Historic renovation of Masonic Lodge

posted by GlassBead on February 16, 2010 at 7:40 am

Nestled in the quiet downtown of the historic town of Enfield North Carolina has sat a relic of a prior life. Unobtrusive to passers by for many years, the beautiful art deco Masonic Temple of Enfield, built in the early 20’s, will soon become the home of a cultural arts center.

A masterpiece of architectural significance and the tallest building in Enfield, the former Masonic Temple will be renamed “The Lodge at Roanoke Valley” and will be a multi media entertainment and dining establishment unrivaled in Eastern North Carolina.

The Lodge will utilize existing features of the building to introduce a new and exciting reuse that will feature theatre, dance, yoga and health programs, film retrospectives, film and video soundstage facilities, studio space for artists and dancers, a museum dedicated to the history of the long lived Masonic Temple and its leaders, lecture hall, and dinner theater. It will be a prominent addition to the live music scene that is burgeoning in the region.

The new owner, Andrew B.H. Wirtz, foresees many possibilities for The Lodge. “This wonderful building can become a focus for many activities within Enfield that will serve the larger community between Roanoke Rapids and Rocky Mount and beyond.” He envisions an educational component that will draw artists from afar to teach workshops to children and adults. Drawing from his experience as President of the Board of Trustees for the non-profit Educational Arts Team in New Jersey, Wirtz hails art as “a way of reaching children in ways that enhance their understanding of core subject matter and increasing educational outcomes.” The Lodge aims to offer, through collaboration with the school districts, community-based organizations and foundation and corporate sponsors, a menu of in-school and after-school workshop programs for children and families. Adults and Seniors will benefit from the variety of activities that The Lodge will offer from archival research to film noir series, there’s something that will bring out the creative talents and nurture life long learning. Andrew credits his wife, Myra Williamson Wirtz, a native of Louisiana and a successful artist and designer, with encouraging him to take on this massive historic rehabilitation project.

Calling all artists, entertainers, producers, directors, playwrights, educators, chefs, and restaurateurs. The Lodge at Roanoke Valley is looking for your talents and creative energies to transform this majestic structure into a world-class entertainment venture.

Comments (4)

Patsy
Patsy on February 18, 2010 at 5:05 pm

Would love to see a photo!

GlassBead
GlassBead on February 28, 2010 at 2:40 pm

Pictures are plentiful on The Lodge at Roanoke Valley Facebook page. We hope you will add us as a “fan”. We have extensive pictures of pre renovation and some renovation in progress pictures. I will see if I can post some on this site as well. Our official website www.thelodgeatroanokevalley.com should be live by 3/31/10 (that is the plan anyway) so we hope you will check back soon to follow our progress. AND come to our little town of ENFIELD and discover the charm and beauty of this amazing little town with ALOT of heart.
Drew Wirtz

mmmbuzz
mmmbuzz on March 15, 2010 at 2:38 pm

We have several new, surplus, open box NEC Starus NC1500C DLP digital projectors for sale. These projectors are are spec’d at 11,000 lumens for screens from 26ft – 48ft wide. We will sell them for a fraction of the original suggested retail price. We also have bulbs for them. Contact Matt – – if you are interested. Spec sheet in PDF format available on request.

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