The Grand Lodge opened a Special Communication at Metropolitan Hall at 227 Fayetteville Street for the purposes of laying the stone. William Stuart Primrose, Grand Auditor, gave remarks before the procession to the site: "It is fitting that the Grand Lodge of North Carolina should have a home of such proportions and of such high grade of architecture as to entitle it to the respect of all men, whether masons or not, and it is safe to say that it will recommend our noble Order to all who have not sought its benefits."The architect was Charles McMillen (1854-1911), who was born in Ireland and became well known for his Masonic buildings in several states. He had recently won a competition for his 1898 design of the new Wilmington Masonic Temple on Front Street.
