The Tripoli Shrine was founded in 1885 by nobles from the
Medinah Temple in
Chicago, a fraternal order that traces its lineage to a Masonic lodge established in 1843 by early settlers of Milwaukee. This lodge later founded a dozen other lodges. Tripoli Temple was designed by architects
Alfred Clas and Shepard in
Moorish Revival style. Built at a cost of $616,999.61, it formally opened on May 14, 1928, after over two years of construction. It was the first temple in
Wisconsin, and was home to 13,000 Shriners in the area. The building is one of the best of examples of
Moorish Revival architecture in the United States, a style that was particularly popular for synagogues and movie theaters. The Temple's design is loosely based on the
Taj Mahal, with the addition of
Mudéjar style
polychrome stone coursing. An ornately tiled main dome that spans 30 feet in diameter crowns the structure and is flanked by two smaller domes of like design. Sculptures depicting a pair of
kneeling camels grace the entrance, while the interior is decorated with ceramic tile of intricate floral designs and plaster lattice work. == External links ==