The State House
2550 Washington
Boulevard
By
James Bohne
From the
beginning it was a building made for builders.
Its architect, Leslie Simmons Hodgson, was born
to the trade. In 1905, just one year after
receiving his license he and his partner, J.A.
Smith, were commissioned to design and erect a
Masonic Temple at 2550 Washington Boulevard. For
62 years members of the world’s largest
fraternity named after a building trade, and
using its tools as metaphor, gathered to craft a
better life and a better community.
Those who
believe the Freemasons to be a secret society
should take note that when this building was
completed there was a very public dedication that
drew some 2000 visitors on September 20, 1906.
The building was described in detail in the next
day’s edition of the Ogden Weekly Standard.
Several
members of the Ogden community, most likely
Masons themselves, donated gifts and furnishings
to the temple. Most notably was a beautiful
grandfather clock the woodwork for which was
crafted in Philadelphia and clock works in Boston.
The clock stands in the lobby of current Ogden
Masonic Temple on 20th Street and
Harrison Boulevard. It is absolutely magnificent.
Abbott R. Haywood, who would serve as Ogden City
Mayor (1916-1917), presented furniture for the
lodge room. John S. Lewis, founder of a notable
jewelry company and certainly a Freemason himself
gave a silver tablet inscribed with a record of
the construction of the temple including names of
the officers and committees. His jewelry company
also did the engraving and mounting of a mahogany
gavel, the wood for which came from Ogden’s
frontal mountains lathed and finished by students
of Utah State Industrial School, and inlayed with
silver and gold from Utah mines. For the final
presentation one of the architects presented the
Masons with a square, level, and plumb used in
the actual construction of the temple. The
significance of these gifts is that the are also
Masonic emblems of integrity, equality, and
virtue.
The
street level floor of the building has  always served
commercial tenants including: A.W. Meck, Plumbing
and Heating; Western Auto Parts Company, and
Canton Café. Today you can enjoy a cup of coffee
at Mountain Peak Coffee Shop where custom blends
are named for famous mountain peaks, while seated
in an original Snow Basin Wildcat Chairlift seat
suspended from the ceiling. Or enjoy a delicious
wrap while seated in an overstuffed sofa facing
Washington Boulevard looking out toward the
Municipal Garden and Amphitheater.
Across
the hallway is Boccia’s Pizzeria NYC. John
Boccia grew up in New York City’s Little
Italy. From that modest beginning he has become a
successful restaurateur. Five years ago he moved
his family to Utah and established his first
local restaurant, Boccia’s D’Italia.
For each Christmas Eve since then the Boccia
restaurants and staff extend an invitation to
selected local families in need of relief to join
them for a traditional turkey and ham dinner at
Boccia’s D’Italia. Families are
recommended by agencies and word-of-mouth. John
Boccia pays a personal visit to find out the
wishes and needs of each family member.
Christmas
Eve is special. The restaurant is decorated with
wall and table décor. There is a traditional
tree with presents, and of course a visit from
Santa who presents a personalized gift to each
child.
When
asked why he does this each year he replied,
"I promised myself a long time ago that if I
ever made any measure of success, I’d find a
way to give back and make a difference."
Below
Boccia’s Pizzeria is The Wine Cellar, a jazz
club with a distinctive ‘20’s era
speakeasy atmosphere. Walter ("Mitch")
Mitchel first came to Utah for his first Air
Force enlistment assignment in 1975. At that time
he didn’t view the surrounding community as
particularly inviting. "If you were black or
in uniform, they knew you didn’t belong. I
was both."
As fate
would have it, he also ended his military career
at the same location: Hill Air Force Base. Now
married with children he saw a big change in
cultural attitudes. He chose to stay to support
his wife’s career and raise his children in
a good environment. After spending about ten
years in youth corrections, Mitch decided to
pursue a lifelong dream and opened a jazz club.
It took
Mitch over three months to clean out the
neglected barroom, finally opening for business
in April 2004. You can view this unique club with
elaborate woodwork and period-theme stained glass
Thursdays through Sundays, or visit on-line at
http://sky.prohosting.com/thewine.
 Outside on Washington
Boulevard there is a separate entrance into the
State House leading to the second floor. Above
the doorway are the words "THE STATE HOUSE
2550" where once stood the telltale compass
and square emblem of the Freemasons. This was the
entrance to the Masonic Lodge where the
Freemasons would conduct their rituals and
organizational business. One of the remaining
features of the building’s Masonic legacy
lies on this floor – an old walk-in vault
where the fraternity presumably kept their
treasury. The vault still has the original
decorative coating with the words "MASONIC
TEMPLE ASSOCIATION, OGDEN, UTAH" inscribed
along the top.
The vault
is now part of the offices of Kent Winward’s
"The Bankruptcy Firm". Kent is a
regularly featured columnist for STREET magazine.
The
Bankruptcy Firm shares the second floor with
Descente North America which recently moved its
main office from Englewood, Colorado under the
leadership of Vice President Curt Geiger. "Ogden
has a business friendly environment and a resort
atmosphere. Plus, we have access to an airport"
Geiger said.
Founded
in 1935, Descente is a worldwide manufacturer and
designer of high-end ski apparel and actively
sponsors athletes and sport-related charities.
They are about the same size as Nike with about a
billion dollars per year in sales.
Descente
North America is the first of three ski companies
to recently transfer operations to Ogden. Curt
recalls scouting the city with Descente President
Michi Masamoto. Impressed with the city’s
atmosphere he remarked, "This
is americana!"
That is
Ogden seen through the fresh eyes of a visitor.
It’s a markedly different outlook from the
sometimes jaded view held by some born to the
city. Curt Geiger sees the city’s potential
as a future ski industry hub. Not satisfied with
mere appreciation, he is actively promoting the
city as a ski hub and a potential ski-in, ski-out
community. He is a member of Lift Ogden dedicated
to making the tram to Snow Basin a reality.
 Another staircase
leads from the second to the third floor
constructed from what was once a large banquet
room; Freemasons are renown for their affection
for food. This is now the law offices of
Richards, Caine and Allen. Their lobby on the
third floor of the Neo-Classical Revival styled
State House has a dramatic view of the city’s
Art Deco styled Municipal Building across the
street. Ironically, these two architectural
styles marked the beginning and end of Leslie
Hodgson’s career.
Bernard
Allen is the main investor in the State House. He
is the son of Dr. Merle E. Allen, a former Ogden
Mayor (1962 – 1965), and has been in legal
practice in Ogden since 1981. If I believed in
reincarnation I would suspect Mr. Allen was
actually Leslie Hodgson come back to preserve his
legacy. In a short time, he and his associates
have done a remarkable job renovating the State
House. This is not the first building by the
architect that Bernie Allen has saved from
neglect. His considerable skill and determination
helped save another of Hodgson’s landmarks,
Peery’s Egyptian Theatre, from the wrecking
ball. He and the grassroots group he worked with
did so in spite of some harsh criticism from the
usual community naysayers. Peery’s is now an
endearing focal point of cultural activities in
downtown Ogden. In the same spirit he has joined
with Lift Ogden to promote Ogden as a ski
industry hub and get a tram built from Ogden City
to Snow Basin.
Leslie
Simmons Hodgson began his 40-year career building
the State House for a fraternity that teaches the
importance of making the world a better place for
all who live in it. When he was finished, Ogden
was a better place than it would otherwise have
been.
Nearly a
century later 2550 Washington Boulevard finds
itself inhabited by a new group of builders
– community builders. I have no doubt that
when they are done, Ogden will be more than it is
today.
James
E. Bohne, Jr., REALTOR®
Mobile: (801) 791-9579
Office: (801) 476-9500
Fax: (801) 476-9581
E-mail: j.e.bohne@att.net |
Crest
Realty Inc.
Equal Housing Opportunity.
Equal Opportunity Employer. |
Copyright
© 2003-2005, James E. Bohne, Jr., All Rights
Reserved
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