Kora Temple
11 Sabattus St., Lewiston, MEBuilt in 1908, the Kora Temple strikes a decidedly unusual note amid the largely undistinguished architecture of central Lewiston. It is one of the largest and certainly the most noticeably Prominent home of a fraternal organization in the State.
The Kora Shrine of Lewiston was organized in 1891 and held its first meetings in the facilities of the Masonic Temple on Lisbon Street. Later, a frame structure on the site of the present building was purchased and used until it was razed to make room for the new Temple. The building was the site of a dedication banquet and ball on March 17, 1909, that was attended by some 2,000 people. It was the social event of the year for Lewiston and for much of Maine with several hundred out-of-town Shriners crowding in for the gala event.
This Moorish-style structure was the work of the noted local architect George M. Coombs, (1852-1909), a member of the Kora Shrine, and was one of his last major commissions. The great mural series in the banquet room was executed by Harry H. Cochgane, a somewhat eccentric 19th-century Renaissance man: artist, architect, author, historian, poet, playwright, and politician. Cochrane had an unusual interest in the origins and ceremonies of fraternal organizations, especially Masonry and the Shrine. He wrote, produced, and designed sets for a 3-hour extravaganza entitled The First Crusade which dramatized certain aspects of the origins of Masonry against a colorful Near-Eastern background. The Kora Temple murals were reproduced and their inspirations and interpretations were explained in his book Following the Fez.
The Temple is still owned and maintained by the Kora Shrine of Lewiston which continues to utilize its ornate facilities as a meeting place and headquarters.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.