The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-28
AN OLD LANDMARK GOING.
Tearing Down the Old Masonic Hall
An Historic Rookery.


The tearing down Of the old buildings at
the corner of Whitaker, State and Presi-
dent streets began yesterday. The build
ings are among the oldest in the city. That
on the southeast corner was built about
1856 and was at one time used as tavern
or hotel. 1t is quite a small structure, but
| it appears from the records of Solomon S
Lodge, f. and A. NJ, that Brother Childs,
its host, managed to find room for the
brethren to meet i'll.
The two-story wooden building on a
brick basement, fronting on President street,
was erected by the members OF Solomon S
Lodge in 1893 nd was uset by the Masonic
fraternity until 1853, when they removed to
the building on the northeast corner of Bull
and BrOughton streets, having sold the old
site to the city in 1856. The city bought
the property and that adjoining on the
west, which was at one time the residence Of
Gen. Lachlan Mcintosh, of the revolution
airy army, intending to erect there
on a guard house, or police
neighbOrhood objected to its being used for
that purpose and it was sold TO the late
John j. Kelly for 81 900. That gentleman
on his death bequeathed the entire property
to the Union Society
The workmen yesterday pulled down the
partitions that divided the old lodge room
into bedrooms, and it once more had the APP
pearance Of a meeting place of the
brethren. In the arched ceiling,
almost obliterated by the numberless coats
of whitewash that had been put upon it by
people who have occupied the premises,
could be seen the outlines of the Blazing
Star" The hooks in the walls and marks
on the floor indicated that Royal Arch
Masons had there seen for the FIRST time the
afRtt, ,,Ny o,,1 fha% haJ
worked in the quarries and showed evil
dence of their skill"
1t was in that old lodge room that Hon.
William Stephens, Gen. James Jackson, Gov.
Josiah Tattnall and other illustrous Geor-
gians and Masons met in the early days Of
the then young State. 1t was there also
that the Cuban patriot, Gen. Lopez, who
was soon after garoted i'll Havana, was
made Mason in 1850. There are quite q
living who ''were brought to lightn in the
old room, which to-day will disappear
forever.
1t is with feelings akin to regret that one
sees these venerable structures torn down,
while yet their inner timbers appear to be
strong enough to stand for centuries They,
howeN err, must make way for buildings
more suitable to the uses of the present gen
Grafton. A noble structure, the Whitfield
Building, and the site, is virtually a
Mason contribution to that noble charity,
the Union Society, for the land
was the gift of the late John j Kelly, Past
Master of Zerubbabel Lodge No. Is, and
the money with which the new structure is
to be erected is a part of the bequest of the
late William F. Holland, Past Master of
Ancient Landmark Lodge No 231
The building will be a fitting memorial
to George Whitfield, the founder of the
Bethesda Orphan Home, and John j. Kelly
and William f. Holland, two members of
the society whose timely benefcence has
added this valuable property to the assets
from which is to be derived an income for
the support of the orphans of the Union
Society, the present guardian of Whitfield's
sacred trust to the people of Savannah.