EXPLORING ABANDONED MASONIC TEMPLE SET ON FIRE BY RIOTERS COFFIN FOUND IN BASEMENT

On today’s EJC Exploration we go EXPLORING ABANDONED MASONIC TEMPLE SET ON FIRE BY RIOTERS *COFFIN FOUND IN BASEMENT* A fire broke out early Tuesday morning in Asheville, appearing to have burnt through the roof of a building in the Shiloh Community Association. The Asheville Fire Department (AFD) tweeted at 3:04 a.m. on June 2 that crews were responding to a building fire, later confirmed at 35 B***** Street in Asheville. Later information confirmed this building had housed Venus Lodge number 62, Asheville’s first black fraternal/Masonic group. Upon arrival AFD tweeted photos of the “significant volume of fire.“ No injuries have been reported at this time. According to Ronald Scott with Venus Lodge number 62, the chapter was founded by Isaac Dickson in the early 1900’s, possibly late 1800’s. The original African American Masonic Temple was in a building currently located in downtown Asheville. The burned building on B***** Street had housed the chapter since the early