It’s a question thats been brought to us a few times. While walking down the historic streets of Cocoa Village, one may have never looked high enough to notice a brick-inlayed swastika at the apex of what’s known as the “Masonic Temple Building” at 311 Brevard Ave.



The building which was built in 1919 was also known as the Village Tower. According to mainstreethistory.com, the three-story brick building was built as the meeting hall for the Cocoa Mason Chapter that was founded in 1890 and counted nearly all local business leaders among its members. The lower floor contained the Bank of Cocoa and the US Post Office. Its second floor contained offices and the third floor was where the Masons met.
When this impressive building was completed it was the centerpiece of downtown Cocoa. The building included intricate brick work and two balconies on the second floor overlooking Brevard avenue. There was also a large, three faced, clock located at the front of the building. This clock was positioned so that the people could view the clock from both directions on Brevard avenue as well as from Harrison street. Back in the days when everyone could not afford a watch, this clock was very useful to the citizens of Cocoa. This building also was rumored to have housed a very popular “speakeasy” during the days of Prohibition.



Today the building hosts several boutique shops and businesses. According to the business owners housed in the building, and tax records, the building is currently owned by The Dexter Group, Inc in Orange California. They could not be immediately reached for comment on this article. One business owner stated she’s been asked about the symbol before and it’s her understanding that the symbol was part of the building before World War II when the ‘swastika’ was adopted by Hitler in 1939.