Masonic Temple of Des Moines, the Beaux Arts building in front of you, was constructed in 1913. Walk close and imagine the original program: retail and office spaces filling the first three floors while Masonic meeting rooms occupied the fourth floor. The handsome stone and classical presence you see was designed by the Des Moines-based architectural firm Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson, whose work once numbered many citywide — this building was one of 25 known surviving Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson buildings in Des Moines and one of two known lodge buildings the firm designed.
That architectural importance carried recognition: it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 under the name "Masonic Temple of Des Moines," a listing that connected to a multiple property submission filed in 1988 and celebrated the building’s architecture. Time and use have continued to change the interior life of the place. In 2001 the Masons vacated their fourth-floor rooms, which were converted into a venue billed as the Temple for Performing Arts, hosting performing arts, culture, entertainment and learning.
Count up to the fourth floor, where the Masons' meeting rooms became the Temple for Performing Arts in 2001, while retail and offices once filled the three floors below.