A History of Masonry in Edgartown, Mass.* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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According to Charles E. Banks, M.D., surgeon in the U.S. Marine Hospital, located at Vineyard Haven, in his History of Martha's Vineyard, there was some following of Free Masonry by residents of Edgartown about the year 1800. Several residents of Edgartown were members of King Solomon's Lodge in Perfection and others became affiliated at Holmes Hole at this date. Still others became affiliated later with Union Lodge in Nantucket. On August 16, 1819, the Edgartown members of Union Lodge, with three others, laid before Union Lodge a petition to the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts to establish an independent lodge in Edgartown, to be known by the name of Seven Stars and requesting Union Lodge to recommend the granting of their petition. Union Lodge took the following action:
The Grand Lodge acted favorably and the new Lodge was chartered Sept. 13, 1820. Banks History says that the Officers of Seven Seas Lodge [sic.] were not associated by birth in Edgartown and that fact may account for the entire absence of any knowledge concerning its existence, if it had any. The fact that a portrait of its Master, Thomas W. Vinson, hung on the wall in the anteroom of Oriental Lodge seemed to be the only evidence of any kind to confirm that the Lodge Seven Seas ever existed. But recent searching of the Records of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts brought to light that Seven Seas Lodge had existed, that it was chartered September 13, 1820, and that their Charter was taken away in 1827 because of nonpayment of Grand Lodge dues. The reason given for non payment was that all of its officers were whalers and sailed on different vessels so that there was no time when enough of them were in Edgartown at the same time so that a meeting could be held and business transacted. The first record that appears in the record book of Oriental Lodge is a copy of a petition that was presented to the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts by twenty Master Masons praying to be congregated into a regular Lodge, under the name and title of Oriental Lodge, with permission to hold the same in the town of Edgartown. Said petitioners were recommended as Master Masons in good standing by the Master, Wardens, and brethren of Martha's Vineyard lodge holden in the Town of Tisbury and their petition having been counter-signed and approved by our District Deputy Grand Master for the Seventh Masonic District. This petition was granted by Charles C. Downes, Grand Master, who appointed the first officers of Oriental Lodge as follows:
In the issue of the Vineyard Gazette dated July 12, 1867 there appeared this story of the Masonic Dedication and Installation. On Monday July 8, 1867 the hall of the Oriental Lodge of Edgartown was dedicated and the officers installed in due form. Members of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts were present as follows:
The members of Martha's Vineyard [Lodge] of Tisbury were present by invitation. After the dedication of the hall the members of the several lodges formed a procession and marched to the Methodist Meeting House. A large crowd of people stood outside the building patient[ly] awaiting the arrival of the procession and the opening of the doors. Then a rush was made for the seats and the church was filled in a very few minutes. The delegation from the members from the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts occupied seats upon a platform erected for the purpose. Members from the other lodges taking seats on either side. The Grand Chaplain opened the exercises with an appropriate prayer after which a song was sung by the fraternity to the tune of Auld Lang Syne. The ceremony of installing the Officers of Oriental then took place in full form. They were very impressive and interesting throughout and were witnessed by the large audience with profound attention. The singing of the Doxology completed the ceremonies. The members of the several Lodges and invited guests then marched to the Town Hall, which was brilliantly illuminated for the occasion. Three tables extending the whole length of the hall were literally loaded with good things and every one present seemed bent upon enjoying it to the utmost. The first lodge room occupied by Oriental Lodge, from 1855 to 1874 was in a building owned by Frederick E. Terrill and was located on North Water Street. The building has since been moved away. The second floor of the Jonathan Munroe building was the next location of our lodge room until 1918. This was located next below the Water Company office on Main Street. This building has since been removed. Oriental Lodge decided in 1918 to build a new hall. The location picked for the new building was at the corner of Winter and Church Streets. Oriental Lodge met in Special Communication in their new hall on the 5th day of September 1918. This communication was the first called in the new Temple and was for the purpose of having the new building dedicated by the Officers of the Grand Lodge. Among the members of the Grand Lodge who officiated and took part in the dedication were the following:
October 29, 1918
Oriental Lodge continued to occupy their new building at the corner of Winter and Church Street until 1948. At that time Oriental Lodge members began to feel that they ought to figure to enlarge to get more room. Meanwhile the Baptist Society had decreased in membership to a point where they could not afford the expenses of its building. So they joined with the Congregational Society and held their joint meetings in the Congregational Church building. They could not find a purchaser for the Baptist Church Building and could not afford to keep it idle, so they decided to give the building away to some other organization. They offered it to the Masonic Lodge, and as the members of Oriental voted to accept the building it was deeded to them by the Baptist Society in 1946. During 1946 and 1947 the Masons worked on renovating the Baptist Church building and getting it ready for occupancy. Oriental Lodge moved into the renovated building and began to conduct our Lodge meetings there. We then sold our building that was located on the corner of Winter and Church Streets. On June 29, 1948 Most Worshipful Grand Master Rodger W. Keith with Grand Lodge Officers dedicated the new Lodge. At this time it seems to me to be appropriate to mention the fact that Oriental Lodge has in its possession the picture of Madam Allworth who was the only woman ever made a Mason. It happened this way. The first Master of Oriental was John Pierce. John Pierce was related to Madam Allworth. He lived in England, came to this country and settled on this Island. He brought a picture of Madam Allworth with him and had it in his possession when he was made Master of Oriental Lodge. He had written in his Bible that if any of his heirs decided to dispose of the picture it should be turned over to Oriental Lodge. Brother Hood of Lowell a descendant of John Pierce and who was the last of his family decided to dispose of the picture and having found what was written in the Bible he delivered it to the Lodge. In 1965 Oriental Lodge voted to sponsor a Chapter of DeMollay. So proper steps were taken to organize such a Chapter and now Vineyard Chapter of DeMollay has received its Charter and is making very good progress. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Created on ... May 01, 2008