Firefighters Extinguish Blaze at Binghamton's Masonic Temple

Efforts to keep people out of the abandoned Masonic Temple building on the West Side of Binghamton aren't working.

The massive structure at 64 Main Street has been vacant for decades. Isaac Anzaroot acquired the property in 2018. It was seized for nonpayment of taxes and then sold to a Long Island real estate investment firm last March.

The old auditorium area of the Masonic Temple building on Main Street in Binghamton. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

A man who managed to get inside the building set a small fire with some bags and other items last Tuesday. City firefighters were called to extinguish what was described as a sort of "campfire."

Fire investigators were sent to the scene. No structural damage was reported.

A stairwell leading to the basement of the Masonic Temple building. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

Harkness Commercial Realty Group of Johnson City has been retained to try to find a buyer for the property. The firm's Robert Harkness said there are ongoing efforts to monitor the building to prevent people from getting inside.

The place was accessible through an opening in a fence on the east side of the building last Friday. The property had been secured again by Monday morning.

Harkness said the asking price for the property has been reduced to $375,000.

A bike inside the abandoned Masonic Temple on February 16, 2024. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)

The Masonic Temple building opened at the West Side site in November 1923. A reconstruction project started in October 1988 but it was never completed.

A series of redevelopment proposals were announced after that but they all were scrapped.

VIDEO: One of Binghamton's most beautiful structures now serves as a vivid reminder of what happens when a building is not properly maintained.

Binghamton Masonic Temple: An Exclusive Look Inside

It has been years since the historic Masonic Temple building on Binghamton's West Side was active. WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph toured the magnificent structure from top to bottom for a special photo gallery back in 2016.

Construction of the building at Main and Murray streets started in 1922 and it opened the following year. It was used for a wide range of events for several decades but it has been vacant for many years.

Although the building now is more than a century old, it appears to be structurally sound. But as our tour revealed, plenty of work is needed to bring the place back to life.

Gallery Credit: Bob Joseph/WNBF News

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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