The Mosaic Templars of America was founded in 1882 and incorporated in 1883 by former slaves John Edward Bush and Chester W Keatts as an African-American fraternal organization that offered mutual aid to the black community. At its peak, the Mosaic Templars had over 100,000 members in chapters in twenty-six states, the Caribbean, and South and Central America. The Mosaic Templars State Temple is the last remaining historic building associated with the Mosaic Templars of America Headquarters, and its prominent location at 9th and Broadway, which was the heart of Little Rock's (and the state's) African-American business district, helps to illustrate the organization's importance in the state's black community. - NRHP