[2] Named for the nearby active Kīlauea volcano, it was the first Masonic lodge on Hawaiʻi Island.

[3] John Troup Moir (1859–1933) manager of the Onomea sugarcane plantation in Papaikou, Hawaii, was master of the lodge.

The Lyman building was on leased land, so an association (with Moir as president) was formed to purchase a lot uphill from the town, assuming urban Hilo would grow in that direction.

By January 1906 they were successful in arranging a deal with Territorial Governor George R. Carter to swap their land (desired for a school) for a more central parcel, paying the difference in value.

[10] Construction was scheduled to begin in July when leases expired on the land which they were purchasing from the territory.

[7][9] At the ceremony Moir said "nothing but the best would satisfy the boys" and called it "a substantial, fireproof, earthquakeproof, up-to-date building, first class in every respect, a credit to the town of Hilo and the Territory of Hawaii.

Just to the south, Kalakaua Park serves as the town square, flanked by the historic District Courthouse and Police Station and Hilo Federal Building finished a few years later.

The temple included high ceilings with cast brass suspended lighting fixtures and an organ gallery.

A 1990s restoration effort rebuilt modern restrooms and added an elevator, using some original and salvaged materials.

[20] Media related to Hilo Masonic Lodge Hall–Bishop Trust Building at Wikimedia Commons