Polishing a Gem

The Masonic Temple Library & Museum welcomes more than 14,000 visitors annually. The 150-year-old building features seven distinct lodge rooms, a Grand Ballroom, ornate stairwells and corridors, an exhibit hall and a full basement containing a banquet hall and offices. 

A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to maintain and preserve this National Historic Landmark building, keeping it in pristine condition for everyone who walks through its doors. 

The Temple’s 14-person crew fondly known as the “blueshirts” (thanks to their blue uniforms), work tirelessly around the clock to keep the building running, the plumbing moving, the air conditioning on and any repairs made. Whether it’s a daytime or nighttime shift, someone from the crew is in the building 24-7. 

“It’s a lot more entailed and complicated than the average building,” said Steven Kessler, maintenance supervisor, of the 97,000-square-foot behemoth. “We have to keep up on repairs and come up with plans for how to maintain the building.” 

Emily Staroscik, museum associate and tour guide, said guests constantly marvel at how the building is constructed and kept in such pristine condition for its age.  

“They mostly ask about keeping the carpets clean and how often the walls need to be touched up,” she said. “They’re always really surprised when I say we have a 24/7 maintenance team.”  

Bill Boharsik, director of maintenance, said it’s a “big responsibility” to maintain such a massive structure, and his team understands the significance of preserving a piece of Masonic history. 

“I’m proud to tell people there are only two other Masonic buildings like this in the world, in terms of scale, in Sweden and England,” he said. “We had visitors come from both places and say ours is in the best shape. We don’t do anything carelessly. We just get the job done. 

“When people come in for job interviews, I like to walk them around the building with fresh eyes,” Bill added. “I’ve been here 30 years, and there are some things I may not notice. Even the tourists notice things. There’s always something new.” 

A job of this scope also comes with its fair share of challenges, from not having enough staff at any given time to accommodating the increased foot traffic from events through ONE North Broad, the wedding and corporate events business within the Temple. 

“We used to have 12 guys on the day shift alone,” Bill said. “Now some of our staff work on weekends. We need to rotate people around.” 

So what does it take to power up a building of this size? Electricity used to be very expensive, but Bill was able to reduce the cost through some strategic planning.

“I figured out different ways to cut the power down when we’re not utilizing all the spaces,” he said. “Before, we had to light up the whole second floor. Now we try to lock rooms if they are not in use, turn the air conditioning down and change to LED lights. It’s an ongoing situation.” 

Since the Masonic Temple is closed to the public Sunday through Tuesday, maintenance staff use that time to get needed repairs done without getting in people’s way. These repairs include picking up loose vinyl tiles off the floor and staining or painting areas in the different lodge rooms. They are redoing rooms in the basement by removing the drywall and stud framing to get down to the original frame (to make the room look as close to the original as possible). 

“Right now, our main project is trying to cut the power down,” Bill said. “We’ve also been working with a company on an analysis of building repairs. As soon as we get the final report, we’ll figure out what our team can do and what we need contractors for. We’re trying to get involved with the big projects to save some money.”  

Both Bill and Steven are Masons, members of Houseman Lodge No. 211, Bucks County, and William Elkins Lodge No. 271, Philadelphia, respectively. Bill is also a member of Temple Melita Royal Arch Chapter No. 183, which meets at the Temple. Being a Mason makes them both take even more pride in the building and the history of Masonry in general. 

“It [Freemasonry] teaches you about skilled trades,” Bill said. “You utilize the tools that were used back in the day. It’s always something different here. You could think you’re going to do one job and end up doing something else. You always need to be prepared.” 

When sitting in lodge meetings and looking around one of the rooms, both Bill and Steven think about the significance of the building from the perspective of both a Mason and a maintenance worker.  

“As a maintenance worker, you look and see the imperfections, stuff that others would not recognize, like a sconce on the wall that looks different than the others, but as a Mason, you notice the craftsmanship and attention to detail, so you know it’s OK to make mistakes, but you’re always trying to be better,” Bill and Steven both said. 

Steven, who has a construction background, said he learned a lot from his peers during his six or seven years on staff. Now, he’s able to do most anything he’s asked to do, from picking a lock to checking phone lines or power cords. 

“I have lots of mentors, and if you want to learn something, they’ll put you to work,” he said. “If you have an interest, they will utilize it when it comes to the building. We don’t mind making mistakes. We don’t shy away from them. There’s always something to do and someone to teach you.” 

Bill encourages people to support the Masonic Temple so his team can continue maintaining a building with such a long tradition and history. Without donors, program and building enhancements and preservation of Masonic monuments across the state would not be possible. 

“We need to keep the polish on a good gem,” he said. “This whole building is a museum. We need to help save our history, create new history and make sure more people get to see it.”