The long vacant South Side Masonic Temple at 64th and Green Street in Englewood has been ordered for demolition by the City of Chicago due to its severely deteriorated condition. Despite many years of advocacy, the challenges presented by the building’s physical condition and the market challenges of significant disinvestment in the Englewood community proved insurmountable.
Located at, at 6400 South Green Street, the South Side Masonic Temple was built in 1921 and housed fraternal organizations through the 1950s. It contained multiple ornate meeting halls and grand spaces with Art Deco, Egyptian Revival, Eastern and Moorish influences. Designed by notable Chicago architect Clarence Hatzfeld, the Classic Revival style building is located in proximity to one of Chicago’s most thriving neighborhood retail and entertainment districts at 63rd and Halsted, second only to State Street in the Loop.
Efforts were unsuccessful to convince the nearby Kennedy-King College Campus or the new Whole Foods grocery store at 63rd and Halsted to adopt this historic building.