The Vermont Masonic Hall, also known as the Vermont Hardware Store Building, is a historic Masonic Lodge located on North Main Street in Vermont, Illinois. The hall was built in 1891-92 for Vermont's Lodge No. 116 of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, which was formed in 1852. At the time the hall was built, secret societies were enjoying a wave of popularity in America, with the Masons preeminent among them; Vermont was no exception to this trend, and its Masons played an important role in the city's social life. The hall was a two-story commercial building; the Masons leased the second floor, while a hardware store operated on the first. The brick building features an elaborate iron storefront; its design, along with the lodge itself, led it to be considered of the best Masonic lodges in western Illinois.[2]
