The Kora Temple is a historic

Masonic Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

building at 11 Sabattus Street in

Lewiston, Maine Lewiston (; ) is the List of municipalities in Maine, second most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine, with the city's population at 37,121 as of the 2020 United States census. The city lies halfway between Augusta, Maine, Augusta, the sta ...

. The temple was built in 1908 by the Ancient Arabic Order, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. The

Shriners Shriners International, formally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS), is an American Masonic body, Masonic society. Founded in 1872 in New York City, it is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, and has over ...

are a

fraternal organization A fraternity (; whence, " brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular aims. Fraternity in the Western conce ...

affiliated with

Freemasonry Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

and are known for their charitable works such as the

Shriners Hospitals for Children Shriners Hospitals for Children, commonly known as Shriners Children's, is a network of non-profit children's hospitals and other pediatric medical facilities across North America. Children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord inj ...

which provide free medical care to children. The Kora Temple serves as a ceremonial space and clubhouse for the Shriners. The temple building was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1975 for its distinctive Moorish-inspired architecture.

Description and history

The Kora Temple is located just northeast of Lewiston's downtown area, on a parcel of land bounded by Blake, Main, and Sabattus Streets. It is a three-story brick building, with a flat roof topped by a pair of onion domes. The main facade is ornate, with groups of pointed arch windows trimmed in terra cotta filigree predominating. The main entrance is set in a bulbous rounded arch, and there is a band of smaller but similarly arched windows on the third floor above. The building cornice consists of vaulted sections interspersed with pointed-arch niches similar in shape to the windows. The Kora Temple was organized in 1891, and originally met in Masonic lodge facilities on Lisbon Street, before acquiring a wood-frame building at this site. This temple was built in 1908 to a design by architect George M. Coombs, at a cost of $100,000. The building reflects

Moorish The term Moor is an exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a single, distinct or self-defi ...

and Exotic Revival architectural styles. The interior is ornately decorated with floor-to-ceiling murals, gold

filigree Filigree (also less commonly spelled ''filagree'', and formerly written ''filigrann'' or ''filigrene'') is a form of intricate metalwork used in jewellery and other small forms of metalwork. In jewellery, it is usually of gold and silver, m ...

, and Tiffany chandeliers. The murals, which depict scenes from Arabic and Islamic history and decorate the Temple's dining hall, were painted by Harry Cochrane, a Shriner and accomplished Maine artist. He accomplished this between 1922 and 1927. The paintings were restored in the 1970s.

Gallery

File:Kora Temple stairway.JPG, Stairway File:Kora Temple dining hall ceiling.JPG, Ceiling in dining hall File:Kora Temple dining hall wall detail.JPG, Wall detail in dining hall File:Kora Temple dining hall balcony.JPG, Balcony in dining hall File:Kora Temple auditorium balcony.JPG, Balcony in auditorium File:Kora Temple dining hall mural.JPG, Portion of large mural in dining hall File:Kora_Shrine_Temple,_Lewiston,_ME.jpg, Kora Shrine Temple, Lewiston, ME; from a c. 1915 postcard

References

External links

Kora Shrine Official Website
{{National Register of Historic Places Masonic buildings completed in 1908 Clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Maine Buildings and structures in Lewiston, Maine National Register of Historic Places in Lewiston, Maine 1908 establishments in Maine Shriners Masonic buildings in Maine

Description and history

Gallery

See also

References

External links