Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-06-01
MASONRY IN VERMONT.
CONCERNING THE COMING CENTENNIAL

vi nv 2TdNu ihiXt uI Ntlnlhnt Md>oit-
in Burlington in Jane is awakening
much interest throughout the state, aud
the day will be memorable one in the
history of Masonry in Vermont, where
it has existed since November 10, l7Sl
when "Vermont lodge" at Springfield,
was chartered by the grand lodge of
Massachusetts,, says an exchange. Be-
tween that year and 1894 five lodges had
been chartered in the State: North Star,
at Manchester, 1885; Dorchester, in Yer
gennes, l79l; Temple, at Bennington,
1893, and Union. at Middlebury, 1874.
In the summer of 1894 the subject of
founding a grand lodge was discussed.
and on August of that year brethren
from North Star. Dorchester and Tenn
pie lodges met at Manchester for the
purpose of forming a grand lodge of
Free and Accepted Masons of the State
of Vermont. A chairman and secretary
were chosen the first day. The second
day committee to draw up constitu-
ton was appointed. The secretary was
instructed to correspond with the other
lodges not represented at This meeting
and request them to send representa-
tives to Rutland in October, there to
complete the organization.
The second convention assembled in
Rutland, October 10, all the lodges in
the State being represented. The ses-
sions were adjourned from day to day
until the 18th, when the organization
was completed, and the grand lodge of
"Most Free and Accepted Masons for
the State of Vermont. independent and
governed solely by its own laws" was
formed. This title it has always main
tanned.
The first grand master was Noah
Smith of Temple lodge of Bennington
He was born in Sutfield, Conn. and gradu-
ated from Yale college in LIS. Among
his classmates were Noah Webster, the
photographer, Chief Justice Zephania
Swift and United States Senator Uriah
Tracy. Noah Smith settled in Benning-
ton as soon as his college course was
completed and delivered the Grafton al
the first celebration OF the battle of Ben
nington, August lG, l77S. May 2G. 1919,
he was admitted to the bar at West
minister, he and Stephen Il. Bradley
being the first admitted in Vermont.
He filled many positions of trust and
honor; was Judge of the supreme
court and United States collector of in
ternal revenue. He was grand master
in 1874, '95, 90, 81. In 1900 he moved
to Milton, where he died Christmas day,
1872, aged "a years. His grave was un-
marked for years, but at the session of
the grand lodge in 1887 an appropria-
ton for a monument was voted. and at
the session in 1889 it was announced
that a suitable granite shaft, properly
inscribed, had been erected over his
grave.
The other first grand officers were
Enoch Woodbridge, deputy grand mas
ter; John Chapman, grand senior war
den; lothian White, grand JUNIOR war
den; Nathaniel Brush, grand treasurer ;
Tho mas Tolman, grand secretary; Will
liam Cooley, grand senior deacon, and
Roswell Hopkins, grand JUNIOR deacon.
John Chapman was elected grand mas
ter in 1897, and held the office until
1911. Until the year 1896 the order
flouished in Vermont, 20 subordinate
lodges being chartered, that of Union of
Mlddlebury being renewed IN 1877 and
succeeded by Mount Anthony lodge,
chartered October ID, 1924. North Star
lodge was succeeded by Adoniram lodge,
chartered January II, 1856 Vermont
lodge, with which the grand lodge held
many sessions, is now working under a
charter granted in 1850.
From 1926 until 1914 but little was
done in Masonic circles. The excite
ment over the abduction of William
Morgan extended to this State and the
order was bitterly attacked.
In 1886 the grand lodge met. elected
officers and adjourned. From that year
until 1914 biennial sessions, attended
only by Nathan B. Haswell, grand mas
ter; E. II. Englesby, grand treasurer,
and John B. Hollenbeck, grand secre-
tary, were held in secret, and after open
ing and closing in due form the grand
lodge was adjourned.
In 1874 the dissensions began to dis
appear, and in 1916, regular communica-
tions having been restored, Nathan b.
Haswell, who had been grand master
since 1929, was succeeded by Philip c..
Tucker, who held the position until
1861.
During the 10 years from 1850 to 1860
26 charters we're granted by the grand
lodge.
At present there are under its iurisdic-