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[[File:Lord Ampthill Raja Ravi Varma 1905.jpg|thumb|right|230px|alt=Painted portrait of Lord Ampthill standing in Masonic regalia.|Raja Ravi Varma's portrait of Lord Ampthill (1905), held at Freemasons' Hall, Chennai. Public-domain reproduction.]]
'''Freemasons' Hall, Chennai''' is a Masonic meeting place and the headquarters of the District Grand Lodge of Madras, at Ethiraj Salai in Egmore, Chennai, India. The site borders the Cooum River.<ref name="dgl">District Grand Lodge of Madras, [https://dglofmadras.org/about-us/freemasons-hall-chennai/ Freemasons Hall — Chennai]. Accessed 30 September 2026.</ref> The present hall opened in February 1925, following the laying of its foundation stone in 1923.<ref name="sriram2">Sriram V, [https://madrasmusings.com/vol-34-no-24/hundred-years-of-a-masonic-temple-ii/ Hundred Years of a Masonic Temple — II], ''Madras Musings'', vol. XXXIV, no. 24, 1–15 April 2025.</ref>

== From Mount Road to Egmore ==
The hall followed several earlier meeting places in Madras. In 1905, the District Grand Lodge acquired the Mount Road property of the Lodge of Perfect Unanimity for use as shared premises. The building was enlarged but eventually judged inadequate. Its sale financed the purchase of the Egmore site in April 1917.<ref name="dgl" />

Members initially used the adjoining Chesney Hall. A temporary Masonic hall designed by J. W. Madeley was built on the new site in 1919; it later served as an auditorium, with District Grand Lodge offices and a library in the adjoining space.<ref name="sriram2" />

== Construction and architecture ==
Lord Willingdon, Governor of Madras, laid the foundation stone on 26 February 1923.<ref name="dgl" /> H. W. Barker of Jackson and Barker designed the permanent hall. Contributions from lodges and individual donors, together with a loan from Madras Masonic Institutions, helped meet the construction costs. Lord Goschen opened the completed building in 1925.<ref name="sriram2" />

The hall uses a neoclassical design, with a columned portico on its south side sheltering arrivals from rain. The two-storey building includes meeting and dining accommodation. A stone staircase with a wrought-iron handrail connects the floors.<ref>Sriram V, [https://sriramv.com/2025/03/07/freemasons-hall-hundred-years-of-a-secret-landmark/ Freemasons Hall: Hundred Years of a 'Secret' Landmark], 7 March 2025; District Grand Lodge of Madras, ''Freemasons Hall — Chennai''.</ref> In 1986, a smaller dining room was converted into a third lodge room with funding from the Lodge of Perfect Unanimity.<ref name="sriram2" />

== Collections ==
The premises house a [[Masonic museums and libraries|library and museum]]. The District Grand Lodge describes holdings of books, periodicals and institutional proceedings, including its own proceedings from 1867 onwards. A reorganisation in 2009–2011 inventoried and classified the library material; fragile volumes are retained for reference use.<ref name="museum">District Grand Lodge of Madras, [https://dglofmadras.org/about-us/the-museum-library/ The Museum & Library]. Accessed 30 September 2026.</ref>

The collection also includes Raja Ravi Varma's portrait of Lord Ampthill in Masonic regalia. The District Grand Lodge identifies the main dining hall as the painting's location.<ref name="museum" />

== See also ==
* [[Masonic architecture]]
* [[The Layout of the Craft Lodge]]
* [[Masonic museums and libraries]]
* [[History of Masonic regalia]]

== References ==
<references />

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[[Category:Craft Freemasonry]]
[[Category:Masonic buildings and memorials]]