On Wednesday May 7, 1952, a fire destroyed the 1902 Temple that was
located on the corner of 8th & Scott Street. The 1902 structure had been
encompassed by the present structure in 1923. The Bible displayed here
was on the Altar in the old Lodge of Perfection when the fire broke out.
When the firemen and members entered the burned out area a hole was
noticed in the floor of the "Lodge of Perfection" with what appeared to
be some sort of light shining through the hole. Upon looking through the
hole something was noticed on the ground below. The late Bro. Jack
Donham, Past Grand Master and Grand Secretary climbed down to
investigate. There he found the Bible open with the only damage being
the smoked pages displayed here. He also found that two wooded timbers
had fallen across the Altar and Bible and was lying in the shape of a
cross. It has been suggested, with the way the pages of the Bible was
smoked, that the Book of Constitutions for the Ancient and Accepted
Scottish Rite of Freemasonry was laying on one side and a laurel wreath
was laying on the other. The Alter was intact with the only apparent
damage being an area of charring on one side. This Altar is still used
today in our degree work in the auditorium.
