After meeting in the sugar house of James McCalop and the Court House, the Lodge, in February 1845, rented rooms at $100.00 per year from Madam Foster. The Lodge rented rooms from a Mdm. Barham, though the duration has not been ascertained. On May 4, 1850, the Lodge appointed Capt. W. F. Tunnard chariman of a committee, with discretionary powers to lease the room of Mr. R. Beal, for use of the Lodge." Later that month, $75.00 was authorized to be spent to prepare the room for reception of the Lodge. A year later, the Lodge minutes of May 3, 1851, read, the treasurer was instructed to confer with Mr. Evans the present properties of the Lodge room in relation to the terms and conditions of rent for the future." The Lodge occupied this house located at the corner of Church and Waters Street until 1856. In August 1856 the Lodge moved to the third floor of the three–story brick building of W. F. Tunnard at Main and Church (now Fourth) Streets, for $300.00 per year. This was later known as the Ronaldson and Puckett building, with a large white horse in its window," and it remained the meeting place of the Lodge until January 4, 1907 when the Lodge moved to its own building.

The present lot on Third and Convention Streets was bought in May 1904 for $8,500 from Col. O. B. Steele and William J. Knox, members of the Lodge. A three–story building was constructed according to plans of Favrot and Livandais, Architects, for $31,000.00, and the first meeting in this building was held on January 4, 1907. A few months later, the Lodge successfully petitioned the city fathers to pave Convention Street. The Lodge’s first commercial tenant was Paulsen’s Drug Store which is remembered by Baton Rougeans for Paulsen’s Fen–O–Tac dusting powder. An elevator was installed in the building in 1909 at a cost of $2,000.00. This was replaced with another elevator in 1938 which cost of $35,000.00, to enable the Lodge to sign a lease with Walgreens store, which remained a tenant for the next 35 years. An interesting entry dated May 16, 1940 in the minute book reads: Worshipful Master is authorized to purchase for $171.58 a one–half interest in the brick wall forming the partition on the North line of the property; said wall to be hereafter jointly owned by M. J. Mayer and St. James Lodge."

The building was completely renovated during 1953–55 under the direction of John H. Farrens, Jr., Architect, now a fifty–year member of the Lodge, and

a committee of members including Jared Y. Sanders, Jr. and Glenn S. Darsey. The cost of this renovation was $375,000.00, of which $159,000.00 was borrowed from City National Bank at four percent interest to be paid back in sixty eight installments. After Walgreens, Tic–Toc Shoes was a tenant until 1980 when a Louisiana state office occupied the first and part of the second floor until 1987. The current tenant is Capital Area Legal Society.

Over the years, St. James Lodge has shared its Lodge Hall with the following appendant bodies: the York Rite bodies, the Order of the Eastern Star, the Royal Order of Amaranth, the Order of Rainbow for Girls, the White Shrine and the Order of DeMolay for Boys.

The equipment and furnishings of the Hall around the middle of the nineteenth century show a gradual progression from the bare essentials to reasonable comfort. The meetings in the Lodge hall were frequent, and no doubt uncomfortable, without air conditioning or central heating. This is evident from the early minutes when all meetings were held by candlelight. On December 7, 1844, the Lodge paid a bill of $4.20 for the purchase of candles. On June 7, 1845, the members agreed to furnish the Lodge room with five cushioned settees (each ten feet long), two tables, spittoons and curtains. On April 7, 1849, the Lodge resolved to purchase lamps for the Master’s station in the East and side lamps to light up the Hall. November 1850 must have been unusually cold, for on November 9, George A. Pike, editor of The Advocate, moved that the Tyler be instructed to procure a grate and coal for the Hall by the next meeting." In June 1851, the Tyler was directed to purchase two dozen fans to make the summer heat bearable. On January 2, 1858, the Tyler was ordered to place a lamp or lantern at the entrance of the stairs at all meetings when it was not full moonlight." Another resolution approved at this meeting stated, a committee be appointed to examine the lamps and ascertain whether they could be so altered as to burn other liquid than oil, or to report on the expediency of having said lamps changed." The stated meetings of the Lodge were held on the first Saturday before full moon to facilitate members’ travel on horseback or buggies. In June 1864, the members voted to pay a bill of $30.75 for spittoons. The minutes of January 7, 1865 show that it was resolved that the present ill–shaped, unsightly and inconvenient desks of the officers of this Lodge be ordered to be removed from the Hall, and others of approved patterns, style and convenience be substituted instead." The Tyler, who was a busy and a significant member of the Lodge in those days, was asked to comply.

Any person visiting the Lodge Hall is impressed by the photographs of Masters since 1844 lining the walls of the anteroom. O. Rudolph White accomplished this in 1953, while the Lodge was being completely renovated. There are a few photographs of early Masters missing. This would not have happened had they heeded the resolution of the Lodge in November 1856 when it was resolved that all Past Masters furnish their daguerreotype likeness to the Lodge," and again in September 1859 when Bro. George A. Pike was appointed by the Worshipful Master to procure for the Lodge Hall the likeness of all Worshipful Masters who have passed the chair of St. James Lodge."