Community Impact Report
Serving Those in Our Community
The Masonic Temple, Library and Museum of Pennsylvania promotes Masonic values by maintaining and preserving the Masonic Temple and other Masonic monuments in Pennsylvania, operating a library and museum that preserves and showcases the collections of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and conducting educational programs and activities.
Educational Opportunities
Staff supported 362 research requests. Charlotte Ingram, a third-year student at Drexel University, worked with the Masonic Temple in 2024 as part of Drexel University’s co-op program, where students gain hands-on experience in their fields of interest. Charlotte, an English major, plans to earn her master’s degree in library and information sciences after she graduates. At the Temple, she organized and made paintings and documents accessible, cleaned artifacts, polished coins and swords and performed other tasks.
“I feel like the end goal is to be a librarian, but being able to do archival work along the way is meaningful because preserving history and passing that knowledge onto others is rewarding,” she said. “Masonic history is such an interesting niche. I was applying for different archival jobs, and when I came to the Masonic Temple and took a tour, I thought it was amazing. I knew it was the right place for me.”
Community Support & Donations
As part of Free Museum Day, more than 1,000 visitors toured the Masonic Temple (at a potential ticket value of $10,000).
Staff initiated a clothing drive to support the Masonic Temple’s 150+-year old neighbor, the Arch Street Church and contributed to St. John’s Hospice and their mission of feeding and serving the community’s homeless population.
As part of its mission to preserve Masonic and American monuments, the Masonic Temple, Library and Museum contributed to the restoration of the Washington at Prayer monument at the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge (FFVF). Portions of the statue had been discolored (due to age, wear and tear and runoff from acid rain). The masonry pedestal and the terrace surrounding the statue, as well as the entire base, also needed repair. New signage was installed at the site.
“We are thrilled that the Masons wanted to do this project,” Jason L.S. Raia, Chief Operating Officer at FFVF, said. “I’ve been bragging about how smart the Masons are as an organization because as far as I know, of all the people who have made donations of monuments, the Masons are the only ones who have put in funds for restoration work. We are thrilled that they had the foresight to say, ‘We’re going to help these organizations when it comes time to do restoration work.’”
Our Mission
To educate and enlighten Masons and the general public by presenting the Masonic Temple as the preeminent living, architectural representation of the values, ideals and culture of Freemasonry and a center of fraternal, social, cultural and business activities; curating and showcasing its collections to highlight the contributions of Freemasonry and Freemasons; engaging diverse audiences through primary research concerning the values, ideals, history and culture of Freemasonry; and preserving important Masonic-related monuments in Pennsylvania
