318 Grand Street
318 Grand Street is currently called the Ballroom Building and consists of loft apartments on the upper three stories and restaurants on the ground level. However, before 2001, it was known for the lavish parties and meetings that were held there. In the 1880s, the Ballroom Building was to be a dance hall called the Masonic Temple. It was a grand building, heavily decorated with Victorian furniture and elegant chandeliers. The floors consisted of polished wood and tiles. It was made to accommodate large groups of people and sophisticated affairs.
Prior to the opening of the Masonic Temple, Williamsburg’s population was rapidly growing with immigrants coming mainly from Germany and Ireland to find jobs within the factories along the waterfront. Many of them were establishing their own shops and slowly they were creating their own communities, including social societies and fraternities. These societies ranged from cultural, political, and personal interests and were constantly growing. Due to the lack of halls to hold large events, there became the need for a gathering place in the Eastern District. The only large halls were the Apollo Hall, which was later converted to a theater, and Knicker-bocker Hall on Citymer Street, which was very small. Other meeting places were located on the top floors of various buildings, but were limited.
Prior to the opening of the Masonic Temple, Williamsburg’s population was rapidly growing with immigrants coming mainly from Germany and Ireland to find jobs within the factories along the waterfront. Many of them were establishing their own shops and slowly they were creating their own communities, including social societies and fraternities. These societies ranged from cultural, political, and personal interests and were constantly growing. Due to the lack of halls to hold large events, there became the need for a gathering place in the Eastern District. The only large halls were the Apollo Hall, which was later converted to a theater, and Knicker-bocker Hall on Citymer Street, which was very small. Other meeting places were located on the top floors of various buildings, but were limited.
When the Masonic Temple opened, it housed cultural and social meetings, as well as big events such as weddings and masquerades. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle constantly reported extravagant parties thrown by fraternities and secret societies. Since the time it opened, the building has endured many changes in ownership and has been called the Miller Grand Ballroom and the Grand Paradise Ballroom. Until it closed in 1975, it was continually a central gathering point for the community of Williamsburg.