A family bought a 20,000-square-foot Freemason temple in Indiana for $89,000, and they're now turning it into their home. Take a look inside.

Frank OlitoMay 20, 2020, 20:06 IST

The Masonic temple.Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

Theresa and Atom Cannizzaro bought a former Masonic temple and are converting it into a home.
The second floor, their living space, has a large open-floor concept with five bedrooms, a kitchen, and a dining room.
When the Freemasons operated in the building, the basement was used for events, but the Cannizzaros are making it into an event space for the community.
The extra space, including a room they are using as a movie theater, is particularly helpful while the family is staying at home more amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Theresa said she thinks the house is haunted because she has heard what sounds like a janitor's keys jangling in the basement.

Older homes almost always come with a unique and charming history, but one family in Indiana moved into a house that has a particularly strange past.

Two years ago, Theresa and Atom Cannizzaro bought a former Masonic temple in the Midwest that acted as a meeting place for one of the world's most secretive organizations for almost 100 years. Now the couple and their three children — a 12-year-old boy, a 10-year-old boy, and a 6-year-old girl — are renovating the building and turning it into their home.

From large open spaces to a haunted library, here's what it's like inside the Masonic temple that the Cannizzaro family now calls home.

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In 2016, Theresa and Atom Cannizzaro were living in San Diego with their three children when they decided they wanted to move to the Midwest.

Atom and Theresa. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

While driving around Indiana, they stumbled across a Masonic temple that was for sale.

The temple. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

They ended up buying the temple for $89,000 and moved in six months later, in 2017.

The temple. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

The first step in the renovation was going through the items left behind in the temple when the Freemasons moved locations.

An old photo of the temple. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

Upon entering the building, you walk into a foyer with a large Masonic symbol on the floor.

The crest in the foyer. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

From the main entrance, you can go downstairs into the basement, where the Freemasons held large events.

The basement before the remodel. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

Theresa said her children often ride their bikes down in the basement when it's too cold to go outside.

The basement during the remodel. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

Behind the stage in the basement is a large commercial kitchen with six ovens, a 10-burner stove, and a deep fryer.

The commercial kitchen after it was restored. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

The second floor of the building was renovated to become the Cannizzaro family's main living space.

The doors that lead into the living space. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

In the second-floor foyer, before you enter the living space, you can see a mural on the ceiling.

The mural on the ceiling. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

Inside the living space is a large open area that the family uses as a living room.

The living space. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

In one corner of the large open space, they built a kitchen.

The newly built kitchen. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

On this floor they installed a full bathroom with a bathtub.

The bathroom. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

Meanwhile, the Freemasons' offices have been turned into the family's bedrooms.

The children's bedroom. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

On the second floor, there's also a billiards room.

The billiards room. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

The last room on this floor is the library — Theresa's favorite room in the entire house.

The library. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

The third floor has a large, empty room that the family calls the Egyptian room.

The Egyptian room. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

Also on this floor are five cedar-lined dressing rooms.

The hallway of dressing rooms. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

Double doors at the end of the hall lead to the Great Room, where the Freemasons held most of their meetings.

The Great Room. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

For now, the Cannizzaros use this space as a home movie theater.

The Great Room is now a movie theater. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

Outside the Great Room is a secret staircase that leads to the fourth floor.

The secret staircase. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

Along with the secret staircase, there are other parts of the house that some may find creepy. Theresa said she thinks the building is haunted.

The main staircase. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

Despite the paranormal activity, Theresa said her family is focused on turning the building into a home and preserving its Masonic history.

The temple. Courtesy of Theresa Cannizzaro

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A family bought a 20,000-square-foot Freemason temple in Indiana for $89,000, and they're now turning it into their home. Take a look inside.

In 2016, Theresa and Atom Cannizzaro were living in San Diego with their three children when they decided they wanted to move to the Midwest.

While driving around Indiana, they stumbled across a Masonic temple that was for sale.

They ended up buying the temple for $89,000 and moved in six months later, in 2017.

The first step in the renovation was going through the items left behind in the temple when the Freemasons moved locations.

Upon entering the building, you walk into a foyer with a large Masonic symbol on the floor.

From the main entrance, you can go downstairs into the basement, where the Freemasons held large events.

Theresa said her children often ride their bikes down in the basement when it's too cold to go outside.

Behind the stage in the basement is a large commercial kitchen with six ovens, a 10-burner stove, and a deep fryer.

The second floor of the building was renovated to become the Cannizzaro family's main living space.

In the second-floor foyer, before you enter the living space, you can see a mural on the ceiling.

Inside the living space is a large open area that the family uses as a living room.

In one corner of the large open space, they built a kitchen.

On this floor they installed a full bathroom with a bathtub.

Meanwhile, the Freemasons' offices have been turned into the family's bedrooms.

On the second floor, there's also a billiards room.

The last room on this floor is the library — Theresa's favorite room in the entire house.

The third floor has a large, empty room that the family calls the Egyptian room.

Also on this floor are five cedar-lined dressing rooms.

Double doors at the end of the hall lead to the Great Room, where the Freemasons held most of their meetings.

For now, the Cannizzaros use this space as a home movie theater.

Outside the Great Room is a secret staircase that leads to the fourth floor.

Along with the secret staircase, there are other parts of the house that some may find creepy. Theresa said she thinks the building is haunted.

Despite the paranormal activity, Theresa said her family is focused on turning the building into a home and preserving its Masonic history.