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Wichita Valley

Wichita Scottish Rite Website

Valley of Wichita Scottish Rite

A Historic Valley at the Heart of Wichita

The Valley of Wichita has been part of the story of Scottish Rite Masonry in Kansas for well over a century. Established in 1888, the Valley grew alongside the young city of Wichita and quickly became an important center of Scottish Rite Masonry in the state.

Its history is inseparable from one of Wichita’s most distinctive historic buildings.

A Temple With a Story of Its Own

The Scottish Rite’s home at 332 East First Street began life not as a Masonic building, but as the Wichita YMCA. Constructed in 1887–1888, the impressive four-story limestone structure was designed by the Wichita architectural firm of Proudfoot & Bird in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. Its massive stonework, arches, gables, and castellated tower made it one of the city’s architectural landmarks.

In 1898, the Scottish Rite purchased the building and transformed it into a Masonic temple. The Valley invested approximately $12,000 in the initial remodeling—a substantial sum at the time—to create an auditorium, stage, scenery, furnishings, and rooms appropriate for Scottish Rite degree work. The auditorium seated approximately 300 people.

The Valley continued to grow, and in 1907 Wichita architect C. W. Terry designed a major addition to the north side of the building. The addition was carefully designed to complement the original Proudfoot & Bird structure.

The result was a remarkable Scottish Rite facility combining architecture, theater, fellowship, and Masonic symbolism.

Today, the building is recognized as an important piece of Wichita history. The Scottish Rite Temple was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, and it remains one of the city’s notable historic structures.

Where Masonry and Theater Came Together

For generations, Scottish Rite degree work was more than a lecture or ceremony. It was an experience.

The Wichita Valley’s historic temple was designed to support dramatic degree presentations, complete with a stage, scenery, auditorium, costumes, and elaborate furnishings. The 1898 renovation specifically included theatrical equipment for the presentation of Scottish Rite degrees.

The theatrical tradition of Scottish Rite Masonry is one of the things that makes the Rite so distinctive. Each degree uses drama and symbolism to explore questions of truth, justice, duty, faith, honor, mortality, and the meaning of a well-lived life.

Visitors standing in the building today are therefore standing in a place where generations of Masons have not simply met—they have experienced the degrees.

A Valley That Helped Build Wichita

The growth of Scottish Rite Masonry mirrored the growth of Wichita itself.

Historical records show the Valley’s membership expanding rapidly during the 1890s. By 1896, the Valley had grown to more than 340 members, demonstrating the tremendous appeal of Scottish Rite Masonry during Wichita’s formative years.

The Valley’s investment in its temple also reflected the confidence of the era. By the early twentieth century, the building had become a prominent part of downtown Wichita and a gathering place for Masons from across the region.

The story is therefore larger than the Scottish Rite itself. The Wichita Scottish Rite Temple is part of the story of Wichita’s growth from frontier community to major Kansas city.

Brotherhood, Learning, and Service

While the Valley’s historic building is impressive, the heart of Wichita Scottish Rite has always been its members.

Scottish Rite provides Master Masons an opportunity to continue their Masonic journey through the philosophical degrees, exploring subjects that challenge members to think deeply about their responsibilities to themselves, their families, their communities, and humanity.

The Valley also places an emphasis on fellowship and service. Its calendar includes regular stated meetings, degree reunions, educational programs, service recognitions, and special events. Long-standing traditions such as recognizing members for 25, 50, 60, 65, and 70 years of membership demonstrate the value the Valley places on a lifetime of Masonic commitment.

The Valley and the Broader Kansas Scottish Rite

Wichita is one of the seven Valleys that make up the Orient of Kansas. Together, the Kansas Valleys carry forward a statewide tradition of Scottish Rite Masonry centered on fellowship, education, and service.

One of the most important expressions of that service is RiteCare, the Scottish Rite’s effort to assist children with speech, language, and learning challenges. The Kansas Orient currently supports five RiteCare clinics, extending the work of Scottish Rite Masonry far beyond its meeting rooms and temples.

A New Chapter in a Historic Home

The Wichita Scottish Rite’s relationship with its historic building has entered a new chapter in 2026. After more than a century of Scottish Rite ownership, the property was sold in May 2026. The Valley continues to occupy space in the building under a three-year lease, allowing its members to maintain their connection with this extraordinary piece of Wichita and Scottish Rite history while looking toward the future.

That transition is an appropriate reminder of something important about the Scottish Rite:

Buildings are preserved. Traditions are carried. But it is people who keep the Rite alive.

For more than a century, Wichita Masons have gathered together to study, to teach, to perform, to serve, and to build lasting friendships.

The building may tell the story of where the Valley has been.

The members of the Valley of Wichita will write the next chapter.