Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-09-10
FINE MASONIC
HALL DEDICATED
Montezuma Lodge
in Its New
Quarters.
INTERESTING CEREMONIAL
Grand Master Fitch Officiated
...Fine Banquet and Elo-
quent Speeches.

The new home OF Montezuma Lodge
No. /, A. f. & A. Masons, was dedi
Gated last Saturday night for Masonic
usages and at an emergent communi
cation of the Grand Lodge of New
Mexico Of that order in accordance
with the Masonic ceremonial in such
cases. The new home of the Mason
lc bodies in this city is located at
NO. 206, San Francisco Street on the
south side OF the Plaza, being in a
massive stone two story building
erected some years ago by Levi
Spiegelberg, of New York City, at a
considerable cost. The building was
purchased some months ago by the
Masonic Lodge and the entire upper
story which is very extensive with the
exception of two sets of front Offices
was transformed into a lodge hall and
rooms for the use of the lodge, OF
Santa Fe Chapter No. /, Royal Arch
Masons, of Santa Fe Commandery No.
i, knights Templar and of Santa Fe
Lodge of Perfection No. /, Ancient
and Accepted Scottish Rite of Free
Masonry. The new quarters are very
commodious and roomy and the cell.
ings are high. They consist of a
lodge hall n by SO feet, done in
blue and white, and very handsomely
furnished; of Chapter room, rs by
36 feet, done in gold and green, com.
modlous apartments for the Comman.
derry and the Scottish Rite Lodge;
the banquet hall 20 by 80 feet. This
Is done in red and cream and
will easily seat one hundred and
fifty persons. There ale also the nee.
essary ante-rooms, preparation cham
bers and paraphernalia rooms. The
furnishings are in accordance with
Masonic regulations in all of the
rooms and are very handsome. Heavy
carpets, especially made, cover the
floors of the lodge rooms and add to
the comfort and beauty of the apart
ments. The hall and rooms are well
lighted by electricity.
Grand Officers at Special communIca
tion.
The following were the grand off.
GERS at the special communication of
the Grand Lodge:
Grand Master, j. G. Fitch, Of So.
corro, N. NJ, presided; Past Master
Clinton ]. Crandall acted as Grand
Senior Warden and Past Master S.
Spitz as Grand Junior Warden; A. R
McCord was acting Grand Secretary
and A. c. Ireland acting Grand Treas.
urer; Foster ?. Creighton served as
Grand Chaplain, and Henry F. Steph-
ems as Grand Marshal. The Grand
Senior Deacon was DR.. ]. A. Massie;
and the Grand Junior Deacon William
Schnepple. George Riddle act
ed as Grand Tyler. There
was a large attendance OF
members of Montezuma Lodge and
of visiting Free Masons from many
sections of the United States. The
impressive ceremonies lasted about an
hour and half
Elaborate Banquet Added to Pleasure
Thereafter the Masons present re-
paired to the banquet hall where an
elegant banquet was served by Caterer
Thomas P. Gable of the Claire Hotel
In accordance with Masonic regula
tions, no wines, or liquors or malt
liquors of any kind were served
Senior Warden R. H. Hanna acted
as master of ceremonies at the ban
quet and did so in very graceful
and becoming manner. The timely
and we'll delivered addresses were
made by Grand Master Fitch, Past
Grand Master Max. Frost, Past Mas
ter s. Spitz, Master Henry F. Steph
ems and others. At IL o'clock, mid
night, a verse of "Auld Lang Syne'
was sung and the assembly dispersed
having enjoyed every minute of the
time its members spent within the
Masonic precincts. This is the fourth
time the Montezuma Lodge which has
been located in this city, since 1852
has moved. It's first hall was on Col
lege Street near the present locations
of the Academy of the Sisters of Lo
retto. This was vacated after the
flood which swept that portion of the
city fifty years ago and the lodge hal
was moved to the second story of the
corner of Palace Avenue and the
Plaza. There it remained for about
twenty-five years until removed In
1885 to the second story of the Kahn
block on the south side of the Plaza
and thence to its present location Q
few months ago. The lodge is the
Oldest in a great section of country
and many of the most prominent off
cials and citizens Of the Territor!
were and are numbered among Its
membership. 1t is today in a flourish
ing condition, and growing constantly
in numbers and in influence for good