Milwaukee’s Tripoli Center, Taj Mahal on Wisconsin Avenue

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Photo by Dees Stribling

Tripoli Shrine Center

For one hundred years, the spectacular Moorish Revival building at 30th Street and Wisconsin Avenue has presided over the Concordia neighborhood, much like the palaces that once housed kings and potentates in far-off Middle Eastern countries. The prominent Milwaukee architect Alfred Clas envisioned a structure that evoked desert oases, exotic ornamentation and a 30-foot dome that recalled the Taj Mahal. The cornerstone for the Tripoli Shrine Center, designed as a fraternal gathering place for social events and activities, was laid in July 1927. Fundraisers for the temple included a private event at the Davidson theater featuring the Marx Brothers performing their popular stage show, Cocoanuts.

When the opulent structure opened in May 1928, the cost exceeded $11 million dollars in today’s comparative currency. A pair of 8-foot camels at the entrance were carved from French limestone and weighed 10,000 pounds each. The kneeling camels cost $300,000 and were donated by a Shriner, as was a magnificent bronze chandelier that weighed more than one ton. The building amenities included a ballroom and stage, a bowling alley, pool and billiard tables, a library, bars, dining rooms, rehearsal halls for musicians and parade units, and meeting rooms for the temple’s officers and board members. The 1.5 million tiles that adorn the interior were all laid by hand one piece at a time. On opening day, pomp and circumstance prevailed, with massive parades to that contained the Shriner members along with thousands of Masons and the Knights Templar in full parade dress.

At the same time the temple opened on Wisconsin Avenue, the Tripoli Country Club debuted at North 43rd Street and West Good Hope Road. The Shriners acquired the land in 1921 and chartered the club in 1923. The staggering costs of these properties were borne by 13,000 Shrine members, which included hundreds of the city’s wealthiest men. There was no debt carried for the country club or the temple. Dances, dinners, and myriad other social events were held at both places, but participation was limited to members only. Despite operating under the umbrella of the Shriners, a 1928 Milwaukee Journal story said both facilities were built by Masons for Masons.

Fraternal Order

“The Masonic Order is the oldest fraternal organization in the world”, said Gerry Arnholt, a historian and 33rd-degree Mason. “To be a Shriner, you have to be a Mason,” he added. Five hundred years ago, the kings and rulers of Europe turned on the Masons and their dependent organization, the Knights Templar. Despite having to meet secretly to avoid persecution, the Masons built castles for the royal families and thus were tolerated, according to masonic lore.

When the first colonists came to the New World and settled in Virginia, there are indications that several Masons were part of the group. William Brewster, senior elder and leader of the Plymouth Rock settlement was also a Mason. A century later, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere and John Hancock were part of the fraternal society. Even today, their legacy can be found in the layout of Washington D.C. streets and masonic imagery on the $1 bill. The first Milwaukee masonic lodge was chartered in 1843 by early settlers.

“In the 1870s, a small group of Masons created the Shriners”, Arnholt said. “The group was for fun and relaxation. No business talk.” As the Shriner membership grew, however, they transformed themselves into a philanthropic organization that operated children’s hospitals, each with a highly qualified medical staff to treat polio, cleft palates, burns and spinal deformities. Medical services, transportation, and housing were provided to families at no cost. Members of the women's auxiliary were instrumental in running these care centers. To raise additional funds to cover costs, the Shriners began bringing circuses to towns, a tradition that continues today.

In the 1960s and ‘70s, the area around the Tripoli temple began to deteriorate. Retail stores, grocery stores, restaurants and small service-oriented businesses began to leave. More importantly, the entertainment tentpole of the neighborhood, the Tower theater, finally closed permanently. But somehow the temple endured the downward spiral along with Marquette High School, the Ambassador Hotel and the former Eagles Club.

“Redevelopment along Wisconsin Avenue is ongoing”, Arnholt said. “We’ve become a strong, multi-ethnic enclave where people can walk the streets in safety.” He said the temple has put more than $2 million into the temple’s upkeep and the building is currently available for weddings, parties, dinners, dances, Quinceanera's and more. The temple has been a participant in the popular Doors Open event for years, allowing visitors to experience one of Milwaukee’s most beautiful nationally designated historic locations.