A historic Masonic lodge in Hyattsville may soon get a second life.
The owners of the Mount Hermon Lodge No. 179 have applied for the building to be designated a historic property by the county and are studying how it could be adapted for other uses.
Located at 4207 Gallatin St., across from St. Jerome Academy, the two-story Romanesque Revival lodge was built in 1893 after the Masons moved from Bladensburg.
The building’s owners recently received a $25,000 grant from Prince George’s County to draw up architectural and engineering plans and conduct a feasibility study for potential alternative uses.
They have also asked the Prince George’s County Historic Preservation Commission to consider designating the building a historic property, which will be discussed at a hearing on July 23.
The Mount Hermon Lodge is already considered a “contributing” property to the Hyattsville Historic District, so that will likely be approved.
The bigger question is what kinds of alternative uses the building could support. With nearly 9,000 square feet of space and high ceilings, it could be turned into an event space or be divided into smaller rooms, much like the Arcade building that’s now home to Pyramid Atlantic Art Center up the street.
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