BUT NICE STUFF COMING YOUR WAY.
MOVING FORWARD GUYS.
VERY NICE.
SO THIS IS A DETROIT
LANDMARK.
WHEN YOU DRIVE BY, THE
ARCHITECTURE IS GORGEOUS.
IF YOU HAVE BEEN INSIDE OF THE
THEATER.
IT IS LOVELY.
SO MUCH MORE TO IT WE DID NOT
KNOW.
TALKING AND TAKING YOU INSIDE OF
PARTS OF MASONIC TEMPLE.
WHICH WAS,, MASONS, OR SECRET
SOCIETY.
THIS IS STOOD FOR NEARLY 90
YEARS.
IT HAS SO MANY SECRET ROOMS,
HIDDEN DOORWAYS.
IT HAS MYSTERY TO IT.
AND PHOTOGRAPHER ATWELL TAKES US
ON A TOUR THAT IS UNIQUELY
DETROIT.
WE ARE IN THE MASONIC TEMPLE
BUILDING.
RIGHT NOW MASONIC TEMPLE
THEATER.
AND IT SEATS 4400 PEOPLE.
WE HAVE LARGEST STAGE WITH THE
LARGEST HOUSE IN THE MIDWEST.
AND WE HAVE 1037 ROOMS TOTAL IN
THE BUILDING.
WHICH HAS 550,000 SQUARE FEET.
IT IS A BIG BUILDING WITH A LOT
OF ROOMS.
LARGEST MASONIC TEMPLE IN THE
WORLD.
FOR ME MASONRY GOES BACK TO
KING SOLOMAN AND BUILDING OF THE
TEMPLES.
THEY HAD SIGNS AND HAND HEADACHE
AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
CLASSIFIED AS A FRATERNITY.
BACK IN THE LATE 1700s.
YOU HAD TO BE WELL TO DO TO BE A
MAY SON OF THE AND A LOT OF THE
FOUND I GO FATHERS MASON,
INCLUDING GEORGE WASHINGTON.
PREMISE IS TAKE GOOD MEN AND
WANT TO MAKE THEM BETTER.
SQUARE AND COMPASS IS WORKING
TOOLS OF A MASTER MASON.
USING WORKING TOOLS AND THINGS
LIKE THAT, THAT A MASON WOULD
USE TO BUILD A STRUCTURE IS YOU
WOULD BUILD A STRUCTURE, OR
INSIDE OF YOURSELF, AND BECOME A
BETTER PERSON THAT WAY.
ORIGINAL BUILDING WAS BUILT
IN 1894.
ON LAFAYETTE.
AND THEN WITHIN A FEW YEARS,
BUILDING HAD BECOME TOO SMALL.
MASONRY OUT GREW.
THAT SO THEY WERE CONCERNED OF
THAT HAPPENING AGAIN.
SO THEY ENDED UP BUYING THIS
PROPERTY.
AND BUILT LARGEST MASONIC TEMPLE
IN THE WORLD.
FOUNDING FATHERS HAD WHEREWITHAL
AND MONEY TO BUILD A BUILDING
ANYWHERE IN THE CITY THEY WANTED
TO.
BUT THEY DECIDED TO CHOOSE THIS
LOCATION, BECAUSE OF THE RIGHT
ACROSS THE STREET FROM CASS
PARK.
THEY ALWAYS THOUGHT OF THIS
BECOMING NEW YORK CITY, GREAT TO
HAVE YOUR BUILDING ACROSS FROM
AN AREA LIKE CENTRAL PARK.
SO YOU CAN SEE HOW BEAUTIFUL IT
IS.
WE ALSO HAVE NINE DIFFERENT
LODGE ROOMS WHERE MASONS MEET.
ONE OF THEM BEING WHERE KNIGHT'S
TEMPLE MEET.
AND THIS IS THE COMMANDRE
CHAPEL.
KNIGHTS GO BACK TO MIDEVIL AGES.
THIS IS GRIEF GREATNESS AND
TRUTH.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE ROOMS.
THE CHAMBER OR RED CROSS ROOM.
WHEN THE CANDIDATE JOIN IN THE
COMMANDRE HERE.
THEY WOULD KNEEL AT THE ALTAR
AND COMMANDRE WOULD GIVE HIM THE
OBLIGATION N DESIGNING THIS ROOM
CHAPLIN WOULD STAND UP THERE.
AND HE WOULD BE THE ONLY PERSON
IN THIS ENTIRE ROOM THAT COULD
SEE THE CROSS.
THROUGH THE WINDOW.
AND INTO THE OTHER ROOM.
VERY FEW PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IN
THIS ROOM.
WE ARE ENTERING THE COMMANDRE
ARCHIVES ROOM THAT STARTED TO
MEET IN 1851.
AND THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL
PROMINENT MEMBERS THAT MET HERE
FOR COMMANDRE THROUGH AGES OF
DETROIT HISTORY.
SOME OF THE THINGS YOU WILL
SEE HERE IS A SET UP HERE FOR
ONE OF THE ORDERS THAT THE
COMMANDRE DOES.
YOU WILL SEE DIFFERENT BANNERS
THAT REPRESENTED THE COMMANDRE
THROUGH THE DIFFERENT ORDERS.
AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND DIFFERENT BELT BUCKLES
JEWELS OF THE ORDER.
NOT TOO MANY GET A CHANCE TO
SEE THIS AREA HERE.
EVEN MEMBERS LONG TIME MEMBERS
OF THE BUILDING HERE.
IF YOU ARE NOT A MEMBER OF THE
COMMANDRE AND YOU DO NOT COME
WHEN SOMEONE IS HERE TO OPEN IT
UP.
YOU DO NOT SEE THIS AREA.
SO IT IS A HIDDEN JEWEL.
IT IS VERY UNIQUE TO HAVE A
BUILDING LIKE THIS IN ANY
COMMUNITY.
GIVEN THE SIZE.
AND IT IS ACTUALLY PRETTY MUCH
UNTOUCHED FROM, YOU KNOW, OTHER
THAN DOING PAINT HE GO.
THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WHEN YOU WALK INTO IT YOU
HAVE THE FEEL YOU ARE STEPPING
BACK TO 1920s.
COMING INTO A HISTORIC BUILDING
THAT IS JUST TOTALLY AMAZING.
BOY.
IT IS SO GREAT TO LEARN THE
HISTORY AND LOOK INSIDE SOME OF
THOSE ROOMS.
IMAGINE IF WE KNEW THE SECRET
HANDSHAKE.
EXACTLY.
WHAT WE COULD SEE.
YOU KNOW WHAT IS NEAT.
HEADLINES FOR FINANCIAL
CHALLENGES THAT HAVE BEEN GOING
ON.
NICE TO SEE WHY IT IS IMPORTANT
TO PRESERVE IT.
THAT'S ONE OF THE DISTRICTS
THAT DISTRICT OF DETROIT WITH
ILITCH FAMILY IS WORKING O
CALLED CASS VILLAGE OF THE I
WANT TO SAY IT IS LIKE 1200
HOMES, POLE IN THAT AREA THEY
COULD WORK THROUGH.
SO IT IS AN INCREDIBLE POTENTIAL
THERE.
THAT COULD CENTER AROUND THAT