www.GreenLawnAbbey.com - Howard Thurston

One of four boys born to a carriage maker in Columbus, Ohio, Howard Thurston would become one of the most popular magicians in America. Along with Harry Houdini, Howard Thurston would dominate the theatrical era during the first quarter of the twentieth century before the prominence of radio and motion pictures.

Born in 1869, Howard Thurston began performing card tricks at a young age. Throughout his career he always kept a card routine in his show. It was not long before he began experimenting with illusions. Working his way through tent shows and vaudeville, he took his own show on a world tour from 1900 to 1907. The following year he joined the great American magician Harry Kellar. On his farewell tour in 1908 Kellar introduced Thurston as his successor.

In the early 20^th century, Thurston toured his show of illusions across the country and around the world delighting audiences with the Tubes of Tubal, the Dido Illusion, the Levitation of Princess Karnac, and the Million Dollar Mystery. The show ranged from the exotic, such as the East Indian Rope Trick (with real Indian conjurers!), to the fantastic, such as vanishing Willys-Overland automobile.

A 32^nd degree Mason, Thurston’s show often contained words associated with Masonic ritual. Although he never actually became a minister, Thurston often addressed Sunday services in the town where he was appearing. Always the great magician, he acted as the liaison between our world and the world of illusion. He played the part of the storyteller, making the psychological connection between himself and the audience, gently persuading them to suspend their disbelief and accept his world of hypnotized princesses and wandering spirits, villainous devils and ancient phantoms.

The early 1930's faced the decline of road shows in America. Boston's Tremont Theater saw Thurston's last great full evening show in April of 1931. He decided he would adapt to the new theatrical conditions of the time by playing stages in movie houses. He selected all of his best and most complex tricks and increased the timing of the entire show. He began performing four shows a day as opposed to the ten performances a week of the old days. His assistants begged him to cut back to make the show easier on himself.

The stress eventually took its toll. In 1935 after a performance in Charleston, West Virginia, Thurston and his party enjoyed dinner at a local restaurant. As they were preparing to leave Thurston suffered his first cerebral hemorrhage. His step-daughter Jane was present. On March 20, 1936, he suffered a second stroke and died on April 13 at the age of 66. He was interred at Green Lawn Abbey. (His brother Harry, also a performer, is interred just down the hall from Howard Thurston.)

Like many people around the turn of the 20th century, Howard Thurston and Harry Houdini had a keen interest in Spiritualism. Thurston, Houdini, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (of Sherlock Holmes fame) and others entered into a pact that after death they would attempt to contact the world of the living from the great beyond.

Since the other members of this pact had preceded him in death, it fell to Thurston’s dear friend Claude Noble to fulfill the pact. On the one year anniversary of Thurston's death Claude Noble returned to Thurston's tomb, extended the magician's wand and spoke to Thurston. "Howard, Claude and your brother Bill are here in accord with our pact. Manifest yourself if God is willing." Thurston failed to vibrate the extended wand. For 25 years until his own death Claude Noble would continue to visit Thurston's crypt every April 13^th in hopes of witnessing a manifestation from the magician.

Thurston's Tomb

To this day Thurston's tomb is still drawing the attention of the public. Websites abound which show pictures of the interior of Green Lawn Abbey, often focusing on Thurston's crypt and the story of The Pact. None of these photos were taken with the permission of the owner. The websites encourage others to join in describing how to break into the Abbey for the satisfaction of their own curiosity. Thurston's unfortunate legacy to the Abbey is increased vandalism.

The Masonic Connection

Thurston was initiated on July 22, 1907, in the Manitou Lodge No. 106 in New York City. He was a 32^nd degree Mason and became a Noble of Mecca Shrine Temple. On May 15, 1908, a dynasty of Masonic magicians began which continues to this day. Harry Kellar, the then reigning king of magicians, retired and passed his magician's wand to Howard Thurston after a performance at Ford's Theater in Baltimore.

A huge number of Mason and Eastern Star members are interred within Green Lawn Abbey and there is speculation a local lodge may have had something to do with it’s construction originally. Several of the stained glass windows appear to have Masonic imagery in them.

We Need Your Help

With great hopes we reach out to the worlds of Magic and Masonry to preserve the Tomb of the Great Thurston. Green Lawn Abbey is one of several abbeys built by the Columbus Mausoleum Company. One of the abbeys has already been claimed by "eminent domain" and razed for a highway. Those interred were relegated to a mass grave. We do not want this to happen to the tomb of the Great Thurston and the resting place of so many Masonic brothers and sisters.

Attaining recognition of Green Lawn Abbey as a National Historic Site is our most powerful tool in fighting attempts by local, state or federal government to take the property. There is also a risk it will be declared an abandon property, boarded up and forgotten. Therefore we need to find funding for the Abbey’s restoration, a perpetual maintenance fund, and monthly security monitoring.

Can you help? Besides monetary contributions we would be interested in hearing from you if you have any interest in volunteering for a "magic" fundraising event or if you would like to use the Abbey as a TV/movie locale. Please use the "Contact Us" page or e-mail us at GreenLawnAbbey@aol.com

Photographs of Howard Thurston's crypt, Howard Thurston and Thurston & Houdini courtesy of The Rory Feldman Collection / www.ThurstonMasterMagician.com

[We would like to extend our thanks to magicians Mr. Rory Feldman, as well as Dr. Timothy Moore for their help in preserving the Tomb of the Great Thurston and Green Lawn Abbey.]