Rotunda

Holy......... wow!

its beautiful

That is just amazingly breath taking. I wonder what it was used for? Perhaps dinners for special occasions such as Christmas?

That room is very Masonic, lots of (Free Mason) Masonic symbolisim... it doesn't make sense in an institution though.

Geez, first terazzo floors and now an ornate chandeliered room with stained glass skylight? Methinks this building had a different, higher use in a previous existence...perhaps a masonic temple?

Mnementh, we seem to be on the same page here.. send me an e mail if get a chance.
thanks

I think the most interesting part of this very very strange room.. is all of the doorways. Where did they lead? That may give us a clue to what it may have been used for. What is on the floor? Straw? And the arrangement of the tables in the center of the room is odd. Is there a chandelier missing? or did it just not make it into the frame?

another beautiful shot hard to believe its part of a hospital looks more like the lobby of a 5star hotel

As I look at these pictures , i hope that some of the archecture is salvaged.

AFormerPatient,
Don't worry, THIS room / building wont be demolished, I'd say its probably still being used....

A former patient?
Still being used?
(Calliope circus music playing in my head...)

As I studied this photo more, I love the green of the ceiling. But other than that, this is one of the strangest things I have ever seen. Shredded paper all over the floor? Stacked tables in a pyramid form? One deep blue curtain left? One table left unstacked with four chairs around it as if some friends just met there? Its so weird.

Any info on the architect. That might be the only reason for the Masonic symbolism. Even the pyramid (of tables) hints at Free Masonry.

This room is so thought provoking!
I really am beginning to think the room IS still used. It would explain why this place is so difficult to get into even though it is in the a ridiculously rural area

Full of symbolism... see the star of david in the skylight?

WOW! What a neat, neat, neat, neat room! I love the colour of the ceiling with the colour of the skylight and chandeliers...beautiful!

holy shit

Outstanding room, great shot too!

THIS HAS TO BE MY FAVORITE PICTURE OUT OF THE WHOLE BUNCH THAT I HAVE SEEN SO FAR, THIS IS AMAZING!!!!! WOW!!!!

That room is so beautiful

this is a great room.

Wow this picture took my breath away. Why would there be a room like this in a place like that! I hope they can restore this

The room looks like a train roundhouse.

Restore the room? It is not necessary to restore this room, if the picture is an indication (and motts pics are always great depictions of the reality of things) the room may still be in use.... SO, THERE IS HOPE FOR THE POOR WIDDOWS SON...... (hmmmm, anyone know what that means?)

The stacked tables seem reminiscent of the dining room chairs in Poltergeist. And I wonder too if the room is perhaps still being used.

They dont do buildings like this any more..

It's a beautiful room , no doubt , however, there are no Masonic symbols that I can see. Some of you may have read my other posts about The Pines and Rainbow for Girls. This was a masonic youth group so I have seen the inside of many masonic temples. The star of David in the dome for one tells you that it isnt masonic. No matter what people have heard, Masons believe in god and Jesus. The Jewish symbol would not be in a mason lodge.

Sandy,
Ask you self... if you finished connecting the lines of the compass and the square...(which is their logo) what would you end up with?
PS .... It is not used as a Jewish symbol within this group.

Breathtaking room. Just beautiful.
As the daughter of a Master Mason, and having spent much of my youth in Job's Daughter's (Masonic organization for young women.) I have spent a lot of time in Masonic temples. I really don't see much that would indicate this was Masonic. And, if this room is on the first floor, then it most certainly NOT a Masonic meeting room. (All Masonic temples have their meeting rooms on the 2nd floor. The reasoning behind this dates back to the betrayal and fall of the Knights Templar's)
And Silkster, you are indeed right that the Star of David is not a Jewish symbol within the language of Freemasonry.
PS- " Oh Lord, My God, is there no help for the widow's son?" is given in conjunction with a hand gesture to indicate a Mason is in distress.

I'm a stained glass artisan...

I'm gonna have nighmares!!!!

That is a Star of David in the center of the stained glass skylight. This is likely a Jewish Temple.

As far as I know, masons just needed to believe in the existence and honor 'God'. While many of them may have been following the christian cult or the likes, it wasn't particular to Jesus or neccessarily his 'Father'.

I was also under the impression that the meeting rooms that people are alluding to were required to have no windows?

Wow, this room is truly beautiful

This room took my breath away! I pray this building does not succumb to the wrecking ball. I would be sick.

Well, since this is not a Freemasonic bulletin board, I will not discuss this topic any further here, however, if anyone wants to E mail me, please feel free to do so @ Silkster40z@aol.com

The room was used as the dining room in the facility. And an interesting note about the Oculus - It was taken from the building McKinley was shot in. So it has even more historic value than it would even seem. People had better not damage it...

What a great room! It is like a fairy tale ballroom. I wonder if there was a "High Hills Gate"? Shreaded papers are always a bit suspicious. Think "fund raising dinners".

Wow, its beautiful!!! And the whole place is in such good condition, you can tell sombody still cares about the place. =) That would be awesome if they like turned the place into a boarding house i would live there in a heartbeat. Of course im sure that thats very unlikely. Great shot Motts!

It's realy beautiful. It almost like find a golden ring in a mud

Holy crap on a stick! That's massive! It's beautiful, and would be right at home in the White House or an ornate, victorian mansion, but I can't quite understand why it would be at a hospital. It's very nice, though. It would make a great ballroom.

This Is a awesome find!! WOW Its great...and its not messed up Its all ready to go in just a couple hours of clean up time!.....Motts this is where you doing this years christmas party right!!

Motts...Now I really understand why you tell people not to ask where these places are located. Good job.

This is stunning.

the ballroom in beauty and the beast,
seriously tho this is a truly beautiful piece of craftsmanship, i hope to god that it doesnt get left like this for much longer that would be a crime.

Holy wow...nice find

If I ever get rich enough to own a mansion, this, and the matching stairs a couple frames back are SOOO going into it.

omg!! wow wow wow...this is beautiful!!

A diamond among the rough!!!!!

Mostly, I just lurk here, but I gotta say, this is one of my favorite photos. What a beautiful room!

how elegant!!!!

need that in my house

looks like the titanic

OK, since nobody else said it:

WALLPAPER PLEASE!!!!

:)

Looks like tons of salt on the floor.

Interesting that so many found this Masonic...they are so interesting. And I seem to have seen this kind of chandeliers in many places Motts has explored.

great conditions, unlike Romania.

if you look closely you can see the shape of a pentagram

Alright Motts, I gotta know on this one. You said you stitched some pics together, did you have to Shop the hell out of this pic to match them up? Or do the fixtures just look that fake?

wow very beautifull and mysterious! thanks motts!

This room has the appearance of a most elegant 18th/19th century ballroom, it's spectacular.

this totally looks like the theatre hall at my college- built in the early '20's. What an incredible place!

LOVE the hanging light fixtures

iN 1913 when the tb hospital was 1st opened, the rotunda was a dining hall, and all the doors were at the time, frenchglass doors , & all led directly outside.

This room is truly an amazing find! I would of found it really hard to leave it behind. I certainly hope someone has kept this and made something fantastic out of it because it has such an elegant quality.

Awesome picture.

Fantastic, when is the ball?

This looks like a ballroom...I could have danced all night...

It was used for a dining room until it closed!

Beautiful! Magestic. It is worth saving. I hope somebody saves it one day before it is to late.

Beautiful. A lot of work & craftsmanship went into this room. Thanks Mr. Motts for preserving this in stunning photography. It's been said that when a building becomes devoid of people, it dies. No matter how much money you throw at it, it's going to die & decay.

Yes, I agree, it will be wasted, as we are a society of waste....but it's a great view....thanks again Motts...

Another amazing shot.

AMAZING!!

Absolutely amazing!!!!!!