# Why do masonic lodges not have any windows? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 11, 2007, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537 "2007-06-11T06:41:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/1 "2007-06-11T06:41:57Z")
Why do masonic lodges not have any windows? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/2 "2007-06-11T06:56:42Z")
If any sunlight gets in, the Masons will disintegrate. They don’t have any mirrors either. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/3 "2007-06-11T07:30:40Z")
[This lodge in Belfast](http://www.sthelens641.com/parkroadmasonichall.htm) clearly has windows. ---
**Author:** ![Foldup\_Rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Foldup\_Rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foldup_Rabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/4 "2007-06-11T07:33:09Z")
I was walking by my local masonic lodge yesterday and I wondered the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/5 "2007-06-11T07:49:00Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] They don’t have any mirrors either. [/QUOTE] I’ve been in a masonic lodge where the restroom had mirrors. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/6 "2007-06-11T08:43:12Z")
Many Masonic Lodges have windows: [Lovettsville, Virginia](http://www.freedom118.org/) [Cambridge, England](http://www.cambridge2000.com/cambridge2000/html/addendum/P40811111.html) [Berkeley Springs, West Virginia](http://www.berkeleysprings.com/walkingtour/17masonicvisitors.html) [Chatham, Virginia](http://www.victorianvilla.com/sims-mitchell/local/architecture/greek/masonic.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/7 "2007-06-11T09:12:07Z")
[QUOTE=Doctor Who] I’ve been in a masonic lodge where the restroom had mirrors. [/QUOTE] Heh, it was a joke - no sunlight + no mirrors = Masons are vampires. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/8 "2007-06-11T09:21:51Z")
Because they’re _masons_. They don’t do glass. They don’t know how. ---
**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/9 "2007-06-11T09:30:56Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] Many Masonic Lodges have windows: [/QUOTE] OK, granted, but many [do not](http://www.google.com/search?q=masonic+lodge+%22no+windows%22) : [QUOTE=Google] Masonic Building Most Lodge buildings are windowless. Non-Masonic visitors are allowed inside, but **no windows** provides privacy for the esoteric work. … [www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread280007/pg1](http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread280007/pg1) - 71k - Cached - Similar pages what I know To the best of my knowledge, there are **no windows** in any Masonic Lodge room anywhere. If there were windows, there would no doubt be kids like the ones … [www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread109537/pg1](http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread109537/pg1) - 75k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages [More results from [www.abovetopsecret.com](http://www.abovetopsecret.com) ] Oasis 11 history - Torrence With the organization of the Masonic lodge in Belmont, the windowless building was taken over by the lodge, and after being fitted with a system of kerosene … [www.nvmasons.org/history/torrence/torr11.html](http://www.nvmasons.org/history/torrence/torr11.html) - 15k - Cached - Similar pages Grand Masonic Lodge of Scotland - A Secret Society, Spilling a Few … GRAND LODGE SHOP. Secure online shopping for all things Masonic. … Those dozen rooms have **no windows**. Leading the way into one of them, the Grand Master, … [www.grandlodgescotland.com/index.php?option=com\_content&task=view&id=261&Itemid=121](http://www.grandlodgescotland.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=261&Itemid=121) - 20k - Cached - Similar pages A Monumental Tour Allegedly, no other Masonic Lodge in the world has such depictions of the … they have never seen the light of day as there are **no windows** to the Lodge. … [www.srmason-sj.org/council/journal/jun01/travis.html](http://www.srmason-sj.org/council/journal/jun01/travis.html) - 9k - Cached - Similar pages Miscellaneous Illinoistown Lodge No. 51 F&AM & Miscellaneous Information. Masonic Logo … Today, lodges can be on a single floor as long as the lodge room has \*\*no windows \*\*… [www.calodges.org/no51/miscel.html](http://www.calodges.org/no51/miscel.html) - 12k - Cached - Similar pages How many souls will our deacons lead to Hiram? Masonic infiltrators are using the church as a cover which makes it appear that the Masonic Lodge is a Christian organization, or minimally that it is … [How many souls will our deacons lead to Hiram?](http://www.ephesians5-11.org/dlh.htm) - 24k - Cached - Similar pages [DOC] SPI Sponsored Events File Format: Microsoft Word - View as HTML The facade is pierced only by the door, **no windows** detract from the … back of the house was built for the Masonic Lodge which bought the house in 1921. … [www.sagadahocpreservation.org/aaa/documents/NewsletterSPRING2004.DOC](http://www.sagadahocpreservation.org/aaa/documents/NewsletterSPRING2004.DOC) - Similar pages Unexplained Mysteries Discussion Forums \> My FreeMason experience. Anyway the Mason lodge downtown is a HUGE all concrete building. **No windows** on any floor but the first..and I would say there are at least 8 floors. … [www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t13497.html](http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t13497.html) - 30k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages RootsWeb: GLAMORGAN-L Re: Masonic Lodge To answer you questions regarding the Masonic Lodge Building in Neath, … And finally the reason why there are **no windows** , is because as Freemasons … [archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/GLAMORGAN/1999-07/0931678909](http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/GLAMORGAN/1999-07/0931678909) - 5k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/10 "2007-06-11T09:34:37Z")
[QUOTE=Polerius] OK, granted, but many [do not](http://www.google.com/search?q=masonic+lodge+%22no+windows%22) : [/QUOTE] OK, what have we proved with this Googlefight? Some do and some don’t? ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/11 "2007-06-11T09:41:58Z")
[QUOTE=riker1384] Because they’re (stone)_masons_. They don’t do glass. They don’t know how. [/QUOTE] you win the thread !!! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/12 "2007-06-11T13:10:07Z")
It’s not just Masonic lodges. A lot of Moose Lodges, Elks Clubs, VFWs, Eagles, American Legions, etc., have very few windows as well. In some cases, maybe that’s because the establishment functions as a bar. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/13 "2007-06-11T15:08:42Z")
I was in one last week that had a window - but very high up, and small, with a tacky cement Masonic symbol “decorating” it. Didn’t really think about it at the time. The walls give them more room to hang pictures of past Masters and plaques and flags and stuff, perhaps. Looks like the masculine version of a ten year old girl’s notebook up in there. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/14 "2007-06-11T15:15:15Z")
To discourage eavesdroppers. Probably not such a big problem now, but back in the day people used to care. History is important, and if lodges historically had no windows, future lodges should have no windows. It wasn’t really so long ago that, in parts of Europe, being caught at a Masonic gathering led to an uncomfortable time. ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/15 "2007-06-11T15:20:04Z")
Vast Right Wing Conspiracies going on in there. That and if we told 'ya, we’d have to kill 'ya. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/16 "2007-06-11T15:37:43Z")
[QUOTE=Polerius] Why do masonic lodges not have any windows? [/QUOTE] They run linux. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/17 "2007-06-11T15:52:37Z")
Two reasons - Secrecy and Tradition IANAM, but members of my family have been involved in the order. Their By-Laws state that their meetings are to be considered secret. The reason for the secrecy is based on tradition stemming from the origins of the order. They were once a (very) secret society whose members were tracked down, tortured and killed by a religious inquisition. During that time even their membership was secret. Now members of the order have no problem if you know they belong but they still maintain secrets of the order. Why? Well one reason may be that, as a fraternal order, sharing secrets forgers a bond among members of the group. From my experience with an affiliated organization, the secrets are neither sinister, nor enlightening. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/18 "2007-06-11T15:56:05Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] If any sunlight gets in, the Masons will disintegrate. They don’t have any mirrors either. [/QUOTE] Along those lines, I always assumed it was to protect Vampire George Washington. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/19 "2007-06-11T16:07:41Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] Along those lines, I always assumed it was to protect Vampire George Washington. [/QUOTE] SSHHH! Grand Poobah VGW needs a place to rest and now everyone is going to be storming lodges with their pitchforks and torches and I’ll have to haul His Toothlessness to the Elks lodge and he’ll hit the bar again, and we all know what happens when undead Founding Fathers get drunk. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2007, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537/20 "2007-06-11T16:18:40Z")
[QUOTE=Duckster] They run linux. [/QUOTE] Are you some kind of Macophobe? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-masonic-lodges-not-have-any-windows/407537.md?page=2)