• Jacksonville Masonic Center Hits the Auction Block: The Jacksonville Masonic Center located at 345 West College Avenue in Jacksonville is going up for auction. The building will be sold through an online auction by Cory Craig Auction Service. Specific building details, as well as, actual bidding can be found at www.corycraig.com. The auction will take place from April 1 through April 30. There will be no reserve price on the sale.
Harmony Masonic Lodge No. 3 and Zingabad Grotto currently meet in the building and will remain active in the community. The organizations will relocate to a new location or, if possible, rent a portion of the building from the new owner.
At the time the building was built there were ten renting organizations in the building. Today there are two. There were nearly 1,200 members in the renting organizations; now there are only 250. Due to the decrease in membership in the Lodge and in the renting organizations, they can no longer afford to preserve this historic Art Deco style building as it should be.
Building History
The property for the building was purchased in 1922. A capital fund was started on January 1, 1930 with $60,000. By February 7, 1930 cash and pledges reached $80,000. The erection of the building started in June of 1932 and the cornerstone was laid in June of that year.
Things didn’t go as planned. The money was deposited in Ayers Bank, which closed during the Great Depression and never reopened. Enough money was raised by October of 1935 to finish the outer shell and roof over the lower level (kitchen & dining room, rest rooms), where they started meeting. As more money was raised, the first floor was added. This floor included a small lodge room, ladies’ lounge with kitchenette, men’s lounge, rest rooms, office and vault. After further fundraising, the second floor, which included the large lodge room, stage and storage rooms, was added. In 1950 the building was completed when the elevator was installed.
Lodge History
The first Masonic Lodge in Jacksonville was Illion Lodge No. 12. It was located on the square in what is today The Farmers State Bank & Trust Company parking lot. It was chartered on December 23, 1825 and officially lasted until January 23, 1827 when the Grand Lodge of Illinois closed due to the Morgan Affair. Although the Grand Lodge closed, records can be found that the lodge still operated and performed a Masonic Funeral Service on June 15, 1830.
On October 4, 1837 a request for charter was sent to the Grand Lodge of Missouri. On October 2, 1838, a charter was issued under the name and number of Harmony Lodge No. 24, operating under the Masonic Grand Lodge of Missouri.
On April 6, 1840 Harmony Lodge No. 24 summoned other lodges meeting in Illinois to a convention to create the current Grand Lodge of Illinois. As a result of this convention, on April 29, 1840, Harmony Lodge requested, and was granted No. 3. (The number 3 is a prominent number in Freemasonry). So, for 180 years of Freemasonry’s 195 years in Jacksonville, the lodge has been Harmony Lodge No. 3.
The Lodge has moved several times throughout its history. As mentioned, it was where the Farmers Bank parking lot is today. It was located in the old “McCoy Building” (parking lot next to Mulligans), on the third floor of a building where the School Apartments now stand, in the Dr. J.T. Cassell building on the west side of the square, in the Broadwell Building on South Main St. (All Occasions Flowers building), and in the “Gallaher’s Block” (West State next to the Jacksonville Journal Courier Building). So, relocating will not be new to Harmony Lodge.
• Bob Freesen YMCA Online Workouts: In an effort to keep YMCA members moving and as healthy as possible during this time of sheltering at home, the Bob Freesen YMCA is posting workouts from its instructors on its Facebook page (Bob Freesen YMCA) and its website, www.jacksonvilleymca.org. Community members can also use these workouts. These workouts include aerobics, chair yoga, Rock Steady Boxing for our Parkinson’s disease classes, BootyBarre and CrossFit workouts. We have cleaned the facility thoroughly in an effort to open as soon as it is safe to do so. Stay well and keep moving to stay as healthy as possible.
• Cama inducted into Illinois State University College of Business Hall of Fame: Wendy Campbell Cama was inducted into the Illinois State University College of Business Hall of Fame 2020 class at a luncheon last month. Cama is a partner in the Financial Institutions practice at Crowe LLP, a top ten public accounting firm in the United Sates with revenue of approximately $950 million. Crowe LLP is a public accounting, consulting and technology firm with offices around the world. Crowe uses its deep industry expertise to provide audit services to public and private entities.
Crowe is a leading firm in the financial services industry and audits more publicly traded financial institutions than any other firm in the U.S. Cama is the partner leading the Northeast Audit Practice, including New York, New Jersey, Washington DC, Connecticut and Vermont. She specializes in audits of financial institutions. Her experience includes securities offerings, including initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions, SOX 505 and various consulting services. Cama currently holds the roles of the Office Managing Partner for the New York Office, serves on the firm’s audit management team, serves on the firm’s Inclusive Excellence Council and recently completed a term of six years on the firm’s Board of Directors, serving the last three as chair.
Cama was selected as one of NJBIZ Top 50 Women in Business in New Jersey in 2016. She was also honored to be selected to receive an award in March of 2018 in the Inaugural Great Places to Work for All as a representative of Crowe. Honorees were women leaders from Companies on the Fortune 100 best places to work for and best places to work for women. She was chosen by senior leadership of Crow for being a leader who has consistently played a critical role in the helping the organization deliver on strategic growth and business goals by creating a high-trust culture that is a great place to work for every employee.
Cama is actively involved in the New York Bankers Association, New Jersey Bankers Association and the Financial Managers Society. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Union County, New Jersey and Junior Achievement of New Jersey.
Cama is the daughter of Bob and the late Nancy Campbell of Franklin, Illinois. She is a 1990 Graduate of Illinois State University.
