William Stevenson Cooke purchased a four-block parcel of land in 1923 as a central meeting location for the city's various Masonic groups as part of an effort to consolidate all downtown lodges and orders under one roof.

[3] The original plans for Fort Worth's Masonic Temple were drafted by the architectural firm of Wiley G. Clarkson & Co.

The stock market crash of 1929 forced the construction committee to accept a downsized plan, with an adjusted budget of $625,000.

[3] The building exhibits an amalgamation of Neo-classical styling with Art moderne influences and features upper-story Ionic columns and monel alloy bas-relief doors.

During the Cold War the building was designated a Civil Defense Fallout Shelter (a marking still adorns the southern entrance of the temple).