The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry is a branch of Freemasonry that expands upon the moral and philosophical lessons of one’s first three basic degrees, which are achieved in a blue lodge after one’s initiation. Most commonly referred to as the Scottish Rite, the branch continues the 4th through the 32nd degrees, and also awards an honorary 33rd degree for exceptional service.
In Hawai‘i, the Scottish Rite was established in 1874 by King David Kalākaua and John Owen Dominis, husband of Queen Lili‘uokalani. Its membership once included Hawaiian royalty, politicians, and cultural icons like William Pitt Leleiohoku II (younger brother of Kalākaua), Samuel Parker of Parker Ranch, Duke Kahanamoku, and many more notable men of Hawai‘i.
By the early 1900s, the Masonic orders had grown rapidly in Honolulu. With all the work required of the various bodies, it was clear that the Masonic Temple located at Hotel and Alakea Streets was too small to house everyone. The lodges began to look for larger accommodations.
In 1917, a building permit was issued for the First Church of Christ, Scientist for a structure on the corner of Wilder Avenue and Kewalo Street. The community watched as walls of cream-colored brick went up, the tile roof installed, and cement walks around the church were built. But after three years, it seemed the church began to lose its steam.
Towards the end of 1920, the Christian Science Church decided to sell the partially completed building, citing a desire to secure a location on a quieter street and to erect a building that would be more in harmony with the Hawaiian climate. The church had already spent nearly $70,000, and the interior and windows weren’t even finished.
Their break came in 1921, when the Scottish Rite bodies in Honolulu voted to buy the Christian Science Church for the asking price of $60,000. The building’s incomplete state allowed the Scottish Rite to remodel the interior, adding a stage and auditorium equipped for Scottish Rite services.
Finally, on November 4, 1922, grand ceremonies opened in Makiki with the formation of a procession in front of the fire station, two blocks away from the newly completed building. More than a thousand people attended the event. The crowd included Masons and their families, city officials, curious onlookers from the neighborhood, and members of the general public.
The Royal Hawaiian Band led the procession, followed by the Honolulu Commandery York Rite, and then Masons in full regalia. The parade stopped in front of the new building and the Masons assembled in two lines. Hawai‘i Governor and Grand Master Wallace Rider Farrington, Deputy Grand Master Lester Petrie, and other officials walked between the rows and took their places on a specially constructed platform.
The trowel, square, level, and plumb, the solid silver Masonic tools last used by King Kalākaua, were then brought forward on a purple plush tray and presented to the Grand Master. In compliance with the ritual provided for the occasion, the cornerstone was laid in place. Governor Farrington used the silver trowel to cement around the edges, and then other officials used the level, square, and plumb to test the stone, ensuring its position was correct.
After the stately pageantry, the solemn and splendid affair was complete, and the Cathedral of the Scottish Rite Bodies was founded. Within its walls, ceremonies and rituals have taken place for generations, cloaked in secrecy and speculation.
But the building’s mystique isn’t limited to its history. People whisper about odd happenings that often defy explanation. In the temple room, where men once performed solemn rituals, the heavy stage curtain has been seen moving on its own and muffled voices murmur in the dark, although no one is there.
In 2021, we hosted a virtual event at the Scottish Rite Cathedral. My wife and I, some close friends, and our online community via Facebook gathered in the hallowed halls of this most sacred location to hear the stories of its ghosts and investigate its hauntings.
From the beginning, things were strange. As we moved from the front lounge to the dining room, I felt someone hug me from behind. When I stopped to see who it was, no one was near enough to have done so. I shrugged off the chicken skin, walked a few more steps, and then looked back to take account of everyone.
Making sure we were all together, I began to turn around to lead the group when movement in the lobby caught my eye. I looked up and saw a person sitting on one of the cushioned chairs. I glanced at my wife to tell her I’d be right back as I moved forward toward the doorway, but when I looked again at the lounge, no one was there. While our group was all accounted for, I did a quick sweep of the room and found no one.
Upstairs in the temple room, we heard a piano playing. It wasn’t a full song, just someone tapping on some keys, the notes echoing through the large room. But we’d just walked in as a group. The piano was stationed in the far left corner of the large room, and no one could have made it across the way without the rest of us seeing them.
As we sat in the middle of the room talking about other people’s past experiences, all ten of us saw a heavy table move across the stage of its own accord. Although the camera wasn’t focused on the stage, our online followers heard the commotion. Then the heavy stage curtain moved as if someone were behind it, pushing it forward, but we could see no feet in the two-inch gap between the curtain and the stage.
Whether we can ever explain the experiences of that evening is impossible to say. The Scottish Rite Cathedral has stood for more than a century, its walls bearing witness to ceremonies, celebrations, and the passion, camaraderie, and conviction of countless men who passed through its doors.
Unlike the cornerstone that holds tangible evidence like photographs and written records of the past, the impressions left behind cannot be measured or explained. Perhaps places like this simply hold on to something we don’t yet understand. Whatever the case, those of us who were there that night left with more questions than answers.
The authors can be reached at hawaii.mysteries@gmail.com
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