The most architecturally distinctive building in Mendocino is not a church or a house but the Masonic Hall on Lansing Street, built in 1866. The building is a handsome piece of Italianate commercial architecture, but what stops visitors is the rooftop: a hand-carved redwood sculpture of Father Time and the Weeping Virgin, cut from a single log by a local craftsman. It is one of the most unusual pieces of folk art on the California coast. The hall is on the National Register of Historic Places and the exterior is accessible at any time. The interior is opened for occasional tours and events.
Masonic Hall
1866 Masonic Temple with a unique hand-carved rooftop sculpture
| Address | Lansing St at Ukiah St, Mendocino, CA 95460 |
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A story
The figure standing atop the Masonic Hall is Father Time holding a broken column, watched over by the Weeping Virgin. It was carved from a single redwood log by local craftsman Eric Albertson in 1866 using only hand tools. The sculpture has never been replaced or substantially restored — the original carving that Albertson made has stood through storms, earthquakes, and 150 years of coastal weather.