Square and compasses smashed during removal from 'offended' church

The square and compasses lies in pieces, smashed to the ground while being removed from the Masonic temple building in Elgin, Illinois, now owned by a church group.

Officials of the fundamentalist Christian Family Life Church threatened the Elgin City Council with a lawsuit if they weren't allowed to remove Masonic emblems from the historic building, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The square and compasses enclosing the letter G, along with the original cornerstone which contained Masonic symbols and wording, was considered "offensive" by church officials. Read the "statement of faith" of church founders and "prophetic apostolic overseers" Robert and Stacy Whitt.

The broken terra cotta S&C along with the now-removed cornerstone which reads "Laid By the Masonic Fraternity June 9 A.D. 1923=A.L. 5923" will be housed in the Elgin Area Historical Museum.

Speaking of the removal, Betty Coture, a member of the Elgin Heritage Commission, said, "I didn't really think they would do it. It is too bad that a church that came here and wants to do good things destroys our beautiful building."

A small time capsule in a copper box was found under the cornerstone. It has been given to Elgin Lodge No. 117, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.

Previous stories on the Taper regarding this subject can be found here and here.

Image: The Masonic emblems on the building before their removal and near-destruction.

Masons | Christians | Historical Buildings | Freemasonry | Family Life Church, Elgin, Illinois | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com

Update: Illinois church to remove Masonic emblems from historical landmark

In October we reported on a fundamentalist church in Elgin, Illinois that had petitioned their city council to allow them to remove Masonic emblems from their building, a former Masonic temple now held to be an historical landmark.

On October 10, the Elgin City Council voted 5-2 to allow Family Life Church to remove the emblems.

Council members Mike Powers and John Steffen voted against overturning the heritage commission's ruling.

"I view this building as a landmark, architectural landmark for the city," Powers said. "I think that changing the facade would be a serious mistake."

"It's fundamentally part of the building," Steffen added. "[The compass and square] is the focal point of the front of the building."

City resident Jennifer Shroder, a local Christian and granddaughter of a Freemason, spoke up about her opposition to the decision in a letter to the editor of the Daily Herald on October 17: "It is this kind of prejudice that mars most of the history of Christianity.... As Christians, shouldn't we encourage tolerance, not try to erase all evidence of it from a prominent building?"

Masons | Masonic Architecture | Fundamentalist Christians | Freemasonry | Elgin, Illinois | Burning Taper | BurningTaper.com