The “Masonic Hall was built in 1875 by a stock company formed for the purpose. John D. Lurvey was the builder. The land was purchased from the Freeman family and John T.R. Freeman held the majority of the shares. In 1881 the building was sold to the Masonic lodge and the name of Tremont Hall changed to Masonic Hall. The lodge had the building raised and stores made in the basement with other additions and improvements.” - Traditions and Records of Southwest Harbor and Somesville, Mount Desert Island, Maine by Mrs. Seth S. Thornton
p. 151 - 1938.
The front entrance was on Main Street. A lobby and auditorium with stage were on that floor. Town meetings and other gatherings were held in the auditorium for many years.
The top floor held the lodge hall.
The Old Masonic Hall, then known as Tremont Hall, appears in the History of the Southwest Harbor Public Library in 1895. After the dedication of the new (first) Library building the attendees repaired to Tremont Hall for supper.
September 1, 1916 - Grace Clark Carroll Clark noted in the Baby Book for her new daughter, Rebecca Carroll Clark, that Rebecca's aunt, Anna Beatrice (Carroll) Kelley, stayed with Rebecca while Grace "went out to hear Fritz Kreisler at the Masonic Hall."
Thornton goes on to say that Masonic Hall “was saved during the fire of 1922 by almost superhuman efforts of the young men who fought the flames from the roof until the danger was past.”
The Old Masonic Hall burned on January 27, 1939 and a new building was erected in 1940. R.M. Norwood was the builder.
“The [Freeman J.] Lurvey building was built as a general store and was conducted by Liston F. Smith for some years. Mr. Smith came to this vicinity some years previous and went over Mount Desert Island with a pedlar’s cart, calling himself “The Live Yankee.” When he settled down to storekeeping this was on his sign and by this cognomen he was known to most of the people. [Later Arther Allen purchased the store. Mr. Smith] moved his goods to one of the stores in the basement of the Masonic Hall where he was in business until failing health forced him to retire.” - “Traditions and Records of Southwest Harbor and Somesville, Mount Desert Island, Maine” by Mrs. Seth S. Thornton, p. 148-149 – 1938
The Hall, built c. 1877 as Tremont Hall, was sold to the Masonic lodge around 1902. The lodge members renamed the building, raised it, and rebuilt the first and second floors to achieve the building shown here. – See the Bar Harbor Times, April 20, 1927, p. 7.
