The Somerset reporter., 1907-10-17
The Temple is Finished



Lodge of Massachusetts,. The old
charter of Somerset Lodge, now a
precious souvenir, and safely depos-
tied in ire-proof vault, was signed
by two of Names distinguished citi-
zens-William King, Grand master,
and Simon Greenlief, Deputy Grand
master. and bears date January II,
1921. William King was then Gov
ernor of Maine and Simon Greenlief
was an eminent jurist and distin-
guished also as the author of works
on Jurisprudence.
The charter members were:
James Bates, John Loring, Richard
Sawtelle, Warren Preston, Samuel
Sylvester, Drummond Farnsworth,
William Case, Isaac Hackett, Joseph
Haskell, Jacob N. Shaw, Josiah Parlin,
Milford P. Norton, Asa Clark, all of
Norridgewock; George Bixby, John
Wyman, John Pollard, William Bray,
Euseb ius Weston, John Parsons, John
G. Neil, all of Milburn and adjoining
towns.
1t goes without saying, as the "old-
est inhabitant" tells us, that the list
embraces in a remarkable sense lead
ing business and professional men of
the county and thrifty farmers and
mechanics.
The first meeting of Somerset Lodge
was held in Sawtelle's Hall, Norridge-
wock, now known as the George
Sawtelle house, on the north side
of the river, where until within a
few wears stood the mammoth will
low tree. The first master to preside
over the Lodge was DR.. James Bates
prominent physician and distin--
guished surgeon. Meetings were
held at the Sawtelle residence until
1924, when it was decided to hold
every other meeting at Skowhegan
and the lodge furniture was moved to
the residence of William b. Morrill, In
this place, a building which was sit
uated little back from Water street,
in the location now occupied by the
Brown block. Alternate meetings
were held at "White's Halp' in the
town of Norridgewock. At this time
the line between the two towns was
just at the outskirts of what is now
Skowhegan village and the Whites
Hall referred to was but a short dis
lance from here. Meetings were held
there to comply with the letter, but
not the spirit, of the vote that alter
town of Norridgewock, though it
seems evident that it was not intended
that it should be far enough from
Skowhegan village to make it lncon-
venient for the brethren of that place
to attend. The plan was, however, so
far as the records show, acquiesced in
by all.
After a few meetings held at the
nt,fe 20
made to occupy the Odd Fellows hall,
then located on Madison avenue on
the second floor of what is now the
Skowhegan Marble Works, and in
September 1850, the lodge moved into
quarters on the third floor of the
Dinsmore Block OH Water street.
The change from the Dinsmore Block
to the Town Hall, then on the second
floor of the block now occupied by the
REPORTER printing house, was made
in 1865 and meetings were held there
until the dedication of the lodge rooms
in Coburn Hall Block, August 26, 1858.
The ceremony of dedication was car
ried out with good deal of elabora-
tion and was participated in by lodges
from Hallowell, Winthrop, Arson and
Augusta, also by Somerset Chapter
and by Communicates from Gardiner,
Portland and Augusta and by De
Molay of Skowhegan.
Somerset Lodge has always exhib-
tied more than local interest in Ma
sonry and it's members have been in
fiuential in instituting and upholding
lodges in other places. The lodge
was honored in 1883 and 1884 by hav-
ing one of it's members, w. R. G..
Estes, in the Masters chair of the
Grand Lodge of Maine.
The following are the names of
those who have been Masters of Som
erset Lodge from the date of it's or
ganization until the present time, and
the year in which they were installed: