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Scottish Rite Cathedral (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Encyclopedia
The Scottish Rite Cathedral is a historic building designed by architect George F. Schreiber, located in downtown Indianapolis
, Indiana
, United States
. It is owned by the Valley of Indianapolis Scottish Rite
, an affiliated body of Freemasonry
. It was built between 1927 and 1929 at the cost of $2.5 million. It was built with every dimension (in feet) being evenly divisible by three (reflecting the three degrees in Freemasonry), with many being divisible by 33 (reflecting the degrees a member of the Scottish Rite can achieve).
The Cathedral is the largest Masonic building, and considered by many as the finest example of Neo-Gothic architecture, in the United States
. The main tower features a 54-bell carillon
and rises 212 feet (64.6 m) above Indianapolis. It also has a floating ballroom. Other features are patterned ceilings, ornate carved woodwork, and stained-glass windows. The auditorium has 1200 seats, and has been commended for the craftsmanship with which its fittings and decorations were made It also has a large pipe organ
.
The main entrance, known as the Tiler's Room, is a cube of 33 feet (10.1 m). It features both Masonic symbols and the signs of the Zodiac
.
The ballroom also embodies the number 33 by being 99 feet (30.2 m) square, pillars defining the dancing area as 66 feet (20.1 m) square, and the white oak floor panels are 33 inches (838.2 mm) square. The chandelier has 200 lights and weighs 2500 pounds. The ballroom was created in an Elizabethan architectural style.
In a 1996 poll the Indianapolis Business Journal
found the Cathedral to be the most popular historic building in Indianapolis, and the second favorite building of any type. In recent years it has received 100,000 visitors a year.
Guided tours are available on weekdays and the third Saturday of each month.
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is owned by the Valley of Indianapolis Scottish Rite
Scottish Rite
The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry , commonly known as simply the Scottish Rite, is one of several Rites of the worldwide fraternity known as Freemasonry...
, an affiliated body of Freemasonry
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
. It was built between 1927 and 1929 at the cost of $2.5 million. It was built with every dimension (in feet) being evenly divisible by three (reflecting the three degrees in Freemasonry), with many being divisible by 33 (reflecting the degrees a member of the Scottish Rite can achieve).
The Cathedral is the largest Masonic building, and considered by many as the finest example of Neo-Gothic architecture, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The main tower features a 54-bell carillon
Carillon
A carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
and rises 212 feet (64.6 m) above Indianapolis. It also has a floating ballroom. Other features are patterned ceilings, ornate carved woodwork, and stained-glass windows. The auditorium has 1200 seats, and has been commended for the craftsmanship with which its fittings and decorations were made It also has a large pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
.
The main entrance, known as the Tiler's Room, is a cube of 33 feet (10.1 m). It features both Masonic symbols and the signs of the Zodiac
Zodiac
In astronomy, the zodiac is a circle of twelve 30° divisions of celestial longitude which are centred upon the ecliptic: the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year...
.
The ballroom also embodies the number 33 by being 99 feet (30.2 m) square, pillars defining the dancing area as 66 feet (20.1 m) square, and the white oak floor panels are 33 inches (838.2 mm) square. The chandelier has 200 lights and weighs 2500 pounds. The ballroom was created in an Elizabethan architectural style.
In a 1996 poll the Indianapolis Business Journal
Indianapolis Business Journal
Indianapolis Business Journal is a weekly newspaper published in Indianapolis which reports on Central Indiana business. It is the leading publication of IBJ Media. Its economic columnists include Morton Marcus and Michael J. Hicks.- External links :*...
found the Cathedral to be the most popular historic building in Indianapolis, and the second favorite building of any type. In recent years it has received 100,000 visitors a year.
Guided tours are available on weekdays and the third Saturday of each month.