Difference between revisions of "MASpringfield"

Revision as of 01:06, 18 June 2016

SPRINGFIELD

LODGES

• Esoteric Lodge, from 1909 to its merger with Samuel D. Sherwood Lodge in 2006.
• Esoteric-Sherwood Lodge, from 2006 to 2009.
• Friendly Society Lodge, meeting part time in Southwick from 1810 until the surrender of its charter in 1834.
• Hampden Lodge, from 1817 to its merger with Roswell Lee-Indian Orchard Lodge in 2003.
• Indian Orchard Lodge, from 1911 to its merger with Shawmont Lodge in 1982.
• Indian Orchard Masonic Lodge, from 2004 to the present.
• Indian Orchard-Shawmont Lodge, from 1983 to its merger with Roswell Lee-Samuel Osgood Lodge in 1997.
• Roswell Lee Lodge, from 1864 to its merger with Samuel Osgood Lodge in 1979.
• Roswell Lee-Indian Orchard Lodge, from 1997 to its merger with Hampden Lodge in 2003.
• Roswell Lee-Samuel Osgood Lodge, from 1979 to its merger with Indian Orchard-Shawmont Lodge in 1997.
• Samuel D. Sherwood Lodge, from 1921 to its merger with Esoteric Lodge in 2006.
• Samuel Osgood Lodge, from 1921 to its merger with Roswell Lee Lodge in 1997.
• Shawmont Lodge, from 1952 to its merger with Indian Orchard Lodge in 1982.
• Springfield Lodge, from 1894 to its merger with Newton Lodge in 2002.

BUILDINGS

• 12/09/1874: 1874-114; Hall dedication reported in the Grand Master's Address at the December Quarterly. (held 06/24/1874).
• 10/21/1892: 1892-131; Hall dedication, at a Special Communication.
• 10/24/1893: 1893-91; Hall dedication, at a Special Communication.
• 10/24/1914: 1914-291; Hall dedication, at a Special Communication.

BUILDING FIRE, FEBRUARY 1891

From Liberal Freemason, Vol. XIV, No. 11, February 1891, Page 350:

It is a matter of regret that our brethren in Springfield, Mass., have been made to suffer loss by fire; they had many rare and valuable things in their apartments, many of them hard to be replaced, some of them not at all. The Boston Herald printed a special dispatch as follows: " he five-story brown stone front building of the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company on Main Street was damaged by fire this afternoon (February 9th,) the loss being variously estimated at from $20,000 to $30,000. The first floor was occupied by Woodbury, Moulton & Stearns, investment bankers, and by the Springfield Safety Deposit Company; the second and third floors by the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company; and the fourth and fifth floors by Springfield Commandery Knight Templars, Morning Star Chapter Royal Arch Masons, Springfield Council Lodge of Perfection and Princes of Jerusalem, Roswell Lee and Hampden Lodges, F. & A. M. The fire started on the fourth floor, in an ante-room, and had gained considerable headway when discovered. In an hour the firemen had the fire under control. The flames were confined to the two upper floors, and most of the damage was done by water. The loss of the various Masonic Lodges aggregates $10,000, the loss on the building itself is $15,000, and the damage done to the furniture in Woodbury, Moulton & Stearns's office, is estimated at $15,000. All these damages are fully covered by insurance. The fire probably caught from an electric light wire."

CORNERSTONE LAYING, JUNE 1924

From New England Craftsman, Vol. XIX, No. 9, June 1924, Page 284:

More than 5000 members of Masonic bodies in Springfield, Mass., and nearby cities and towns, participated in the parade and other exercises attending the laying of the cornerstone Tuesday, June 24th ef the new $1,000,000 Masonic temple in State Street. Several thousand more spectators viewed the ceremony and listened to the addresses, the speakers' voices being carried to the edges of the throng of spectators by amplifiers.

Nearly 3000 took part in the parade through the business district, ending at the new temple. The cornerstone was laid by the Most Worshipful Dudley H. Ferrell of Lynn, Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts, and his official suite. Mayors Edwin F. Leonard of Springfield and Norman B. Stevens of Hartford, and E. A. Blodgett, president of the Masonic Hall Association, assisted in spreading the cement. After the two-ton stone was lowered and leveled, the ancient ceremony of consecrating the stone with corn, wine and oil followed.

Trowel from the 1924 Cornerstone Laying

HALL DEDICATION, FEBRUARY 1926

From New England Craftsman, Vol. XXI, No. 4, February 1926, Page 115:

The new temple of the Springfield (Mass.) Masonic Hall Association was dedicated February 16th in accordance ancient rites by Most Worshipful Frank L. Simpson, of Boston, Grand Master of Masons of Massachusetts and his suite. The completed building, considered one of the finest of its kind in the country, represents well upward of $1,000,000. Precedence in the dedicatory rites was given to Hampden Lodge, organized in 1817, the oldest in the city. The cornerstone was laid twenty months ago.

• 06/24/1924: 1924-335; Corner-stone laying, at a Special Communication.
  • 02/16/1926: 1926-29; Corner-stone laying, at a Special Communication.

RENOVATION, 1984

From TROWEL, February 1984, Page 26:

Springfield Temple Getting a New Look

Through the concerted effort of an active Board of Directors the Springfield Masonic Temple, located at 339 State Street, is getting a restoration near to the building that was dedicated February 15, 1926.

For too many years the building had suffered from neglect and was allowed to fall into disrepair to the extent walls and ceilings had been damaged by water leaking through the roof and broken drains in the walls.

One of the highlights of the restoration program is the formation of the Springfield Masonic Library Foundation, a charitable trust that has been recognized by the IRS. The library will include Masonic books and artifacts for the benefit of both the Fraternity and the public.

A special feature of the library is a Masonic Road Marker that is embellished with Masonic markings on loan to the temple from the City of Springfield. The marker dates to 1763 when it was erected by a Brother to direct travelers to Boston. It is possible the marker is the oldest of its kind in America.

Masonry's roots in the Springfield area go back to 1817 when Colonel Roswell Lee organized Hampden Lodge that is still in existence. Brother Lee was the Commandant of the Springfield Armory.

Constructed of Indiana limestone, with cork floors in the Lodge rooms, mosaic floors of Tennessee marble, Greek Doric stone columns, and a marble stairway, the Temple's cornerstone was laid June 24, 1924. When completed the cost had reached one million dollars.

A permanent fund has been established for the first time. The kitchen has been remodeled, roof and drains repaired, and several rooms are now in the process of being repainted.

The splendor of the Springfield Temple has gained the favor of the Springfield and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Historical Commissions. Through their approval the Temple has been recommended an historical designation to the Federal Historical Commission that, when approved, will include the Temple in the Federal Registry of Historical Buildings.

Masons in the Springfield area are now pointing toward the spring when they will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone. No specific date has yet been chosen but we can be sure it will be a gala occasion that will properly befit the new look for the Springfield Masonic Temple.

Written by Brother E. Raymond Turner
President, Springfield Masonic Temple Association, Inc.

LINKS

• Places
• Lodges