History

Background

The Mason Building was built in 1914 by the Masonic Lodge #146 of Estacada, OR.  The design of the building was typical of Mason buildings for the time.  The main floor consisted of retail/office space that was rented to help offset the cost of the building.  The second floor was used by the Masons.

Main Floor

The main floor has been home to a variety of businesses during the life of the building: a Safeway store, Bob’s Restaurant, Mt. Hood Forest Service office, trucking company office, the Deli-Delite, the Estacada Bakery and a second hand store to name a few.

Second Floor

In the first 30+ years of the building, a series of dentists had an office upstairs including Dr. Netterman and Dr. Root.  However, most of the upstairs of the building was used by the Masons for their various functions.  It consisted of a large meeting room with a hardwood floor, a dining hall, a kitchen, two bathrooms and a variety of storage closets.

Building Sold

In 2006, due to declining membership, the Masons sold the building to Tom Wille and his brother-in-law Gregg Crawford.  Tom and Gregg’s plan was to return the building to its original condition as much as possible.  They wanted to keep the historic charm while adding new amenities that today’s businesses require.

Extensive Restoration

The restoration project was quite extensive and took approximately 15 months.  All three of the bottom floor spaces were completely stripped.  Dropped ceilings were removed, storefronts were rebuilt in their original style, the original transom windows were repaired, and the floor was stripped down to the bare concrete.  The concrete floor was stained in two of the three spaces.  All the original wood doors were stripped and refinished to highlight the old growth wood.  On the second floor the carpet was removed and the old growth wood floor was refinished.

New Electrical Service and Wiring

New electrical service was brought in underground thereby removing two sets of overhead wires above Broadway.  Both the first and second floor were completely rewired to accommodate current business needs.

Energy Efficiency

Insulation was added wherever possible and new thermo-pane windows were installed in the storefronts and the second floor.  The old boiler was removed and new high efficiency heating/air conditioning units were installed.  The work was recognized as meeting the qualifications of the Energy Trust of Oregon.

Original Architecture Restored

A number of architectural features were typical of buildings built in the 1920s.  Tall ceilings, transom windows, five panel doors and wide wood trim were all common.  Fortunately all of these were present in the Mason Building and were restored.  In addition ceiling fans and school house lights (similar to the original) were installed.  A second stairway was installed and built in the style of the 1920s.  The original stairway was preserved and brought up to current safety standards.  The original light fixtures were rewired and reinstalled.

Recycling of Materials

To install the second stairway a series of storage closets needed to be removed.  The closets were built of eleven foot, clear, tongue and groove, old growth fir.  The lumber was carefully torn down, the nails removed, and reinstalled as wainscoting throughout the building.  The doors of the storage closets were reinstalled in various locations in the building.  Even some of the old growth 2x4s were remilled and used in the new stairway. (Look for wood with the tight grain.)  The flooring that was cut out for the new stairs was reinstalled in the new landing.

Second Floor Ballroom

The most significant room in the building is the 2300 sq ft ballroom with a hardwood maple floor.  This room was used by the Masons for their meetings.  Over the years the Masons kindly let other groups use the room.  The Boy Scouts, a drama group, a band and other organizations used the room for a variety of purposes.  In addition, family reunions, receptions, parties and dances were held in the room.

Building Recognized as Historic Building

In 2007 the city of Estacada designated the downtown area as an historic area.  In addition they selected a few of the buildings as having historical significance for the city.  The Mason Building was chosen for its long history as a downtown meeting place and for the variety of businesses that have been housed in the building.

A granite plaque has been mounted on the building describing the building’s contribution to the history of Estacada.