A Building that Deserves to be Saved

The future of Jeffersonville’s Masonic Temple looked doubtful. Decades of vacancy and neglect took an increasing toll on the stately building, landing it on our 10 Most Endangered list in 2012. The situation reached crisis in February 2017, when the longtime owner applied to demolish the landmark, citing extreme deterioration caused by a leaking roof. The request galvanized city officials, who crafted a solution that will save the landmark and boost downtown revitalization.

The Masonic building occupies a key position on Spring Street at the entry to Jeffersonville’s National Register-listed downtown. City native Arthur Loomis designed the temple in 1926, incorporating Masonic symbols carved in limestone arches over the windows. When the city’s Historic Preservation Commission turned down the owner’s demolition request, he placed the temple on the market, but at an inflated asking price. The building’s desperate condition also discouraged buyers.

At Indiana Landmarks’ urging, the city commissioned an engineering study that showed the building is still structurally sound and negotiated a deal for the Redevelopment Commission to buy the building at a reduced price. The city then sold it at the same price to Denton-Floyd Real Estate Group of Louisville, which plans to rehab the temple as its new corporate headquarters, with event space on the upper floors.

“The Masonic Temple represents durable bones and distinctive architectural features that you just don’t see in newly constructed buildings these days,” says Denton-Floyd co-founder Brandon Denton. “A building with this type of presence and storied history deserves to be saved. We are proud to bring new life to this landmark by repurposing it into our corporate headquarters,” he adds. The company hopes to move into its new headquarters next year.

Denton-Floyd has restored and adapted other historic buildings. In partnership with the City of New Albany, the company is adapting the c.1850 Empire Flouring Mills/Reisz Furniture Warehouse as a new City Hall. Denton-Floyd is rehabbing the M. Fine Company shirt factory building in New Albany and the Tower Manufacturing facility in Madison as senior housing.

Read more about plans for the Masonic Temple at www.wave3.com.