The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-10-30


I'm t.e spacious dlul.g-Lau below. which
Younger lodges would call t.e banquet
hall. au elegant supper was served. under
81. direction ~ Caterer A w Baker
Irllt- many others ~ lts kind. there was
no provision made ON tho menu card
FOR speech making. and none was called
for. The TWO hours ln tie dinlng-hal
was spent iu pleasant chat and in dis
posing ~ tine menu. and these exercises
were closed just bsfons tile clock struck
the AoGr 90 mldEight.
History Of Building.
TAe o.5 Dnrdius In which alb tle meet
.3ss ~ tle lodge ARC held ana lu which
tt- celebration occurred last .lsat enjoys
tho distinction ot being tine hr-t house
erected FOR Masonic purposes ia America.
il has been used continuously fpr t-4r
purpose since us completion, December
Tile nr~t Grand Lodge OF Aia~ous in
Virginia was assembled in WiliamSl-lc
ir May. l1--- The first subordinate
lodge iu Richmond was chartered De-
cemDer -s. 1850. u assembled at tke
Raleigh Tavern. ard was known as Rieh-
iuouI Lodge. 80. lJ.
The Grand Lodge met in tl.s City for
the nrst time November a. 1854 This
meeting. according Co the ancient records.
WAS l-ia 'ar tle lodge-room Ia the cit.
~ Richmond. and Edmund Randolph
appeared as Rae representative OF Rich
mond Lodge. Where this "Iodge-roon
was the historians can only conjecture.
II may have been over some store. bur
80 was most probably in NcGuire's school
house. then next 90 the NaScns' Han
4 building which w0llI serve as a suite
able lolge-rooiu. and also as "a permanent
location tor the Grand Lodge. soon boz
came d necessity. and accordingly. on
tne l-th 81 August. 1875. G4brle. G4lt
sold % George Anderson. AleXaule-
Nelson. Foster Webb. Jr.. Alexander Nc
Robert Patrick Wright. Samuel Scher-r
ana John Groves. a committee from
Lodge NO l5. q lot Of ground fronting
eighty feet on the back street. opposite
Mrs. Warrock s." and Le engaged .-un-
der penalty of 500 pounds To convey
the above ground in fee simple ard make
q deed for The same whenever required
10 do so.' Steps were then taken 10
erect a hau upon this lot. The Grand
Lodge assembled IN Richmond on Fri
day. the Zeth OF October, 1855, and on the
afternoon OF the next day, Saturday.
October %. 1855. the cornerstone was
laid by Most Worshipful James Mercer.
Grand Master. assisted by Right No~-
shipful Edmund Randolph. Deputy Grand
Master pro tenn. Thomas Matthews. Sc
nior Grand Warden pro TEN. and Ben
Jam.n Day, Junior Grand Warden uro
tenn"
Raising Money by Lottery.
on December D. 1875. the Iecisfarr,.
passed au act authorizing the Society
OF Free -Masons Of the city OF Richmond
to raise, under the direction Of the Com
mon HAN Of said city. "a sum OF money
not exceeding Loo pounds by way az
lottery, for the purpose ~ erecting and
completing Free Masons hall in said
city The Common Han. IT a meeting
held January .. 1896 appointed q commit
tee consisting OF John Marshall. recoi tor.
Gabriel Gait, Foster webb, Jr., David
Lambert and John Beckley. To form
scheme Of lottery agreeably 10 The above
act.
The committee reported, January 9th.
q scheme which was adopted. and Messrs.
James Buchanan Turner SOuthall Ca
nricI Gait, Robert Mitchell and Foster
Webb. Jr. were appointed managers.
THIS scheme for raising money did
not appear 10 meet with much success,