic Masonic Lodge located on North Main Street in Vermont, Illinois. The hall was built in 1891-92 for Vermont's Lodge No. 116 of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, which was formed in 1852. At the time the hall was built, secret societies were enjoying a wave of popularity in America, with the Masons preeminent among them; Vermont was no exception to this trend, and its Masons played an important role in the city's social life. The hall was a two-story commercial building; the Masons leased the second floor, while a hardware store operated on the first. The brick building features an elaborate iron storefront; its design, along with the lodge itself, led it to be considered of the best Masonic lodges in western Illinois.^[2]

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 16, 1998.^[1]

References

1. National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
2. Thomson, Vernon C., Jr. (June 19, 1988). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Vermont Masonic Hall" (PDF). Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Retrieved October 18, 2015.