Like many people who grew up in Raleigh, George Smart had for decades driven by the stone and glass Grand Masonic Lodge on Glenwood Avenue without ever stepping foot inside. Maybe more than most, Smart was curious about the building and its mid-century architecture.
So Smart approached the Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina to see if they would agree to host public tours of their building with his group, NCModernist, the Durham-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting modernist architecture.
The Masons, despite their reputation for secrecy, eagerly said yes. NCModernist is now selling timed tickets to tour the building on Saturday, June 20 (see details below)…