Masonic Schofield House

217 W. 2nd Street

Built circa 1815, this Federal-style structure is believed to be the first two-story tavern house in Madison. The ground floor housed a tavern, a post office, and a general store in the entrance, a bedroom (now the parlor), a kitchen (now the dining room) and an upstairs room which served as a meeting place and a sleeping loft. It was in this room in January 1818, fourteen Masons from all nine of the Indiana Masonic Lodges, met here to form the new Grand Lodge of Indiana. In 1972, the Scottish Rite Valley of Indianapolis purchased the property on behalf of the Freemasons of Indiana, did major renovations to restore the authenticity of the historic structure, and presented it to the Grand Lodge of Indiana who now preserve and present the structure.