The Masonic Temple is a gorgeous historic venue right on Congress Street in downtown Portland. The Blue Elephant became the exclusive caterer for this space in 2010 after the Temple was opened to the public and is helping to preserve the building for future generations. The Masonic Temple has hosted numerous events and is a great space for wedding receptions, fundraising dinners and corporate meetings. The Armory was even recently opened up as an art exhibit for the First Friday Art Walk!
WHY WE LOVE THIS VENUE: It was built in 1911 by architect Frederic Thompson and has rich architectural design elements throughout the whole building. The walls of the foyer were constructed with 17th century-style scagliola (a form of plaster that imitates stone – this technique has been used since ancient times and Buckingham palace is filled with it!). The Armory on the first floor has a hardwood floor that was put down in 1930 for the USO to hold dances on and contains hundreds of unique Masonic hat boxes. The rest of the flooring in the building is all beautiful terrazzo. Each space in the Masonic Temple holds its own unique magnificence, with gorgeous antique furniture and architecture. There are multiple rooms in the Temple for use, and weddings are most commonly held in the Armory. The Armory can seat up to 200 people with room for a dance floor, and shares the first floor with the Scottish Rite Reading Room which is filled with wood paneling and Masonic portraits.
For more information on this venue, please contact us at 207.281.3070 and check out the Masonic Temple/Blue Elephant website: www.masonicblue.com
