Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-12
ANCIENT LODGE OF MASONS
OLDEST ORGANIZATION OF THE
ORDER IN WASHINGTON. e
History of Veteran Body, Which Cele-
brated It's Centennial Annf-
yersary I'm 1898.

ence. For several months a committee
of past masters, under the Craftsmanship
of Walter A. Brown, has been engaged on
the work, the editorial part of which has
been performed by Charles F. Benjamin.
one of the veterans of the lodge. A his
tory of the lodge is of so much interest to
the fraternity that Worshipful Master
Francis Nye has arranged to have 1t read
by the editor at the lodge meeting Tues
day, the 9th instant. On that evening the
lodge room door at the Masonic Temple
will swing inward to all Master Masons
in good standing and outward to the rest
of the world. -
the lodge in 1893 by James Hoban, archi-
tect of the Capitol and the Executive Man
sion, and six or seven others employed I'M
der Hoban, including COLLEEN Williamson,the
master stone mason These old country
brethren used to trudge once month, Ian
tern in hand, through woods, wastes and
water courses. from Capitol Hill to George
town to attend the lodge at that place.
and were fortified for the home journey by
the Strenuous eating and drinking char
acteristic of the social life of those days,
and which formed one of the attractions
of the lodge room, where the call from
labor to refreshment' then meant what It
said. Finally the Georgetown Lodge grant
ed Hoban and his brethren dispensation
to hold lodge meetings of their own In the
federal city, and in little upper room Of
a rough frame dwelling on New Jersey ave-
nue. just south Of the Capitol the para
phernalia and practice of Freemasonry
were first exhibited in the new and as yet
unbuilt city.
The membership was less than ten, but
Masonic grandees from the adjacent parts
of Maryland would drop in upon the meet
ings, which were held Sunday afternoons,
and sometimes carry the attendance to the
suffocation point of a dozen or fifteen.
Whatever the number, the majesty of
Hoban. which could fiout General Wash
ington for criticising the plans of the
Executive Mansion and overawe Farmer
Burns, of whom Washington stood in ter
ror, was equal to every occasion. Though
Burns, according to tradition, had driven
the first President of the republic from
his presence by insult and abuse, it was
the boast of Hoban, first master of Fed
eral Lodge, that he had brought the testy
autocrat to his knees by cutting wagon
roads through his farming land and telling
his cherished timber, and then shaking
his finger under the nose of the scolding
and threatening proprietor, inviting him
to have it out with the United States of
America.
AS the day drew near for the laying of
the cornerstone of the Capitol, in the pres
ence of Washington and with Masonic
ceremonies, HOban and his fellow workers
became fired with an inhibition to have
Federal Lodge to welcome the President,
himself a past master, to the federal city.
Fortunately, the Grand Lodge Of Mary
land was about to meet at Easton, and
Capitol Hill, who, leaving five pounds, two
shillngs and sixpence of good money be-
hind him as fees and perquisites, got home
four days before the cornerstone laying
with the coveted full-powered charter to
Hoban and his associates to form and hold
Federal Lodge, No. 10, of the jurisdiction
of Maryland. On the day Of the cere-
mony the new lodge made brave show in
the grand procession of the President and
his escort from Georgetown to the Capitol,
mastering nearly. twenty members and
visitors, all in proper regalia, and mem
Der of the lodge was appointed marshal
of the procession and the ceremonies by
the grand master In charge of the proceed
ings. A little more than six years after
ward the lodge took part in the Masonic
burial of Washington at Mount Vernon.
Early Membership. t:tH
The early membership Of the lodge was
almost entirely composed of Irish Catho-
lies, like Hoban, or Scotch Presbyterians,
like Williamson, and lodge professions
to divine service were common, often pre-
ceding the Sunday afternoon monthly.
meeting. The Masonic regalia was more
ornate than now, the officers and members:
took themselves very seriously and the dis
cipline was severe. Dues were paid
at every, meeting by visitors as we'll as
members; there were fines and reprimands
for willful non-attendance, and remission
Of dues for those prevented by sickness or
other misfortune from enjoying the high
privilege of attending a meeting of the
lodge. majority of the local dignitaries
were members of the District lodges, and
among the frequent visitors were cabinet
officers, senators and representatives, q
great many of whom were prominent Free
masons in their own states. AS a spread
at the charge of the lodge or the worship
full master or the newly made brother who
had been gratified by admission to the
ranks of the mystic tie was feature of
every meeting, the early removal of the
lodge to Peacock's, otherwise called the
little hotel" on + street, opposite the
present Union Trust and Storage building.
was convenience in the matter of feast
Ing. well in accessibility from all
parts of the thinly built but widely scat
tered city.
Shortly before the war of 1912 the lodge
carried through a movement for a grand
lodge. to embrace the lodges at Washing.
ton, Georgetown and Alexandria. BY this
time Federal and Columbia Lodges had al
ready built and furnished the so-called
Union Lodge room, on 18th street below
Pennsylvania avenue, which stood till the
site was cleared for the present Post Of
flee Department.
Soon after the formation of the Grand
Lodge, dissensions in Federal Lodge led to
the withdrawal of many of the members
and the founding of the present Lebanon
Lodge. The breach of feeling was soon
healed and the new lodge bought third
interest in the Union Lodge room. In
common with Freemasonry generally Fed
eldl LouSe Sulefeu severely from the pro.
longed persecution of the political party
known as the anti-Masons thus far the
most vigorous and enduring of third par
ties, except possibly the populists; the boy
colt being applied mercllessly to Masons
in all their business and social relations,
and even to their children at school and
their families at church.
This anti-Masonic frenzy, it Is recorded,
was as fierce IN its way as the Salem
witchcraft delusion, and pamphlets and
magazine articles were published arguing
that Washington. a very prominent and
Jealous member Of the craft from his early
surveying days to the days of his presi-
dency, could never have been a Freemason,
because he was always a patriot. 1Politi-
cally. the anti-Masonic party was led by
democrats opposed to Jackson and wings
opposed to Clay, both distinguished Free
masons. and their insincerity was shown
by their forcing presidential nomination
upon William Writ, after he had appeared
before their national convention and told
them that he was a Freemason and had
never seen anything injurious to the pub
lie interest in Masonry.
Melancholy Surrender.
For short time In the midst of the
stress the charter Of Federal Lodge was
returned to the keeping of the Grand Lodge,