Construction of the Shrine Mosque

    In 1920, the Abou Ben Adhem temple of Shriners in Springfield, Missouri, announced its intention to build a new temple, and a lot for the proposed structure was acquired at the northeast corner of Kimbrough and St. Louis streets at a cost of $20,000 in November of the same year. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on October 4, 1921, and Imperial Potentate Ernest A. Cutts came to Springfield as the guest of honor to turn over the first shovelful of dirt. Contract for the project was awarded to Springfield construction contractor J. M. Olsen, whose low bid was $257,500, not including heating and lighting.
    Plans called for the mosque to house a large auditorium with a seating capacity of about 5,000 people. About 3,700 permanent seats would surround the stage in a horseshoe shape, and approximately another 1,300 temporary seats could be set up on the floor. Construction of the Shrine Mosque, as it was called, would be the costliest building project in Springfield history, and the auditorium would be one of the biggest and best in the Midwest.

    As often happens with large construction projects, the initial deadline could not be met, and the projected costs also rose. When the mosque was finally completed in the fall of 1923, it was at a total cost of over half a million dollars (about twice the initial estimate, but this final cost included heating and lighting)
    A dedication ceremony for the new building was held on November 3, 1923, with Shriner dignitaries from all all over the country in attendance, including Imperial Potentate Conrad V. Dykeman. About 8,000 Shriners in all attended the event, and an estimated 25,000 people witnessed the parade through downtown Springfield.
    The Shrine Mosque auditorium was put into almost immediate use, attracting various well-known shows and performers to Springfield. One of the first events at the mosque was a musical production entitled "The Clinging Vine" featuring renowned actress and prima donna Peggy Wood on November 5, two days after the dedication.
    The Shrine Mosque was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The Shrine Mosque Preservation Association was formed in 1986, and the organization is currently raising funds to make needed repairs on the building in time for its centennial observation in 2023.
    On a personal note, I went to a number of concerts at the Shrine Mosque in my younger years, but it has probably been close to forty years now since I've been inside the place.