Jack White Saves Detroit Masonic Temple, World's Largest, With $142K Donation

The Detroit Masonic Temple, a famous music venue and the largest Masonic temple in the world, was recently saved from closing its doors by an anonymous donation of $142 thousand, the amount of the Temple's outstanding tax bill. Now, it has come out that the donation came from Detroit's own Jack White.

Detroit's ABC affiliate WXYZ reports:

In a news release announcing that White was the donor, Masonic Temple officials say he stepped forward because he had played numerous shows at the theater and because his mother was employed at the Masonic Temple as an usher while he was growing up.

"Jack's donation could not have come at a better time and we are eternally grateful to him for it.  Jack's... unflinching loyalty to this historic building and his Detroit roots is appreciated beyond words," said Roger Sobran, the Detroit Masonic Temple Association President.

To show gratitude for the musician and Third Man Records label head, the Detroit Masonic Temple plans to name its Cathedral Theater in his honor. The Jack White Theater is a whopping 27,878 sqare feet amd cam seat 1,586 people.

"We could not be more humbled to bestow this honor on Jack," Sobran added.

It has been a banner year for Jack White doing cool things. As the official Record Store Day 2013 Ambassador, White installed a vinyl recording booth in his Nashville-based shop Third Man Records and allowed the public to create their very own 7-inch discs.

What do you think of the news that Jack White saved his hometown venue?

Sound off in the comments.