Talk:Newport Masonic Hall

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Requested move 29 August 2013[edit]

The following discussion is an archived discussion of the proposal. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

The result of the proposal was moved. --BDD (talk) 23:22, 6 September 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Armstrong Lodge No. 26, A.F. & A.M. → Newport Masonic Hall – Target name is a better alternative. Properly speaking, the name "Armstrong Lodge No. 26, AF&AM" refers to a local chapter of the Freemasons, and should not refer to their building. Unfortunately, many non Masons don't understand this distinction, since in the non-Masonic world the word "lodge" usually does refer to a building. In this case, National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) uses (erroniously) the lodge's name as the name of the historic building in which they meet. This places Wikipedia in the position of having to explain how the name refers to two things (a notable building and a non-notable lodge that meets in it) in lede sentence of the article... which in turn gives UNDUE WEIGHT to a non-notable local unit. However, if we use the alternative name "Newport Masonic Hall" we can avoid this. The article becomes more solidly about the building, and the lodge can more properly be mentioned in passing... in the context of being the people that built the notable building. I note that the NRHP nomination documents themselves use the name "Newport Masonic Hall" in their text... to distinguish between the building and the lodge. Blueboar (talk) 22:32, 29 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Survey[edit]

Feel free to state your position on the renaming proposal by beginning a new line in this section with *'''Support''' or *'''Oppose''', then sign your comment with ~~~~. Since polling is not a substitute for discussion, please explain your reasons, taking into account Wikipedia's policy on article titles.

Oppose. The place is listed on the National Register as Armstrong Lodge No. 26, A.F. & A.M.. I am not sure if the alternate name is supported anywhere, though haven't researched it. You can try to impose technical "in" language, but it is silly IMHO to fight what common usage is. It is documented that it is known under the NRHP name. --do ncr am 23:13, 29 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

You can start your research by reading the cited NRHP nomination document... the text of that document repeatedly refers to the building by the name "Newport Masonic Hall" ... in fact, it may refer to it by that name more often than it refers to it as "Armstrong Lodge No. 26, A.F.& A.M." Blueboar (talk) 00:04, 30 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Then there is the Newport Masonic Hall Kitchen a restaurant located in the building. Not to mention all the Google hits for "Newport Masonic Hall Co." (the "official" name of the building association that owns the building). Blueboar (talk) 00:31, 30 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Support, for several reasons. First, as Blueboar notes, the current name of this article is properly the name of a lodge (i.e., an organization) and not the name of a building. Secondly, I cannot imagine that the local people commonly refer to this landmark building as "Armstrong Lodge No. 26, A.F. & A.M."; "Newport Masonic Hall" is far more credible as its common name. Thirdly, although the cover pages of the NRHP nomination document give "Armstrong Lodge No. 26, A.F. & A.M." as the official listing name and "Newport Masonic Hall" as an alternative name, the text of the nomination document consistently calls it "Newport Masonic Hall" (or just "Masonic Hall") and reserves the name "Armstrong Lodge No. 26, A.F. & A.M." for the organization. All fingers point to "Newport Masonic Hall" as the most appropriate name. --Orlady (talk) 03:54, 30 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Support, for all the reasons given by Blueboar Ahwiv (talk) 14:37, 30 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Support Newport Masonic Hall seems to be the common name for the building; even the NRHP nomination calls it "Newport Masonic Hall" more often than the name in the NRIS. And as Blueboar notes, the article should probably have the name of the building rather than the lodge which uses it (even if it discusses both). TheCatalyst31 ^{Reaction•Creation} 21:54, 30 August 2013 (UTC)[reply]
Support It is obviously known locally as Newport Masonic Hall, for all the reasons above stated. Fiddlersmouth (talk) 22:06, 1 September 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Discussion[edit]

Any additional comments:

The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the proposal. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.