# Helion Lodge 1

Helion Lodge #1 is a Masonic lodge in Huntsville, Alabama. It is the oldest operating lodge of Freemasons in the state. According to Grand Historian Joseph Abram Jackson's Masonry in Alabama, it is "the birthplace of Freemasonry in Alabama." Helion Lodge is also the common name for the building (actually named Eunomia Hall for Eunomia Chapter #5 Royal Arch Masons who financed its construction), built in 1911, where the lodge meets.

## History

In 1805, a Revolutionary War veteran named John Hunt built a log cabin at the Big Spring and began what would grow to become the modern city of Huntsville, Alabama. Just six years later, on August 21, 1811, Madison Lodge #21 received its dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Kentucky. In 1812, it received its official charter from the Grand Lodge of Kentucky. John Hunt was among the first members, as was LeRoy Pope, who had given the city its original name of Twickenham. On April 6, 1818, a second Lodge was formed in the county, Bethesda Lodge #2. In 1824 the two Lodges combined as Helion Lodge #1 under the Grand Lodge of Alabama.
Helion Lodge survived the dark years of the American Civil War, when Huntsville was often occupied by the invading Union Army. The quiet little town grew rapidly after World War II, when the area became host to both Redstone Arsenal and the Marshall Spaceflight Center. Notable members involved in the growth of Huntsville's defense and space industry are Senator John Sparkman and Mayor Joe W. Davis. Helion Lodge soon came to have the largest membership in the state. As a result, in 1962 a new Lodge was formed in Huntsville, Solar Lodge #914. Most of the members came from Helion Lodge. Five years later, in 1967, a third Huntsville Lodge was formed, Apollo #921. Both younger Lodges consider Helion as their mother Lodge and dual membership is common.
On Wednesday night, August 30, 1922, Helion was the location of the formation of Twickenham Chapter of The Order of DeMolay; the first chapter of The Order of DeMolay in the state of Alabama.
In January 2018, an unexplained fire destroyed historical books in the Lodge.

## Past Masters

| Number | No. (Years) | Past Master | Ref. |
| | 1811 | Marmaduke Williams | Madison Lodge 21, Grand Lodge of Kentucky Dispensation |
| 1 | 1812 | Louis Winston | Madison Lodge 21, Grand Lodge of Kentucky Charter |
| | 1813-1817 | David R. Moore | Madison Lodge 21 |
| 1-2 | 1818-1820 | William Atwood | Alabama Lodge 21, Grand Lodge of Tennessee Charter |
| | 1821 | Alexander Erskin | Grand Lodge of Alabama Formed |
| | 1822 | W. Thomas Wooldridge | Madison Lodge 1 |
| | 1823 | W. J. Grimes | Madison Lodge 1 |
| | 1822-1823 | W. A. Hutchinson | Bethesda Lodge 2 |
| | 1824 | W. J. Grimes | Madison Lodge 1 |
| | 1824 | Issac Williams | Bethesda Lodge 2 |
| 1 | 1824 | Issac Williams | Consolidation of Madison Lodge #1 and Bethesda Lodge #2 |
| 2-3 | 1825-1826 | William Feeny | |
| 4-5 | 1827-1828 | John J. Fackler | |
| 6 | 1829 | William Feeny | |
| 7 | 1830 | John Acklen | |
| 8-13 | 1831-1836 | W. A. Hutchinson | |
| 14-19 | 1837-1842 | James Penn | |
| 20 | 1843 | Ellison Smith | |
| 21-22 | 1844-1845 | James Penn ,MWGM | |
| 23-24 | 1846-1847 | J. M. Davidson | |
| 25 | 1848 | Arch E. Mills | |
| 26 | 1849 | J. M. Davidson | |
| 27 | 1850 | Fred Gate | |
| 28-29 | 1851-1852 | J. J. Sample | |
| 30 | 1853 | J. F. Steele | |
| 31-39 | 1854-1862 | William Gormley | |
| 40-41 | 1863-1864 | J. E. Young | |
| 42 | 1865 | E. B. Clapp | |
| 43-46 | 1866-1869 | J. J. Dement | |
| 47-48 | 1870-1871 | S. J. Mayhew | |
| 49 | 1872 | M. C. Baldridge | |
| 50 | 1873 | W. S. Reddick | |
| 51-52 | 1874-1875 | Bernard F. Ludwig | |
| 53-54 | 1876-1877 | M. C. Baldridge | |
| 55-57 | 1878-1880 | John L. Rison | |
| 58-64 | 1881-1887 | M. C. Baldridge | |
| 65 | 1888 | W. C. Weaver | |
| 66-68 | 1889-1891 | M. C. Baldridge | |
| 69-70 | 1892-1893 | Amos B. Jones | |
| 71 | 1894 | Thomas Taylor | |
| 72 | 1895 | Joseph Skinner | |
| 73 | 1896 | Alred Moore | |
| 74-76 | 1897-1899 | W. C. Wheeler | |
| 77 | 1900 | L. R. Wellman | |
| 78 | 1901 | W. C. Wheeler | |
| 79-80 | 1902-1903 | H. C. Pollard | |
| 81 | 1904 | Augustus F. Evans | |
| 82 | 1905 | Frank Ford | |
| 83 | 1906 | Frank Pugh Culver | |
| 84-85 | 1907-1908 | Leroy Suggs | |
| 86 | 1909 | Robert Coman Brickell | |
| 87-88 | 1910-1911 | James Hamilton Ballentine | |
| 89 | 1912 | H. C. Pollard | |
| 90 | 1913 | J. W. Battle | |
| 91-93 | 1914-1916 | J. L. Kendall | |
| 94 | 1917 | A. F. Kendall | |
| 95 | 1918 | G. H. Heymann | |
| 96-97 | 1919-1920 | Alex M. Dunn | |
| 98 | 1921 | J. B. McCord | |
| 99 | 1922 | W. R. Laxson | |
| 100-101 | 1923-1924 | Samuel C. Alexander | |
| 102-103 | 1925-1926 | Sam S. Rice | |
| 104 | 1927 | Charles. O. Rolfe | |
| 105 | 1928 | Robert Collyer Chase Jr. | |
| 106 | 1929 | F. J. Shick | |
| 107 | 1930 | James D. Rice, Jr. | |
| 108-109 | 1931-1932 | John S. McLure | |
| 110-111 | 1933-1934 | William B. Allen | |
| 112 | 1935 | P. S. McCormick | |
| 113 | 1936 | Joe B. Hill | |
| 114 | 1937 | Cowan Y. Wilson | |
| 115 | 1938 | T. Pickens Gates | |
| 116 | 1939 | F. Floyd Broyles | |
| 117 | 1940 | John S. McLure | |
| 118-119 | 1941-1942 | Henry R. Martin | |
| 120-121 | 1943-1944 | Clyde Martz | |
| 122 | 1945 | Abe Pizitz | |
| 123 | 1946 | Clyde Martz | |
| 124 | 1947 | Jasan A. Williams | |
| 125 | 1948 | John W. Walker | |
| 126 | 1949 | William B. Allen | |
| 127 | 1950 | John H. McGaha | |
| 128 | 1951 | Louie L. Baucom | |
| 129 | 1952 | William B. Jones | |
| 130 | 1953 | E. H. Hall | |
| 131 | 1954 | William Hiram Ealy | |
| 132 | 1955 | D. Shelby Vaughn | |
| 133 | 1956 | Doyle Wallace Ealy | |
| 134 | 1957 | William Andrew Cobb Sr. | |
| 135 | 1958 | Dan L. Warden | |
| 136 | 1959 | J. D. Harris | |
| 137 | 1960 | W. L. Guthrie | |
| 138 | 1961 | John Clark Beeler | |
| 139 | 1962 | Wendell McKinney | |
| 140 | 1963 | Carl Pickens | |
| 141 | 1964 | Randolph Rush | |
| 142 | 1965 | Robert F. Jean | |
| 143 | 1966 | James Walter Bass | |
| 144 | 1967 | James G. Williams | |
| 145 | 1968 | William W. Byrd | |
| 146 | 1969 | Charles D. Rozell | |
| 147 | 1970 | Charles Keathley | |
| 148 | 1971 | Emory J. Ferguson | |
| 149 | 1972 | Marlin Hinkle | |
| 150 | 1973 | Hubert Lemaster | |
| 151 | 1974 | Hollis L. Sharp | |
| 152 | 1975 | R. M. Slaughter | |
| 153 | 1976 | Robert J. Cannon | |
| 154 | 1977 | Fred Allen Beddingfield | |
| 155 | 1978 | Clarence W. Landrum | |
| 156 | 1979 | Robert Kachelhofer | |
| 157 | 1980 | Ronald W. Thomas | |
| 158 | 1981 | B. J. Nelson | |
| 159 | 1982 | Alvie Lee Berry | |
| 160 | 1983 | David Allen | |
| 161 | 1984 | Lee D. Parker | |
| 162 | 1985 | Johnie Wilbanks | |
| 163 | 1986 | James Garry Smith | |
| 164 | 1987 | James Wesley Reach | |
| 165 | 1988 | Wayne Dee Jordan | |
| 166 | 1989 | Clarence Morrison Albright | |
| 167 | 1990 | Donald Douglas Beal | |
| 168 | 1991 | David K. Hall | |
| 169 | 1992 | Charles R. Kirch | |
| 170 | 1993 | James Shelby Aston | |
| 171 | 1994 | John W. Herron | |
| 172 | 1995 | Danny B. Lamont | |
| 173 | 1996 | E. J. Wadsworth | |
| 174 | 1997 | Theo Starkey | |
| 175 | 1998 | Raymond Charles Dunn | |
| 176 | 1999 | James S. Blanteno | |
| 177 | 2000 | George Hall | |
| 178 | 2001 | John Pavlick | |
| 179 | 2002 | David Milam | |
| 180 | 2003 | Raymond Tanner | |
| 181 | 2004 | James Henley | |
| 182 | 2005 | Dennis Peterson | |
| 183 | 2006 | Larry Gilliss | |
| 184 | 2007 | Andy Thomas | |
| 185 | 2008 | Steve McGlocklin | |
| 186 | 2009 | Michael Feld | |
| 187 | 2010 | Jerry Burpee | |
| 188 | 2011 | Ed Kachelhofer | |
| 189 | 2012 | Ken Carpenter | |
| 190 | 2013 | David Miller | |
| 191 | 2014 | Jared Cassidy | |
| 192 | 2015 | George Lewis | |
| 193 | 2016 | Dean Lilja | |
| 194 | 2017 | John Hood | |
| 195 | 2018 | Mike Morgan | |
| 196 | 2019 | Doug Collinsworth | |
| 197 | 2020 | John D. Pennington | |
| 198 | 2021 | Thomas Jeffrey Beasley | |
| 199 | 2022 | Benjamin James Ledford | |
| 200 | 2023 | John Leslie Clay | |
| 201 | 2024 | Charles Phillip Cozelos | |
(source for 1811-1995)

## Honorary Past Masters

| Year | Honorary Past Master |
| | Richard Carter Storey |
| | Herschel Leonard Ouzts |
| 2024 | Stephen C. Chapman |

## Location

Helion Lodge stands on the original site of Madison Lodge #21 at 409 Lincoln Street in the Twickenham Historic District of Huntsville. The present building is over 100 years old and was designed by a noted architect and Lodge member named Edgar Love. The cornerstone was laid in 1911.
The building was officially named Eunomia Masonic Hall after the Royal Arch Chapter, but is now simply called Helion Lodge. It is home to both Helion Lodge and the Huntsville York Rite bodies, as well as to Twickenham-Milford Order of DeMolay and to White Light Assembly #66, International Order of the Rainbow for Girls. It is the home of the oldest Lodge of Freemasons in the state of Alabama.
The building has a reputation for being haunted by ghosts.

## Awards

Helion Lodge received the Masonic Service Association of North America's Mark Twain Award for Masonic Awareness in the lodge and in the community consecutively for the years 2008, 2009, and 2010. Helion Lodge received the Twain Award again in 2012. Helion Lodge is the only four time recipient of the Twain Award for Masonic Awareness.