Welcome to the
Historic Landmarks of Vallejo
Geo Trail!
GC65Y05.
They are not recommended after dark.
Instructions for the "Vallejo Historical Landmarks GeoTrail"
1. When you find a VHLGT geocache, sign the log
2. Share your experiences online when you get home. Log into your geocaching.com account and track all of the caches you’ve found. Let us know in your log if you’re a first time visitor to Vallejo.
Limited Edition Geocoin
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About This Architectural Historical Landmark
Landmark #2, 17,18
2-First City Hall 715 Marin St
17-Empress Theater 338 Virginia St
18-Masonic Temple 707 Marin st
Masonic Temple, Naval Lodge No. 87, Free and Accepted Masons
Naval Lodge No. 87, organized in July 1855, was the first organized lodge in Vallejo with a membership of sixteen people. Much of the membership of the Naval Lodge came from workers, enlisted men, and officers at the Navy Yard at Mare Island, which was purchased by the United States Navy in 1854 for use as a navy shipyard.
The Naval Lodge had two other headquarters before constructing the Masonic Temple at Marin and Virginia Streets. The first meetings were held in a room above a store owned by one of the original members, William Aspenall, at the northeast corner of Virginia and Santa Clara Streets. In 1866, the Naval Lodge constructed larger facilities at the northwest corner of Marin and Virginia Streets, which were completed that same year. Continued growth of the Naval Lodge, especially in the time during and after WWI, again made the acquisition of new facilities necessary. The Naval Lodge went about constructing a new structure on the site at Marin and Virginia Streets, which was completed in January 1918 at a cost of approximately $130,000.
It is a four-story Classical Revival style building which is adjacent to Old City Hall (Vallejo Landmark Geocache #2) on its north side and to the Empress Theater (Vallejo Landmark Geocache #17) on its west side. The building is constructed of brick, which is clad with glazed terracotta on portions of the first floor of the south and east elevations. The entrance is topped with a pediment decorated with three anthemium, or honeysuckle, ornaments and supported by fluted brackets decorated with acanthus leaves. The door frame is decorated with flowers, Masonic insignia, and egg-and-dart moldings, and houses a pair of multi-light doors topped with multi-light windows. The spandrel between the second and third story windows is decorated with the Masonic symbol.
As part of the 2012 rehabilitation, the Old Masonic Temple was adapted into a mixed-use building with commercial uses on the first floor and apartment units on the upper floors. The entry vestibule is accessed in the center bay of the east facade. It has its original black and white marble floor and the central tile in the floor features the Masonic symbol. The vestibule was originally a partially open space without the multi-light entry doors and a different pair of doors originally led from the vestibule to the lobby, but these doors no longer exist.
The Empress Theater was built in 1911 by Architect William A Jones (see also Vallejo Landmark Geocaches #4, #8, and #15) for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF). The theater, which opened on Valentine’s Day in 1912, was originally managed by Abe Marks and Gus Cohen. The exterior of the building remains in its original, Beaux Arts style while the interiors were replaced in the 1930’s following a major fire with the ornate ceilings having been added in 1952.
The theater hosted vaudeville shows and movies and operated under such names as “The Republic” and “The New Vallejo Theater” until the theater was acquired by the Fox West Coast theater chain in 1929. Since vaudeville performances were no longer popular, the theater was retrofitted for talking movies. A major fire in 1930 followed the stock market crash of October 1929, but the interiors were renovated in 1931 and a neon marquee was added. The new theater was unveiled as the Fox Senator Theatre. The interiors were again renovated in 1951-1952 to keep up with changing tastes.
From the 1950’s through the 1970’s the theater fell into disrepair through neglect. After sitting vacant for ten years, the theater was restored in the 1980’s but badly damaged in the Loma Prieta earthquake and was again empty for almost another 20 years. The building was purchased in 2004 and the current restoration was completed in 2008.