Restoring Advance: Renewing a Historic Temple on 30th Avenue
At Advance Masonic Temple on 30th Avenue, recent renovations are doing more than refreshing a historic façade. They are restoring craftsmanship, highlighting symbolism, and reaffirming the building’s place in the life of Astoria.
The restored façade of Advance Masonic Temple on 30th Avenue, where historic craftsmanship and symbolic design have been brought back into focus.
Some buildings slowly disappear in plain sight. Their details fade, their surfaces weather, and the artistry that once made them stand out becomes easy to miss. At Advance Masonic Temple, we decided that would not be this building’s story.
Before restoration, years of weathering had dulled the Temple’s architectural details and surface.
Our recent work on the Temple has been about more than improvement for improvement’s sake. It has been a careful effort to preserve the building’s historic character, honor the hands that shaped it, and give new life to the details that have defined its presence on 30th Avenue for well over a century.
Restoring the Façade
We began at the entrance, where age and weather had worn away at the building’s surface. Old paint was scraped down, cracks were sealed, and the façade was repainted with a coating specially made to protect historic lime-based architecture.
Careful surface work ensured the façade was not only refreshed, but properly protected for the future
That choice made a difference. With an older building, restoration should do more than brighten appearances. It should help preserve the structure itself.
Gold accents and restored lion figures highlight the Temple’s Beaux-Arts design and craftsmanship.
Reclaiming the Details
Once the façade was stabilized, we turned to the architectural details that give the Temple its distinct identity.
Newly painted bucrania and a light blue ceiling introduce both realism and symbolic meaning to the entrance.
The engraved Temple lettering was painted with gold accent, as were the bands at the tops and bottoms of the columns. The lions adorning each column, which have stood guard for more than a hundred years, were also carefully painted to bring renewed attention to the building’s Beaux-Arts design and the craftsmanship behind it.
After much deliberation, we gave the bucrania a touch of realism, painting the horns in natural tones. Above them, the ceiling and garland were finished in light blue. The color reflects our identity as a Blue Lodge, while also echoing a spiritual symbolism often associated with the light blue veil between consciousness and greater consciousness.
Reimagining the Entrance
Custom-built wooden doors, engraved with Masonic symbols, redefine the Temple’s entrance.
One of the most dramatic changes came at the front doors.
We stripped down the old fire doors, along with the surrounding frame and the tympanum grate above, and replaced them with a custom wooden set modeled loosely after old European doors. Our Worshipful Master at the time engraved the panels with symbols deeply meaningful to Blue Lodges around the world.
We added two nautical-style door knockers as a nod to the brig USS Advance, from which our lodge originally took its name. To give the doors a sense of age and character, we carefully torched the wood, mixed a custom stain, and distressed the nail studs by hand.
When it came to the handles, nothing available felt right. The only suitable option was to have them made by hand. In a reflection of our lodge’s diverse culture, we chose handles inspired by Tibetan kangling horns, ceremonial forms whose significance carries deep meaning for us.
Bringing Back the Light
A restored and reimagined lamp once again illuminates the Temple entrance, now bearing Square and Compasses details
During the renovation, we discovered that a lamp had once hung above the entrance but had been removed years ago. By good fortune, one of our brothers had salvaged an old lamp from a demolition project. We rewired it, adapted it, and gave it new life above the door.
To make it our own, we added custom Square and Compasses details, along with blue glass and a blue bulb. The result is both practical and symbolic: a restored source of light that reflects our identity as a Blue Lodge.
The Finishing Touches
As the work continued, it became clear that the face of the building needed one more element: stained glass.
We installed new stained glass windows and carefully gave their frames a patina to match the character of the entrance. They now add warmth and glow to the Temple, especially in the evening.
Most recently, we installed a solar light for our charter, a fitting light in the darkness. We have also added a digital display on the right side of the entrance so neighbors can see the time, check the weather, view our calendar, and stay informed about upcoming blood drives, pumpkin-decorating events, turkey giveaways, and more.
More to Come
These exterior renovations are only part of a larger effort. We have already begun work inside the building, and those interior improvements will soon move into high gear.
At every stage, the goal has remained the same: to care for this historic Temple with intention, preserve its beauty, and strengthen its connection to the Astoria community. This building has stood here for generations. We are simply doing our part to make sure it continues to do so, with dignity and purpose.
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