Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-04-08
dENIX BRATTLEBORO, FRIDAY, APRIL 8. 1910.
BELLOWS FALLS NEWS
Dedication of the Masonic Temple.

Dedication Of the Masonic Temple.
The dedication of the new Masonic
temple on Westminster street, which oc-
Cured Tuesday afternoon and evening,
brought together from all parts of New
England, prominent members of the or
der Local Masons and visiting members,
to the number of about 1876, sat down to
the dinner at o'clock over 400 were
present at the dedcatory exercises dur
ing the evening. The building was pro-
nounced by the visiting members of the
order to be one of the best arranged and
most creditable temples in a place of its
size, to be found anywhere in this section
of the country. 1t was thrown open to
the public from 1890 to 3 p. m. This
was followed by a reception to Grand
Master Lee S. Tillotson and other grand
lodge officers, and later by a reception to
Gov. George II. Prouty.
The banquet at 6 o'clock was held in the
large banquet hall of the building
served by members of the order Of the
Eastern Star. This room being made
quate to accommodate more than about
200, two of the local churches provided
for $50 more in their vestries the din
ner being of identical courses in the three
places. The rooms in the building and
the rooms used in the churches were all
beautifully decorated. In the evening
the dedication exercises or the grand
lodge of Vermont were observed and the
speaking WnlCn lOllOWeu lasted until
after midnight.
The officers of the grand lodge of Yer
mont. who had charge of the exercises
were as follows: Lee S. Tillotson, grand
master of St. Adams; Rev. Henry L.
Ballou, deputy grand master, of Chester
f. s Weston, grand senior warden, of
New Haven; II. II. Ross grand secretary
of Burlington; c. w. Whitcomb. grand
treasurer. of Proctorsvlle; Albert Kill
am, grand steward, of Burlington; DR.
o. w. Daley past grand master of
White River Junction; w. b. Vinton, past
grand Junior deacon. OF Brattleboro.
The grand chapter was represented by
Henry S. Root grand king. of Newport;
H. j. Stannard master third veil, Of
Barton; ]. r. Roberts, master OF first
veil of Burlington; D. A. Elliot, grand
tyler, of White River Junction.
The grand lodge of Massachusetts was
represented by Dana ]. Flanders. grand
master: Thomas w. Davis grand secre-
tary; ]. A. Blake, past grand master,
and w. H. Odell, past district grand
master.
The grand lodge OF New Hampshire
was represented by its grand master, T.
w. Sawyer of Milford
Nearly all of the grand officers men
! toned above and Governor Prouty took
part in the speaking late in the evening,
! the dedicatory address being made by
! Grand Secretary Henry II. Ross.
The new building which was thus hap
| PLY dedicated to Masonic purposes, is
! located on the west side Of Westminster
| street, the next building north of the
| new library and commands a beautiful
view of the Connecticut valley to the
| south. The front portion of the build
| ing was remodelled for social and club
purposes from the spacious residence OF
the late Wyman Flint. and is arranged
| in a manner to most fully accommodate
/ these N c ref nj
stories. The ell of the original building
| was moved away and a much larger
building erected in its place. In the
| basement OF this building are the bowl
ing alleys and billiard rooms. The first
| story is made into a large hall to be
used for drill and banquet purposes and
| in this the banquet was held Tuesday
| evening with about 200 accommodated at
| the table. In the second story is the large
| and commodious Masonic hall and its
ante rooms, one of the finest in Yer
mont The building has been thoroughly
and richly furnished throughout.
The building committee under whose
| direction all details have been carried
out were +. II. Bahbitt. F. G. Pierce and
| H. d. Sparrow. About $50. 900 have been
expended, including the site and furnish
| ings
The members Of the local Masonic fra
ternity, now numbering about 300 nat
| urallY take a large amount Of pride in
their present quarters. Their hall has
until now been located in the third story
! Of Union building on the east side Of
the square since that building was built
about 40 years ago.
The first Masonic lodge In this town.
| King Solomon's, No. 40, was chartered in
| 1876 and with the exception of few
| years during the anti-MasOnic crusade,
| ending in 1889, Masonic meetings have
been held here regularly since From
| 1871 TO 1903 there were two lodges of Mas
ter Masons here, they being united in the
latter year. A chapter Of Royal Arch
| Masons was instituted here in 1857: a
council Of Royal and Select Masters in
1878, and a commandery of Knights Tenn
plar in 1898. the latter numbering about
| $50 members in uniform The members
of the order, to the number of some over
800 number in their list, nearly every
one of the prominent business men Of
the place and the order stands high in the
estimation of our citizenship at large.