PART 8
Evergreen History part 8 Birth of a new facility…
As the building committee set out , in 1975 , to design the new Center, they visited numerous lodges around the state to see what features they might want or NOT want. One of those features was to move away from the multi-story style of building so members would not have to go up and down stairs. Although the original design had a set of storage rooms on the south side of the lodge room, those were dropped as a cost-cut. Inflation and Building costs were rising quickly due to the economy then. ( so when did it ever stop?) They also had a basement planned, but that was scrapped too. One of the last things to go was the front patio cover that was to extend out to the parking lot. They actually had the beams but finally sold those after the decision was made to eliminate that part.
The ground breaking ceremony was held May 7, 1975 and construction began June 4, 1975. By the end of the year , the building was framed and those huge roof trusses were in place. The cornerstone /dedication ceremony was held in the front of the building on April 17, 1976. It was a full Grand Lodge ceremony . I provided the sound system outside.
Although the building was primarily constructed by Tilden Coil Co. , the landscape was done entirely by lodge members : Stan Channon, Bill Holsinger, Howard Born , and many others contributed many many hours to trenching, laying pipe, and planting. The birds of paradise along the front of the building came from our home on Daventry Rd.. The huge cornerstone you see by the entrance was moved from the old building. Now that’s a heavy piece of rock. The interior columns, pillars and stations seen in the lodge room were extracted from the old building and moved to the new building.
All of those display cases , the Tiler’s desk, the cupboards in the pantry were produced by Wor. Hank Goatcher. The kitchen was equipped by the Eastern Star Ungava chapter. The large emblem way above the East inside was constructed by Wor. Everett Ross
When the temple was completed , the lodge owed nothing but had nothing to spare either thanks to the very careful control the building committee had over the finances.
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