Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1919-12-09
TRILUMINAR LODGE CELE.
BRATES TOOTH ANNIVERSARY.

Triluminar Lodge A. F. and A. M
of Middleway, is hundred years old
Its centennial anniversary was observ-
ed Friday afternoon, November %,
with appropriate ceremonies and a
banquet.
The ceremonies connected with the
celebration were in charge of Col. B.
D. Gibson, Past Grand Master of the
State, and were conducted in the Ma
sonic Hall. A public meeting was
held in the Union church following
the economies at the hall. Mr.. C. w.
Henshaw read history of Triluminar
Lodge, in which he reviewed the vi
clssitudes of its hundred years of life,
and gave in detail the successive Off
GERS connected with it within that
period.
Instructive addresses were also de-
livered by Hon. Tracy L. Jeffords, of
harpers Ferry; Mr.. Charles A. john
son, of Charles Town, and Attorney
A. C.. Nadenbousch, of Martinsburg.
Devotional services were conducted by
Rev. VIM. M. Compton, pastor of JEFF
ferson Circuit.
Mr.. Henshaw's historical sketch of
the lodge from the time it's first char
NAL celebration showed considerable
research. 1t required more labor than
1t takes to prepare two editions of The
Advocate.
Triluminar lodge was organized at
Bruee's Mills, now Brucetown, Va, in
December, 1919. 1t was the outcome
OF a strong recommendation from
Hiram Lodge No. 81, of Winchester,
accompanying petition from a num-
Der of MasOns of the Bruce's Mills
neighborhood to the Grand Lodge of
Virginia, for lodge at the mills. The
FIRST officers were John Sewers, Mas
ter; Charles w. Littler, Senior War
den, and Joel w. Ward, Junior War
den; Thomas Sewers, Treasurer;
Robert Sanford, Secretary; William j.
Miller, Senior Deacon, James Foster,
Tier.
A large number of the members of
the lodge at Bruce's Mills resided in or
near Mlddleway-perhaps a majority
OF them lived there. To have their
meeting place more convenient to
them, it was decided to meet at the
home of Brother John F, Smith in
Mlddleway. 1t was in January, 1882
that the change was made. The Smith
house continued to be the lodges
meeting place for nearly twenty years.
IN 1901, a committee consisting of |
Lewis Fry, S. L. Minghini, and George
Murphy was appointed to select a site
ana erect a permanent home for the |
order. Land was bought from DIR. |
Samuel Scollay, on Church street, on
poSite the Union Church.
John G. Myers was engaged to ,
superintend the construction of a new
building. The corner stone for it was
Iald September Is, 1851, and on Jam
uary 3, 1852, Triluminar Lodge moved |
IN. Its officers then were A. C. Tim
berlake, Worshipful Master; ]. w |
Dalgarn, Senior Warden; David Fry.
Junior Warden; Vance B. Bell, Treas. i
urer; William o. Macoughtry, Secre-
tary; II. S. Farnsworth, Senior Dea-
con; Josiah ]. Ridgway, Junior Dea-
con; John G. Myers, Chaplain. and
George Murphy, Tier.
The Civil War period was a serious
time for. Triluminar. No meetings
were held between November. 1851
and June, 1864. When this part of
the old state was transferred to West
Virginia at the close of the war Tri-
lurninar was loath to sever her rela-
IONS with the Grand Lodge of the old
state, and it was not till May 10, 1873
that 1T took up allegiance to the Ma
some order of the new state. The
three presiding officers named in and
nrst TO serve under the West Virginia
cnarter were Richard w. Kearns.
Worshlpful Master; Richard w. Nc
Intlre, Senior Warden, and John n.
Haysiett, Junior Warden,