TIMA’s vision for Masonic Hall is to allow TIMA to tell and preserve the story of the cultural legacy of this region for the first time through its remarkable collections with expanded and more appropriate exhibition and collection spaces along with a local foods cafe. The redeveloped Masonic Hall will include: 1) a museum entrance, lobby and climate controlled exhibition cabinet displays on the ground floor along with an area local foods restaurant/cafe, 2) an expanded climate controlled exhibition space on the second floor to better share TIMA’s wide ranging and diverse collections that reflect the area’s rich cultural legacy and works from elsewhere in the world, and 3) an expanded climate controlled collection storage space in the rear attached warehouse of the building to house TIMA’s irreplaceable collections. View a short 5 minute video about the current TIMA Rising Tides Campaign to support the Masonic Hall development by clicking the image above.
Masonic Hall represents a 25 year effort to create a first class museum facility for Washington County that meets museum standards and will allow the Tides Institute to exhibit more and better preserve its extensive collections that reflect the region with connections to the broader world. This has been very much a joint effort working with hundreds of people both here and throughout the U.S. and Canada to see the return of thousands of artifacts to this area and to see thousands of artifacts kept in this area. TIMA’s collections represent the largest and most significant cultural collections along the eastern coast of Maine. More about these collections can be found here: Tides Collections. The future Masonic Hall will showcase these works with the public through programming and design so that they are shared with generations to come.
The rapid growth of its collections has left the Tides Institute bursting at the seams with its current main building located across the street from Masonic Hall. The redeveloped Masonic Hall building will provide the additional needed space to handle these expanded collections. Masonic Hall will also provide climate controlled exhibition and collection storage conditions. The enhanced museum facility will allow the Tides Institute to borrow works that it currently cannot and allow the Tides Institute to more readily attract significant works into its collections. The redeveloped Masonic Hall will be a game changer for the Tides Institute and this region. There has never been anything in Washington County like what Masonic Hall will be.
Machado-Silvetti Second Floor Gallery Walk Through
The Tides Institute is working with Machado Silvetti architects of Boston and Buro Happold engineers of New York City on the designs and plans for the Masonic Hall. Currently their work is focused on developing construction drawings for the remaining exterior brick restoration on the south and rear portions of the building along with a new roof. They are also refining plans for the substantial mechanical systems required for the building.
A recent major Congressional Directed Spending (CDS) grant award of $2 million will help with additional redevelopment steps for Masonic Hall over the next several years. This award builds on the $2.5 million already raised in support of the Masonic Hall making a total of $4.5 million raised so far. The additional redevelopment steps for Masonic Hall include a required fire suppressant sprinkler system, new kitchen, new heating system, new elevator, new windows and new climate controlled exhibition and collection spaces. The full completion of the redevelopment of Masonic Hall will require an additional $2+ million in funding for a total project cost of $6.5+ million.
Follow this link to view the floor plans for Masonic Hall’s redevelopment as prepared by Machado-Silvetti architects of Boston: Floor Plans
Follow this link for the history and rescue of Masonic Hall: History & Rescue
For more information about the Masonic Hall Project and if you would like to contribute to the Project, please contact TIMA. Use this link if you would like to contribute online: TIMA Donation Page