Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 126; Siouxland Historical Preservation Society Annual Gala

Tonight, May 6, 2009 is the Siouxland Historical Preservation Society is holding their annual gala. It wil be held at the Scottish Rite Temple on 8th and Douglas in Sioux City. The event is from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. It is free and open to all. The event will include food, music and will introduce a new film by G. R. Lindblade & Co., "The Last Great Neighborhood, a look at the South Bottoms."

I posted about the South Bottoms a while back.

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 111: William LaBarth Steele Part 6: Scottish Rite Temple

William L. Steele not only designed commercial and government buildings and houses but he also designed religious buildings. He has many churches to his credit. He was a devout Catholic and was very good friends with the Bishop of Sioux City and the diocese. As a result it is felt his reputation preceded him and he is credited for designing more then just Catholic churches and buildings. In May of 1994 Brian Charles Hughes wrote a Thesis called Sermons in Stone The Ecclesiastical Designs of William LaBarthe Steele. In the thesis is most if not all of the religious buildings are cataloged. One of the religious buildings he designed was the now Scottish Rite Temple.

The Scottish Rite Temple was not always the Scottish Rite Temple. Originally it was the Knights of Columbus Recreation Center. The building was completed and opened as the recreation center on February 8, 1926. The building was designed by William L. Steele and is a classic example of Prairie School architecture. The recreation center building had a swimming pool, basketball court, men's and women's locker rooms and showers. It is also thought it had a bowling alley as well. There are plans that show one, but no proof it was ever installed.

By 1937 the building had been in receivership for a number of years. The diocese would not bail the Knights of Columbus out. In the September 9, 1937 edition of the Sioux City Tribune there was an article stating Judge F. H. Rice set 10 a.m. Saturday for a hearing on the sale of the building for $40,000. According to an order filed in district court G. Y. Skeels, trustee of the building has asked approval of the sale to W. B. Whiting, Rotary, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. The title of the order is G. Y. Skeels, trustee vs. the Columbus Community center, et. al. The building had been in receivership 6 years prior to the sale in 1937. Which means it only lasted as the recreation center for 5 years.

After the Scottish Rite purchased the building they put about $122,500 to cover remodeling and furnishings for the new Scottish Rite Temple. The building was dedicated as the Sioux City Scottish Rite Temple on November 27, 1938.

Here is a short article and photo from the Sunday October 25, 1925 edition of the Sioux City Journal about the Knights of Columbus Recreation Center:


Here are photo's of the inside and outside of the building as it looks today:

Sioux City History & Culture by Bicycle Part 18: Woodbury County Courthouse

The Woodbury County Courthouse was designed in part by William L. Steele & is one of the best examples of Praire School style achitecture in a government building. It was opened in 1918. The courthouse is right next to city hall in Douglas St. & across from the Law Enforcment Center on 7th.

There are other Steele buildings that are designed with the Prarie School style architecture. The Scottish Rite Temple, just a block north, is another example of such a building. I will will post more about the other buildings in the future.

Here is more info. on the courthouse & pics.:
Woodbury County Courthouse
Woodbury County Iowa
Things to do & see, Woodbury County Courthouse

Sioux City History & Culture by Bicycle Part 21: Scottish Rite Temple

The Sioux City Scottish Rite Temple was not always used for the purpose of the Scottish Rite. It originally was a Knights of Columbus Recreation Center. It went into divestiture & the Sioux City Valley of the Scottish Rite purchased it for their use. They put a lot of money into the building & added on to the west end to convert it to their purpose.

The building is a William L. Steele design with the Prairie School style architecture. It is located at 8th & Douglas Streets.

Work continues to this day to improve the building even more then it is. One of the things being done is the windows are being changed to match the architectural lines of the building, similar to what they originally were when it was first built.

There are free tours available of the building but people will need to call ahead to make sure someone is available to conduct a tour.

There is a book that was written by my Masonic Brother, good friend & mentor, George Harrison called "10 Decades of Light" It gives a very good history of the Scottish Rite in Sioux City & the buildings that have been used by the Scottish Rite over the years, during it's plus 100 year history.

I am very proud to say I am a member of the Scottish Rite & this building is very beautiful on both the outside & inside.