DETROIT (AP) — A Masonic lodge in Detroit has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, in part because of its contributions to the civil rights movement.
The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge on Detroit’s east side was added Wednesday to the National Park Service’s list of historic landmarks.
The Detroit lodge now joins a vast list of properties across the nation deemed worthy of preservation.
The lodge was noted by the National Park Service for its contributions to the civil rights movement and the general experience for African Americans in Detroit in the 20th century.
The Masonic lodge is one of more than a dozen statewide that are part of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons network.
Prince Hall was an abolitionist and leader in the community in Boston who founded Prince Hall Freemasonry.
Freemasonry is a mostly secular organization with a social network that spans the globe. While some of the group’s practices are kept from the public, many efforts are concentrated on community service and leadership.
