Save Roswell’s History

08/13/2024

Roswell City Council has unanimously approved a resolution that includes preserving the Masonic Lodge located at 1054 Alpharetta Street and incorporating it into a planned pedestrian plaza. After receiving public feedback and investigating a variety of options, Mayor and Council have decided to repu...

08/12/2024

Tonight history was made. City of Roswell, Georgia Government motioned to save the Masonic Lodge in Roswell, GA. We want to sincerely thank Mayor and Council on this decision.

Thank you to all the volunteers for their dedication to this matter. We appreciate you beyond words. 💚

08/11/2024

🚨We have very exciting news to share! 🚨

On Monday, August 12, 2024 at 7pm Mayor Kurt Wilson will present a resolution to preserve the 1859 Methodist Church/Roswell Masonic Hall building to be an open air pavilion.

Click the button below for the resolution. Or you can view it online at : https://roswellcityga.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=3279 We are very much hopeful this resolution will be approved and are grateful to our steering committee, volunteers and supporters to Save Roswell’s History!

We thank the Mayor and Council for their dialogue on this matter.💚

Please plan to attend Monday night at 7pm at Roswell City Hall.

If you wish to get a convenient reminder about Monday’s City Council meeting, simply click the optional RSVP button below.

08/09/2024

Great News! On Monday, 8/12/2024, Mayor Kurt Wilson will move to Preserve The 1859 Methodist Church Building, to be an open air pavilion, similar to the Wyche pavilion in Greenville, SC. We expect this resolution to pass unanimously.

Mayor Wilson is proposing to save the walls and roof and to remove the existing stucco to reveal handmade brick and Greek Revival details.

Thank You Mayor Wilson, Thank You Roswell City Council, and Thank You citizens of Roswell for saving Roswell’s History. You are not just preserving a building, you are strengthening Roswell’s Historic Brand, you are promoting economic development, and you are making Roswell The No. 1 Family Community In America.

Please join us to celebrate Monday night, 7:30 PM at Roswell City Hall.

08/05/2024

WSB-TV covered news about the Masonic Lodge! Watch below 👇👇

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07/31/2024

🔔 CITY COUNCIL MEETING RECAP BELOW!👇 🔔

‼️ City Council’s first Monday meeting is a lot to unravel if you missed out. Read the article below by Appen Media to learn more!

📲 Share this post with 5 friends so we can spread the word about what is going on with The Masonic Lodge in Roswell, GA. We are COMMITTED to saving this special piece of history. 💚

20 Roswell residents spoke during Monday's city council forum, which adjourned just after midnight. Topics included the plan for the Masonic Lodge, economic development and the public's right to weigh

07/28/2024

This upcoming Monday, July 29th at 7pm there are 2 meetings at Roswell City Hall: the first one is a new Special Called Meeting. Then City Council Open Forum “Open Mic Night” will follow. 🏫

We ask all interested parties to attend the meetings!!!

The agenda for the Special Called Meeting is published on the city’s website: https://roswellcityga.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=3417 (https://roswellcityga.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Meeting.aspx?ID=3417)

Item #5 on the agenda is about the Masonic Lodge. We checked the Agenda Packet. There is no additional information in there. We only see “Presentation of Updated Information”.

We will all be interested to hear the updates in this presentation. And we hope you can join us!!!

Our mission is to save The Old Methodist Church, known today as the Roswell Masonic Lodge.

07/18/2024

Oh hey, Alive In Roswell 👋 We are here! Rain, sleet, or snow. ☔️ Come visit our tent to learn more about what’s going on with The Old Methodist Church in Roswell.

07/17/2024

🔔IMPORTANT UPDATE🔔

$680,000 COST TO TEAR DOWN HISTORIC CHURCH!

The City of Roswell has estimated that cost $680,000 to demolish the 1859 church building on Alpharetta Highway.

This historic building is 90 feet from where the city plans to build a parking deck. The parking deck can be built without tearing down the historic building. The Roswell Masonic Lodge has been meeting in this building since 1952 and it is in good condition.
The city acquired this historic building together with 1.3 acres by eminent domain after paying $3,430,000 dollars into court. Initially the city planned to demolish the building and construct a pedestrian plaza in its place. The city is now proposing to construct a storm water detention facility somewhere on the 1.3 acres. The estimated cost to construct the storm water detention facility for the parking deck is over 3 million dollars.

The Masons have appealed the city’s taking so now a jury of twelve will decide what the city must pay for the building. It is likely that the cost of taking the Masons’ property will exceed $3.43 million dollars because the jury may consider the cost to rebuild a Greek Revival Building with 28 inch thick walls and appreciation in value resulting from the land being next to a parking deck, factors not considered in the city’s price. The city council and Roswell Tax Payers may be in for an expensive surprise.

Some council members now question whether they made a mistake in voting to spend 3.43 million dollars to take the building from the Masons. Some are questioning whether the building should be left As Is and the $680,000 cost of demolition saved. Some believe that the building should be torn down because it is ugly, but this can be remedied for a fraction of the cost of demolition by removing the exterior stucco to reveal the handmade red brick walls and Greek Revival details of the 1859 church.

Hopefully the city council will come to their senses before they approve spending $680,000 of our tax money to tear down a historic building for no good reason and forever erase a part of Roswell’s History. 💚

07/12/2024

Check out the below Appen Media article from author Amber Perry regarding our 7/10 General meeting: 👇

The Roswell City Council seized property from the Freemasons who owned it, hoping to put a pedestrian plaza in its place. Now in a legal filing the Masons say officials

07/05/2024

🔔MAJOR UPDATE! 🔔 READ BELOW! 👇

Mason’s Appeal City Taking 1859 Lodge Building:

On June 27 the Roswell Masonic Lodge appealed to the City of Roswell’s taking by eminent domain of the historic building where the Masons have been meeting for 72 years. A jury of twelve will now decide whether $3,430,000 paid by the city for 1.13 acres fronting on Alpharetta Highway and Green Street including the building is just and adequate compensation. The city’s offer is based on assessments of other parcels that were not adjacent to a parking deck and did not include a historic building. The jury may consider the enhanced value of the Mason’s property resulting from the city’s announcement that it will build a parking deck next door, and the cost to replace a 1859 building with 28 inch thick walls with hewn rafters. The city may be in for a surprise.
The city now owns the Masonic Lodge but no date has been set for the Masons to move out.
The city plans to demolish the historic building to make way for a pedestrian plaza. City ordinances prohibit the demolition of historic buildings, but the city is exempt from it.