New York's Livingston Masonic Library Still Dedicated to Masonic Enlightenment! Livingston Masonic Library Director to Speak on Shrine Mosques William D. Moore, the Director of the Livingston Masonic Library, has been asked to present his research on the history and architecture of buildings erected by the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine to the Society of Architectural Historians at their annual meeting in Seattle in April 1995. Besides serving as the director of one of the nation's premier repositories of Masonic materials, Mr. Moore is also a doctoral candidate in the American and New England Studies Program at Boston University, where he is currently working on a study of Masonic architecture and material culture in New York State between 1870 and 1930. During a brief period of activity between 1904 and 1930, the Temples of the Mystic Shrine built more than seventy mosques in major American cities from Lewiston, Maine, to Jacksonville, Florida, and from Richmond, Virginia, to Los Angeles, California. In New York State, mosques were built in Brooklyn, Binghamton, and Manhattan. These magnificent fraternal palaces were the primary expression of the Moorish revival and neo-Islamic Architecture in twentieth-
March 1995
century America. Although these buildings cost millions of dollars to erect and were designed by noted architects, they have never been adequately recognized as a significant aspect of the history of American architecture. Mr. Moore's presentation will break new ground in bringing Masonic architecture to the attention of scholars and preservationists. The Society of Architectural Historians is America's foremost organization for the study of architecture. Scholars travel from around the world to attend the annual meeting. Mr. Moore's presentation is part of the Livingston Masonic Library's program to educate the Masonic Fraternity and the general public about Freemasonry's impact upon American history and culture. The Livingston Masonic Library is a nonprofit, state-chartered center for the collection, study, and preservation of the Masonic heritage. For more information, write the Livingston Masonic Library, 71 West 23rd Street, New York, New York 10010-4171, or call (212) 741-4505.
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