In 1927, construction of the Waterloo Masonic Temple at 325 E. Park Ave. began. The four-story building offered ample space to the large — and growing — group.

It was a boom time for the lodge, which boasted a few thousand members, said Andrew Schaffer, a third degree master Mason and lodge secretary.

The lodge moved to the building in 1929, after the first two floors were finished. Workers poured concrete stairs to the third and fourth floors. However, construction ceased in October of that year, when global financial markets crashed.

The economy recovered, and Lodge No. 105 continued to thrive. However, the upper floors were never finished.

“In those days, there was a (membership) waiting list,” said Schaffer.

Induction remains a secret steeped in tradition. Prospective members fill out a petition. That petition is read at a meeting, and a committee is assigned to vet the candidate. If a candidate is cleared, membership is put to a lodge vote.

A successful candidate begins working through the degrees. This intensive study can take four months or more and differentiates Masons from other fraternal organizations, Wurtz explained.