Norfolk

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NORFOLK LODGE

MA_Norfolk.jpg

Location: Needham

Chartered By: Percival L. Everett

Charter Date: 06/09/1875 1875-73

Precedence Date: 05/18/1874

Current Status: Active

PAST MASTERS

  • Emery Grover, 1874, 1875; Mem
  • James E. Chapman, 1876
  • Edward A. Mills, 1877
  • Edward Dorsey, 1878
  • Edgar H. Bowers, 1879
  • Aaron Twigg, 1880, 1889
  • Issac R. Stearns, 1881, 1882
  • Henry S. Locke, 1883, 1884
  • Eldridge G. Leach, 1885
  • Albert E. Miller, 1886
  • George Adams, 1887, 1888, 1890
  • T. Frederick Peabody, 1891, 1892
  • William C. Freeman, 1893, 1894
  • Norman C. Munson, 1895, 1896
  • Frederick D. Sutton, 1897, 1898
  • Charles Stanwood, 1899, 1900
  • George A. Adams, 1901, 1902
  • John N. Twigg, 1903, 1904
  • Leonard Dawson, 1905, 1906
  • James H. Whetton, 1907, 1908
  • Allston R. Bowers, 1909, 1910
  • Theodore McIntosh, 1911, 1912
  • Horace A. Carter, 1913, 1914; N
  • Clifford M. Locke, 1915, 1916
  • Harley E. Crisp, 1917, 1918
  • Carleton G. McIntosh, 1919
  • Robert B. Hill, 1920
  • Samuel H. Wragg, 1921; N
  • Walter E. Queen, 1922
  • Herbert N. Mitchell, 1923
  • Henry S. Rogers, 1924
  • Arthur S. Hamilton, 1925
  • Ralph G. Adams, 1926
  • Arthur W. Littlehale, 1927
  • Freeland L. Huston, 1928
  • Peter D. G. Hamilton, 1929
  • Edward Seaver, 1930
  • Laurence E. Eaton, 1931
  • Arnold MacIntosh, 1932
  • Harold A. Smith, 1933
  • David Murdock, 1934
  • T. James Crossman, 1935
  • Waldo H. Rice, 1936
  • C. Carson Stanwood, 1937
  • Chester W. Eaton, 1938
  • Henry R. Gilbert, 1939
  • Paul B. Richwaen, 1940
  • John H. Peterson, 1941
  • Arthur L. King, 1942
  • Francis E. Stanwood, 1943
  • Frank L. Cheney, 1944
  • Chester R. Mills, 1945
  • Howard H. McEvoy, 1946
  • Victor M. Lonsbrough, 1947
  • Amos Hamburger, 1948
  • Gilbert W. Cox, 1949
  • Lewis R. Doering, 1950
  • Jerry Bond, Jr., 1951
  • Clifford L. Heald, 1952; SN
  • John N. Hall, 1953
  • Alfred E. Johnson, 1954
  • George H. Krech, 1955
  • Kilburn L. Child, 1956
  • Manson H. Carter, 1957; N
  • Clarke H. Wertheim, 1958
  • Laurence G. Eaton, 1959
  • Irving J. Ryder, 1960
  • H. Milton Hoitt, 1961
  • Everett D. Roper, 1962
  • Erlon W. Towne, 1963
  • Richard W. Eaton, 1964
  • Henry M. Heald, Jr., 1965
  • Wallace H. Richardson, 1966
  • Willard H. Wiggin, 1967
  • Herbert G. Dunphy, Jr., 1968
  • George D. Krech, 1969
  • Robert H. McCraw, 1970
  • James E. Dolan,, 1971
  • Alexander J. Smith, Jr., 1972
  • Ralph I. Sewall, 1973
  • Lawrence A. Morrison, Jr., 1974
  • Ralph A. Brosman, 1975
  • Carl A. Gordon, 1976
  • Warren W. Morris, Jr., 1977
  • Clyde J. Kay, 1978
  • William A. Thompson, Jr., 1979
  • Thomas P. Scott, Jr., 1980
  • Robert M. Eaton, 1981
  • Edwin J. Brailey, Jr., 1982
  • Peter A. Morrison, 1983
  • Robert A. Jeffery, 1984
  • David I. MacFarland, Jr., 1985
  • Richard E. Smith, 1986
  • Donald C. Gibb 14, 1987
  • William E. Holland, 1988
  • Thomas A. Stark, 1989
  • Scott D. Inglis, 1990
  • Jeffrey L. Gardiner, 1991
  • David W. Kinney, 1992
  • James L. Bond, 1993
  • A. Theodore McIntosh, 1994, 2013
  • David P. Newcomb, 1995 PDDGM
  • Wilfred G. Corey, 1996
  • Kenneth M. Morrison, 1997
  • Roger H. Ambuter, 1998
  • Edward K. Ambuter, 1999
  • Jeff Rosenberg, 2000
  • David S. Sewall, 2001
  • William J. Cummings, 2002
  • David W. Boston, 2003
  • Robert G. Kispert, 2004
  • Craig E. Austin, 2005
  • Douglas L. Armstrong, 2006-08
  • Derek C. Eaton, 2008-09
  • Christopher C. Blood, 2009-10
  • Donald LaLiberte, 2011
  • D. Michael Umbarger, 2012

REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS

  • Petition for Dispensation: 1874
  • Petition for Charter: 1875

ANNIVERSARIES

  • 1924 (50th Anniversary)
  • 1949 (75th Anniversary)
  • 1974 (Centenary)
  • 1999 (125th Anniversary)

VISITS BY GRAND MASTER

BY-LAW CHANGES

1875 1878 1879 1892 1897 1901 1903 1905 1906 1907 1912 1927 1932 1937 1938 1949 1956 1975 1976 1981 1985 1988 1989 1990 1999 2001

HISTORY

  • 1924 (50th Anniversary History, 1924-75; see below)
  • 1949 (75th Anniversary History, 1949-67)
  • 1974 (Centenary History, 1974-72)
  • 1999 (125th Anniversary History, 1999-35)

50TH ANNIVERSARY HISTORY, MAY 1924

From Proceedings, Page 1924-75:

History of Norfolk Lodge
By Wor. Leonard Dawson.

The origin of Operative Masonry dates back into antiquity, but organized Freemasonry or the beginning of Operative and Speculative Masonry, which bodies had existed side by side from an early date, was established on June 24, 1717, over two hundred years ago, when four Lodges in London, England, first met and erected themselves into the Grand Lodge of England, which is the parent of every Grand Lodge in the world, and which gave the commission to Rt. Wor. Henry Price, First Provincial Grand Master in 1733, giving him the authority for the formation of Masonic Lodges in New England. Since that time the growth of Freemasonry has been phenomenal. Many Lodges in England and America can now boast of a membership larger than the total membership of the parent Grand Lodge.

The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts dates back to July 30, 1733, and from this organized body Freemasonry was introduced into the town of Needham on June 10, 1811, nearly one hundred and thirteen years ago, when Meridian Lodge was granted permission to change its location, after fourteen years' sojourn in the town of Watertown, to the town of Needham, in that part of the town which is now the town of Wellesley. The Charter for this Lodge was issued December 11, 1797. It was signed by Paul Revere, Grand Master. Meridian Lodge unfortunately on July 20, 1862, lost this precious document by fire. The Lodge met in Needham until September 13, 1843, a period of thirty-two years, at Smith's Tavern on the Boston and Worcester turnpike road. The structure was later known as Elm Park Hotel, but a few years ago was removed, its grounds now being used for park purposes. Many residents of Needham became members of Meridian Lodge, among them being Rt. Wor. Peter Lyon, who was Master in 1817. His son Peter was selectman of Needham for many years, and no doubt "Lyon's Bridge" in Greendale was named in memory of this old family. Wor. Seth Dewing received his degrees in 1809 and served as Master seven years. He died January 10, 1883, nearly ninety-five years old, having been for several years the oldest Mason in Massachusetts, a total of seventy-four years. Andrew Dewing, one of his ancestors, purchased an estate and settled in Needham in 1644, twenty-four years after the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth. Other Needham men belonging to Meridian Lodge were Ebenezer Fuller, James Smith, Simeon Grover, who was Junior Deacon about 1841, John Tolman, Thomas P. Weston, Royal McIntosh, Leonard Kingsbury, Luther Smith, Alvin Fuller, and many others.

After Meridian Lodge moved from Needham in 1843 the residents of the town who desired to become Masons affiliated with nearby Lodges, and in 1874, thirty-one years later, the history of Norfolk Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of Needham, Massachusetts, commenced, its official date being May 18, Anno Domini 1874, Anno Lucis 5874, when the Grand Master of Massachusetts issued a Dispensation to hold meetings in Needham. Prior to this official act twenty-eight of the Masons then residing in Needham, being interested and devoted to the great principles of Freemasonry and being desirous of meeting in closer relationship with each other, held several meetings preliminary to taking definite steps for establishing a permanent Lodge in the community.

The first meeting was held April 6, 1874, and the records state that about twenty of the Craft assembled. Edgar H. Bowers was chosen chairman and Emery Grover secretary of the meeting. It was unanimously decided that a Lodge should be constituted in this town and steps were immediately taken to have a subscription list in furtherance of the object, also to negotiate to procure the use of suitable quarters for Lodge purposes. At a meeting held April 22, 1874, a committee consisting of Edward Dorsey, Edward A. Mills, and Aaron Twigg was appointed to procure the recommendation of Constellation Lodge, of Dedham, it having Masonic jurisdiction over the town of Needham. A committee consisting of Edward A. Mills, Emery Grover, Edward W. Proctor, Edward Dorsey, and James E. Chapman was also appointed to prepare a petition to the Grand Lodge, asking that a Lodge be constituted in Needham.

It was also voted that the style and title of the Lodge shall be Norfolk Lodge, of Needham, Massachusetts. The name at this time without doubt was after the county of Norfolk in which county the town is located. It was also voted that the regular communications be held on Monday evenings on or before the full moon of each month. This was done in order that the Brethren might return home by the light of the moon and this custom was carried on until April 11, 1892, and you Brethren will appreciate this practice when you return to your homes tonight by the light of the full moon. On April 29, 1874, the first officers of the Lodge were chosen as follows:

  • Worshipful Master, Bro. Emery Grover
  • Senior Warden, Bro. Edward A. Mills
  • Junior Warden, Bro. James E. Chapman

At this meeting it was also decided to purchase necessary furniture, twelve officers' collars and jewels, besides aprons for the members. It will be interesting here to note that Mrs. John P. Edwards wrote me a short time ago of the interest taken by the ladies in the early formative period of the Lodge. She stated that some of the members' aprons were made by the ladies and her machine was used because Mrs. Grover had only a single-thread machine, while hers was a double-thread machine, and they desired to have the aprons sewed with a double-thread machine.

At the meeting held April 29, 1874, the following Brothers were elected by request of the Worshipful Master-elect :

  • Treasurer, Bro. Eldridge G. Leach
  • Secretary, Bro. Edward W. Proctor
  • Chaplain, Rev. Bro. Stephen G. Abbott
  • Senior Deacon, Bro. Edward A. Dorsey
  • Junior Deacon, Bro. Edgar H. Bowers
  • Senior Steward, Bro. George M. Hodge
  • Junior Steward, Bro. Benjamin T. Harding
  • Marshal, Bro. Aaron Twigg
  • Inside Sentinel, Bro. John T. Edwards
  • Tyler, Bro. Lewis Armstrong

On May 18, 1874, the last important preliminary meeting was held by the petitioners and on this same date the Most Worshipful Grand Master issued a Dispensation empowering the Brothers to form and open a Lodge. The first regular communication of Norfolk Lodge was held May 20, 1874, when sixteen members were present. The first application was received at this meeting from B. Davis Washburn and the Lodge then proceeded to rehearse the Entered Apprentice degree.

Thus was Norfolk Lodge, Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, formed in the town of Needham, at a time when the population, which included both Needham and Wellesley, numbered about 4,100 souls, whereas today, in both these towns it is estimated there are about 16,000 people; 8,000 in each town, not including the student population of Wellesley, which is about 2,500. As a comparison the total valuation of Needham in 1874 was about four and a half million dollars ($4,500,000), whereas today the valuation in both towns is about thirty-four million dollars ($34,000,000). These figures are here given to show the growth in this vicinity from farming and wood lands to two towns of beautiful homes, the environment of the best.

For one year the Lodge operated under Dispensation granted by the Grand Master, during which time applications were received and degrees conferred upon eight candidates. The interest in the early days of the institution pf the Lodge was marked by the earnestness of the officers and members.

B. Davis Washburn was the first candidate to receive his degrees in Norfolk Lodge, the dates being as follows:

  • Entered Apprentice, June 29, 1874;
  • Fellow Craft, July 27, 1874;
  • Master Mason, September 21, 1874;

but Bro. Washburn never signed the by-laws of the Lodge. It was a Grand Lodge regulation until 1876 that members who had received their degrees must also be elected to membership, ind the signing of the by-laws in some cases was one year lifer the member had received his degrees.

Worshipful Henry Stoddard Locke, father of our preset Treasurer, Worshipful Clifford Mansfield Locke, was the first member who received his degrees in Norfolk Lodge p sign the by-laws. Brother Locke was entered as an BPPrentice October 19, 1874, passed to the degree of Fellow Craft November 23, 1874, and raised with Bro. William Pierce and Bro. David P. Henderson December 21, 1874. He signed the by-laws September 13, 1875. Bro. David Franklin Henderson referred to will be remembered by many of the older members; he was for many years captain of the Roxbury Horse Guards. His genial manner endeared him to his friends. It was with a great deal of pleasure and pride, when serving as Tyler, that he would arrange to have the shoe shining brush always ready for the new candidate and make him shine up his shoes in good style, so that he could make a good appearance when entering the Lodge.

On April 19, 1875, a committee was appointed on by-laws and seal.

On May 31, 1875, it was decided to hold a public installation.

The following petition, with its dignified and respectful wording asking for a Charter, was presented to the Grand Lodge Communication held June 9, 1875.

To the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:

We the undersigned, Master Masons, to whom your Most Worshipful Grand Master issued a Dispensation, bearing date May 18, 1874, empowering us to form and open a Lodge, now returning our Dispensation, with a record of all our proceedings, and a. copy of our by-laws, respectfully pray, if these be approved, for a Charter of Constitution, empowering us with those who may hereafter join ns, under the name of Norfolk Lodge, of Needham, in the County of Norfolk, to perform all the ceremonies and discharge all the duties at said Needham appertaining to Ancient Craft Masonry, in accordance with the Constitution of the Grand Lodge.

  • Emery Grover
  • James Edwin Chapman
  • Edward Augustus Mills
  • John True Abbott
  • Elbridge Gerry Leach
  • Edward Dorsey
  • Edgar Howard Bowers
  • Stephen Gano Abbott
  • Theodore Frank Hanks
  • George Bell Hodge
  • John Flint Edwards
  • Aaron Twigg
  • Lewis Armstrong
  • John Nathaniel Menzel
  • William Henderson Norton
  • Thomas Coke Eaton
  • Ernest Balthaser Wassermann
  • William Scott
  • Edward Waters Proctor
  • Benjamin Franklin Harding
  • Andrew Theodore Bemis
  • John Manlove Hodge
  • Albion Robur Clapp
  • George Edward Otis
  • Isaac Bhoades Stearns
  • David McDougal Livingston
  • George Frederick Gould
  • James Smith

Needham, June 7, 1875.

It is interesting to note that nearly all parts of the town were represented on the Charter list; several from Grantville (now Wellesley), from Needham Plains (now Needham), from Highlandville (now Needham Heights), besides Charles River Village. Four of the above members from Needham Plains became Masters, Wor. Bros. Grover, Chapman, Leach, and Bowers. Three of the above from Highlandville also presided in the East, Wor. Bros. Mills, Dorsey, and Twigg. At the same Grand Lodge Communication, the Committee on Charters made report as follows:

In the Grand Lodge, Quarterly Communication, June 9, 1875.

The Committee on Charters respectfully report that they have carefully examined the by-laws, Records and accompanying documents, presented by Norfolk Lodge, of Needham, now working under Dispensation and find them to be in accordance with the Grand Constitutions and Masonic usage.
< f> All dues having been paid the Grand Lodge, your Committee would recommend that a Charter be issued to Norfolk Lodge as prayed for.

Ivory H. Pope, William J. Stevens, William E. Wilson, 'Committee.

The report was accepted, the recommendations were adopted, and a Charter was granted Norfolk Lodge, of Needham, which Charter is now in a good state of preservation. On this Charter are borne twenty-eight names. Seven became Worshipful Masters of Norfolk Lodge. Thomas Coke Eaton, whose name appears on the Charter, was Past Master of Phillips Lodge No. 67, of Phillips, Maine.

Emery Grover, the first named on the Charter, was the first Worshipful Master and occupied the position two years, in 1874 and 1875. lie received his degrees in Dalhousie Lodge, Newtonville, being entered an Apprentice February 9, 1870, passed a Fellow Craft March 9, 1870, and raised to the degree of Master Mason, April 20, 1870. He served as District Deputy Grand Master for the Twenty-FIrst (21st) Masonic District in 1888, 1889, and 1890. He was made an honorary member of Norfolk Lodge December 21, 1885.

Rt. Wor. Emery Grover after serving as Master was elected to various offices and in all served the Lodge as an officer for forty-one years, during thirty-three of which he was Treasurer. He installed the officers of Norfolk Lodge into their respective positions at fifteen different times. He was a trial justice of Norfolk County for thirty years, from 1868 to 1898, when he received an appointment to be Judge of the District Court of Northern Norfolk County at Dedham in 1898. He occupied this position to the time of his death, a period of twenty-two years. He took an active interest in town affairs, having served fifty times as moderator, and was a member of the school committee for over twenty years. For thirty-two years he was an officer in the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston. On June 25, 1894, at the ladies' night held by the Lodge, I recall his making an address on the twentieth anniversary of Norfolk Lodge, and also on June 23, 1899, he gave a brief historical talk reviewing the steps which led to the gathering and promotion of Norfolk Lodge twenty-five years previous. On November 12, 1917, Norfolk Lodge presented him with a gold jewel bearing the cross keys supporting a past District Deputy Grand Master's jewel.

On January 1, 1917, he, with Mrs. Grover, celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary in the Lodge apartments, to which all the members of the Lodge and many friends were invited. He died suddenly while on his way to attend court at Dedham on March 5, 1920. Had he lived until April 24, the following month, he would have received the Henry Price Medal from the Grand Lodge for fifty years of active Masonic service. As a man, a judge, and a Mason, he was all that our affections could desire; genial and considerate, he was indeed an ornament to the order to which it was his pride and privilege to belong. His Past Master's apron is now in possession of Worshipful James Henry Whetton, Past Master of Norfolk Lodge. Brother Whetton has arranged matters so that it will later become the property of Norfolk Lodge, to be preserved in its archives. It was worn by the writer at the laying of the corner-stone of the George Washington Memorial at Alexandria, Virginia, on November 1, 1923.

The good work of Wor. James Edwin Chapman, the second Master, and Wor. Edward Augustus Mills, the third Master, and many other members of the Charter list, whom many of us had the pleasure of knowing personally and of whom we can testify to their Masonic worth, their loyalty to the Craft, and also to their deep interest as citizens of the town, will long be remembered.

Your historian recalls an incident which is worthy of mention here.

Thirty-three years after the organization of the Lodge, when your historian was serving as Master, arrangements were made to hold the Lodge's first Past Masters' Night to confer the degree of Master Mason. Wor. Bro. Edward A. Mills, having been living in anther state, attended this Lodge communication, it being his first visit in eighteen years. The Marshal was requested to conduct Rt. Wor. Emery Grover to the East, Wor. James E. Chapman to the West and Wor. Edward A. Mills to the South. Rt. Wor. Bro. Grover, when seated near me in East, stated I was making a mistake, as these were not the officers to confer the degree, but upon my advising the Lodge that the Worshipful Brethren who were then occupying the East, West, and South, were the first three officers of the Lodge, and that they had not been together for a great many years, the tears came into the eyes of Rt. Wor. Bro. Grover and he could hardly respond. He stated it was somewhat of a surprise and his mind went back to early struggles of the Lodge.

I should be remiss in my duty if I did not mention one who stands out strongly among the Charter members, Worshipful Edgar Howard Bowers, who received his degrees in Dalhousie Lodge with Right Wor. Emery Grover in 1870. He was the fifth Master and first Senior Deacon of Norfolk Lodge; his record as Secretary for a period of thirty-one years is one of a painstaking and efficient re-Border of events. To him many of us owe a great deal for our Masonic education, because he was ever ready to give information on matters pertaining to Masonry and especially to Norfolk Lodge. His ready wit and jovial manner were characteristic of this estimable Masonic gentleman. For many years he served the town in its highest capacity, that of Selectman. He installed his son, Wor. Allston Rice Bowers (who is Chairman of the Executive Committee on this Semi-Centenary), as Wor. Master June 21, 1909, and on June 26, 1910, presented him, on behalf of the Lodge, a Past Master's jewel. At that time Wor. Bro. Bowers, Sr., in part stated that:

To attain the rank of Past Master in our Ancient Fraternity and to sustain the dignity of the position, is an honor second to none in all the range of human preferment, and I confidently assert that no mere civic honor to which one may be promoted can ever obliterate or overshadow this.

Upon his retirement as Secretary, the Lodge (having grown to two hundred and eighty members) showed its appreciation by presenting him with a gold Past Secretary's jewel on June 11, 1917, it bearing also the insignia of a Past Master. He received the Henry Price Medal, April 24, 1920, for fifty years of active Masonic service. On January 20, 1920, he assisted the Master in the East, which was his last work in the Lodge, and it was coincident that within a few days of that date, forty years previous, as Worshipful Master of the Lodge, he raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason our oldest living initiate, Bro. George William Southworth. Brother Southworth remembered the event and presented Wor. Bro. Bowers with a gold Masonic watch charm. Wor. Bro. Bowers died at Needham, January 15, 1921.

Worshipful Aaron Twigg is the only member living who was a Charter member of Norfolk Lodge. Brother Twigg received his degrees in Hong Kong, China, being raised March 1, 1870, in Zetland Lodge, which Lodge is under the English jurisdiction. He was a Charter member of United Service Lodge in that city also, and was admitted to Constellation Lodge, of Dedham, August 14, 1872. He was elected Master of Norfolk Lodge in 1880, being the sixth Master, and served by re-election in 1889. He is a Charter member of Sagamore Lodge, Medford. He therefore enjoys the distinction of having been a Charter member of three different Lodges. On April 24, 1920, he received the Henry Price medal for fifty years of active Masonic service. Those who attended the occasion will remember his youthful spirit as he sang songs in a good tenor voice and recited poetry to the enjoyment of all. He, also, has served the town as Selectman for a number of years. Yesterday morning Wor. Bro. Clifford M. Locke and myself visited him at Medford. He was sorry he could not attend this occasion, but sent Masonic greetings to all.

The last name on the Charter list is that of James Smith who, as previously stated, was made a Mason in Meridian Lodge, then located in Needham. He was made a Master Mason February 8, 1827, and was the first member to be elected an honorary member of Norfolk Lodge on October 11, 1875.

On February 26, 1877, Wor. Emery Grover in behalf of the Lodge presented Brother Smith an elegant gold-headed cane, he being the oldest member and also it being the fiitieth anniversary of his admission to Masonry. He Passed away at Highlandville (now Needham Heights) March 28, 1894, and was buried with Masonic honors, as he had requested it in 1886, having been a Master Mason over sixty-seven years. We cherish with a great deal of pride his Masonic diploma, blue silk sash, and apron which he gave in custody to the Lodge for preservation on Dec. 17, 1888, sending his Masonic greetings and requesting that his gift be laid up in the archives of Masonry as a memorial of him.

A most notable event occurred on July 1, 1875, at a regular communication of the Lodge when the Lodge was Constituted by the Grand Officers. All twenty-eight Brethren were present who petitioned for a Charter, besides several visitors.

The Grand Lodge officers entered at four and one-half o'clock. There were present of the Grand Lodge,

Thus it will be noted that there were present from the Grand Lodge three Past Grand Masters and two distinguished Brothers who afterwards became Grand Masters, Most Worshipful Brother Everett and Most Worshipful Brother Endicott. Past Grand Master Winslow Lewis was a distinguished physician in Boston and took active interest jn the affairs of the city. He died at Grantville, then a part of Needham, on August 3, 1875, only a month following his visit at the Constitution of Norfolk Lodge, and this visit may possibly have been his last Masonic service. Norfolk Lodge was then Constituted by the Grand Lodge agreeably to ancient Masonic custom and proclamation was made thereof by the Grand Marshal.

On this occasion the Grand Lodge opened in Ample Form at 4.15 p.m. The Master was qualified by Rt. Wor. William D. Coolidge; Rt. Wor. Charles W. Titus; Rt. Wor. William H. Chessman. A procession was formed and the Grand Lodge was escorted to the Congregational Chapel where the first public installation ceremonies of Norfolk Lodge were held. The chapel building, now used as a two-family dwelling house, is still standing at the corner of Chapel Street near the Needham Chronicle office, and it is rather singular that the celebration which we are now holding is within sixty feet of that building. Following the installation ceremonies the Lodge was closed and the Brethren returned to Parker Hall, where two hundred or more partook of a banquet which had been prepared. The record of this event concludes as follows: <blockquote? The exercises of the day were very interesting and creditable to the Lodge. The hearts of the Brethren were encouraged to believe that Norfolk Lodge will do good in the Town of Needham; that it will be a source of benefit and pleasure to themselves and an honor to the Masonic Fraternity. </blockquote>

On July 12th, 1875, it was voted: "That this lodge does hereby declare that it now adopts the name of 'Norfolk Lodge' in commemoration of the Masonic virtues of that eminent man and Mason, His Grace Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, Grand Master of English Masons in the years 1730 and 1731." And at the following communication the seal of the Lodge was changed to be the coat of arms of Thomas Howard, of England, the eighth Duke of Norfolk, enclosed by beaded circle surrounded by the words "Norfolk Lodge, Needham, Mass. May 18th, 5874," the whole being enclosed by a border of two circles, the inner beaded the outer plain. The suggestion to name the Lodge in memory of the illustrious Mason was made by Most Worshipful John T. Heard, Past Grand Master.

Thomas Howard was a direct descendant of the famous family of Howards in England, the premier house in its history, which house was established by Sir William Howard, Knight, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas of England, who died A.D. 1308. The ancestral residence is Arundel Castle, in Sussex. The old castle at Arundel was used before the conquest of England in 1066. It was occupied before the line of Howards by the lines of Montgomery, Albani, and Fitzalan. The first Duke of Norfolk married the heiress of the famous Arundel Castle. In the family of Howard was Thomas, the fourth Duke, who was executed in 1572 for conspiring in favor of Mary, Queen of Scots. Thomas, second Duke of Norfolk, 1454-1524, won the battle of Flodden over the Scots. One of the Howards was the Lord High Admiral of England who defeated the Spanish Armada. Thomas, fifth Duke of Norfolk and Earl of Arundel, 1594-1614, collected the famous Arundel marbles now at Oxford. The house of Howard, without doubt, is of Saxon origin, •!S certain Saxon coins have been found on the estate bearing the name of Howard. The name has been written as Haward, Howard, Howward, Haeward, Iloword, and sometimes with the final "e."

Thomas Howard, the eighth Duke of Norfolk, in whose memory the Lodge is named, was the eldest son of Lord Thomas Howard, second son of Henry Howard, the sixth Duke of Norfolk. He succeeded his uncle as Duke of Norfolk in 1701 and died December 23, 1732; he was interred at Arundel. He was born December 7, 1683, and May 26, 1709, he married Mary, daughter and sole heir of Sir Nicholas Sherbourne, Bart., of Stonyhurst, County of Lancaster. His brother Edward succeeded him in 1732 as the ninth Duke, as Thomas had no issue. There are only two known paintings of Thomas, the eighth Duke of Norfolk; one when young, inscribed Thomas, son of Lord Thomas Howard, aged eight years; the other is a half-length painting, sitting, in a large wig. This painting is at Arundel Castle.

Thomas Howard, the eighth Duke, had in all twenty-two different titles, the principal ones being, First Duke, Earl, Baron of England, and Grand Master of Free and Accepted Masons of England. He served as Grand Master of Masons in England from 1730 to 1731. He succeeded Lord Kingston, was active in the affairs of the Grand Lodge, was invested and installed at an Assembly and Feast held at Merchants-Taylor's Hall in the city of London on January 29, 1730, in the presence of a brilliant company, nine former Grand Masters being present. This was the only time the Duke of Norfolk was present at the Grand Lodge during his tenure of office, as he was absent for some time in Venice. His interest in the prosperity of the Institution is evidenced both by his having personally Constituted several Lodges prior to his departure, and having sent home many valuable presents from abroad. The munificence which the Duke of Norfolk displayed towards the Grand Lodge is acknowledged in the official minutes, but the following description (in part) from Dr. Anderson's writings of His Grace's gifts are richer in particulars:

  1. Money to the Fund for Masonic Charity.
  2. A large Folio Book of the finest writing paper for the records of the Grand Lodge, most richly bound and gilded, and on the frontispiece, in vellum, the Arms of Norfolk amply displayed with the inscription of his noble titles.
  3. The old trusty sword of Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, that was worn by his successor in war, the brave Bernard, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, with both their names on the Blade: which the Grand Master ordered the King's Sword Cutler to adorn richly with the Arms of Norfolk in silver on the scabbard; in order to be the Grand Master's Sword of State in the future.

We have a letter on file from the late Bro. Henry Sadler, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of England, in which he states that this sword is still used as the sword of state.

His Grace, Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk, granted the first real authority to any person in America to issue warrants for the formation of subordinate Lodges. The Imputation was issued to Bro. Daniel Coxe, Esquire, of New Jersey, who was "Nominated, constituted and appointed" Provincial Grand Master of the Provinces of New York. It was dated "London, on the fifth day of June, in the year 1730, and of Masonry 5730," but search has been made in vain and there is no record whatever, either in the United States or English Masonry, where he ever performed one act exercising the authority conferred. Three years later, however, the Grand Master of England issued a deputation to Henry Price, of Boston, appointing him Provincial Grand Master of New England. }y virtue of this authority, Brother Price organized a provincial Grand Lodge on July 30, 1733, and granted a warrant for the First Lodge in Boston, which he Constituted on the 13th day of August (the following month), and which in 1783 united with another Lodge, Constituted by Bro. Thomas Oxnard, Provincial Grand Master and successor to Brother Price, under the name of St. John's lodge, now the oldest Lodge on this continent.

Prom this constituted Grand Lodge and the Massachusetts Grand Lodge (Scottish Constitution), united with it m 1792, all Lodges in this State have received their authority to meet, and Norfolk Lodge has always been proud that it meets under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.

During the early years of Norfolk Lodge there were many periods of financial hardships as a vote taken on February 7, 1876, will illustrate. "It was decided that an organ should be purchased and at such price as the committee should determine and on terms such that the Lodge shall have not less than six months in which to commence payment for the same." Assessments were made from time to time for the members to pay an equal amount to defray expenses for entertainment, and there are records showing that the Lodge had to borrow money to meet some of its obligations.

The first gift to the Lodge as recorded was by Wor. James B. Chapman on December 25, 1876, when it was voted that the thanks of the Lodge be tendered the Master for the handsome cushion upon which to carry the Holy Writings presented by him.

At the festival of St. John the Baptist held June 24, 1878, two of the toasts there given are most interesting and they also apply today. They were, First: "The Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. Its lead we are only too glad to follow and its command we ever feel safe to obey." Second: "The Clergy. In us they find no antagonism but most cordial cooperation in striving for the good of mankind." On these great principles handed down to us by our early Brethren, Norfolk Lodge has ever tried to follow and keep in their footsteps, for upon them rests the strength of our Institution, because the Ancient Landmarks are in them contained, a belief in God and of those Ancient Masonic customs which have come down to us through the ages.

The first Proxy to the Grand Lodge was elected on May 21, 1883, and Wor. Edgar H. Bowers again attended Grand Lodge.

For a few years the matter of capitation tax of the Grand Lodge on members caused some concern amongst a few of the Brethren, but on December 10, 1884, the Lodge voted to assume and pay the tax of June 11, 1879, for its members who had individually commuted it, and the Treasurer was authorized to borrow money sufficient to pay for that purpose and give notes not exceeding six per centum per annum, but at the following meeting in January 1885, a generous subscription was received from Bro. James P. Ingols, also a letter from the Grand Master, Samuel C. Lawrence, covering a check in aid of the payment of the amount to be paid, thus liquidating the amount clue the Grand Lodge. Resolutions were passed to the Most Worshipful Brother, thanking him for his deep interest and expressing the hope that he may reap a rich reward of "Corn, Wine and Oil" for all his labors. There is no doubt that our Most Worshipful Brother did enjoy the Masonic service he rendered to the Craft and the exalted position in which he was esteemed by his Brethren was extended throughout the Commonwealth.

You will be interested no doubt in the shortest record and without doubt the shortest regular communication; the record is of the communication held November 3, 1884. ■Alter stating that eight officers were present, the records state:

The Lodge was opened in form on the third degree thirty-five minutes past seven o'clock and closed in form on the third degree at forty minutes past seven o'clock.

Attest, Sec'y. Pro tem.

On March 20, 1885, a request was made by the Grand Lodge asking Norfolk Lodge's advice regarding the formation of a Lodge in Medfield, and a resolution was passed favoring the same provided the Grand Master should see fit to do so. I do not find where a Lodge was organized, but the jurisdiction of Norfolk Lodge extended some distance at that time.

The ladies usually attended the public ceremonies of installation held near St. John the Baptist's Day and many times spread the table for the banquet. On many occasions they happily surprised the members of the Lodge, after their communication was over, by having prepared elaborate suppers and banquets in the adjoining apartments, and there the members would meet their wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters, making the meetings some of the bright spots in life, and in the history of Norfolk Lodge, enjoying, as the records sometimes state, "a season of true Masonic refreshments in a feast of reason and flow of soul," and closing by singing "Auld Lang Syne."

Norfolk Lodge has always attended divine service at one of the several churches as invited, at or near St. John's Day on June 24, of each year. It is a pleasure which Norfolk Lodge has enjoyed by observing by special appointment these festal days and honoring the memory of eminent men of past ages whose lives and characters have illustrated the cardinal principles of Freemasonry which we should aim to perpetuate.

The Brethren who have received the highest honors in Freemasonry, who have been or are active members of Norfolk Lodge, are Brothers Horace Albert Carter, Charles Dana Burrage, and Robert Edward Denfeld.

Rt. Wor. Horace A. Carter received his degrees in Norfolk Lodge in 1895. He was elected Worshipful Master, 1913 and 1914. He was appointed District Deputy Grand Master for the Fifth Masonic District in 1916 and 1917, was elected Junior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge in 1919. On May 19, 1919, Norfolk Lodge presented him with a beautiful gold jewel, the emblem of that office. Brother Carter enjoys the distinction of being the only member of Norfolk Lodge to occupy a position on the Board of Grand Officers in the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. He is now serving his seventh year as an active member of the Board of Masonic Relief. His interest in Masonry and in Norfolk Lodge has endeared him to its members. He has made many gifts to the Lodge. On February 24, 1924, he sent from Jerusalem while visiting there, when taking a trip around the world, a piece of an ashlar from the quarries of King Solomon, also a gavel, the handle made of olive wood and the head of the gavel made of stone from King Solomon's quarries.

Bro. Charles Dana Burrage received his degrees in Norfolk Lodge in 1898. He served as Marshal, Senior Deacon, Junior Warden, and was elected Senior Warden, at about which time he was chosen Most Excellent Grand High Priest of the Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Massachusetts and found it necessary to resign his position in the Lodge, which was much regretted by his Brethren.

Brother Burrage was elected President of the Massachusetts Convention of High Priests, Order of High Priesthood, at the annual meeting in March, 1922, succeeding Most Excellent Warren B. Ellis, who had held the position for thirty-one years, and on retiring was made president emeritus. Brother Burrage has been reelected at the annual meetings in 1923 and 1924. His son, Robert Heywood Burrage, received his Master Mason degree at the fiftieth annual meeting of Norfolk Lodge held last Monday evening, May 12, 1924.

Most Wor. Bro. Robert Edward Denfeld has received the highest distinction in Symbolic Masonry. He became affiliated with Norfolk Lodge on October 7, 1878, at a time when serving the town as High School principal. He served as Junior Deacon in 1879, Senior Deacon in 1880, Junior Warden in 1881, and was elected Senior Warden May 1, 1882, but I find no record of his installation. He dimitted October 23, 1882. Bro. Henry Stoddard Locke, Junior Warden, was elected Senior Warden by Dispensation granted by Most Wor. Samuel C. Lawrence to hold an election on account of the vacancy. Brother Denfeld in 1885 became superintendent of schools in Duluth, Minn., and served in that capacity for thirty-one years. He served the Grand Lodge of Minnesota in many positions and on January 22, 1914, was elected and installed Grand Master of Masons of Minnesota. In 1915 he was raised t0 the honorary thirty-third degree at Washington, D. C. The sons of many members have also become members of Norfolk Lodge, including the first Master, whose father, Brother Simeon Grover, was a member and his own son, Edwin M., later became a member. The present Master's father, Bro. George E. Mitchell, and also the father of the Master-elect, Bro. Henry D. Rodgers, have been members for a number of years.

Wor. Bro. Charles E. Stanwood who served as Master at the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Lodge, has the honor of having the largest Masonic family connection, as his four sons, Harold E., Francis J., I. Ross, and Augustus T., also his son-in-law, Bro. Alfred J. Kroog, are all members at the present time.

Pour members of the Lodge have been honored by having been elected by the people to serve as Representatives of the General Court, Bro. William Carter, Wor. Bro. Charles E. Stanwood, Bro. William H. Carter, and Wor. Samuel H. Wragg, the present representative.

Bro. Enos H. Tucker served as State Senator. Rt. Wor. Horace A. Carter served on the Governor's Council in 1912 under Gov. Calvin Coolidge, now President of the United States. Bro. William H. Carter is the only member to serve as a member of Congress.

The members of Norfolk Lodge who served in the great Civil War and whose memory we cherish, are as follows:

  • Elias Washburn Adams
  • George Adams
  • Joseph Emery Fiske
  • Alonzo Evander Foss
  • Emery Grover
  • William Horrocks
  • Albert Dexter Kingsbury
  • Henry Tucker Mansfield
  • John Henry Whittemore

Brother (and Dr.) Kingsbury was the first Commander of Galen Orr Post, G. A. R.; Wor. George Adams and Bro. John H. Whittemore also occupied this position. Bro. Wm. Horrocks was an officer of the Post for many years. Brother (and Dr.) Mansfield was an honorary member of Norfolk Lodge, a member of the Loyal Legion and much loved by the citizens of the town. Of the above, Bro. Elias W. Adams is the only living Civil War veteran.

During the World War thirty-five members joined the colors and their names are here given in honored memory of that great struggle for liberty and righteousness. Twelve became commissioned officers. On the silk service flag, which now has a prominent place in the Lodge-room, is worked in blue silk the name of each Brother under his respective Star.

  • George Chenery Anthony
  • Ralph Alvin Badger
  • Wilbur James Blades
  • Walter Leslie Brown
  • Manson Hildreth Carter
  • Elmer Holbrook Cook
  • Lester Woodworth Cornwall
  • Kenneth Everett Creed
  • Roger Wilson Cutler
  • Pierpont Folsom DeLesdemier
  • George Rupert Southwell Denton
  • George Rushraan Dolloff
  • Redington Fiske
  • Rolla Edwin Healey
  • Kenneth Smith Herdman
  • Ray Currier Hall
  • Roy Wales Hall
  • Albert Louis Littlehale
  • Roy Frederic Littlehale
  • Henry George Moeller
  • William Robert Moeller
  • Harold Pierce Newell
  • Charles Wood Pease
  • Robert. Andrew Pidgeon
  • Walter Kerr Queen
  • Percy Hall Quinlan
  • David Smith Rose
  • Otho Lester Schofield
  • Robert Schulze, Jr.
  • Philip Simon
  • Augustus Taylor Stanwood
  • Ralph Starkweather
  • Wolfert Gerson Webber
  • Ralph Graham Wilmot
  • Percy Edwin Wye

During the fifty years that have passed we have been honored by four visits from the Grand Masters. The first was on July 1, 1875, which has already been described in full, when Most Wor. Percival Lowell Everett Constituted the Lodge. The second visit was on September 7, 1902, when Most Wor. Charles T. Gallagher, Grand Master, and Officers of the Grand Lodge visited Needham for the purpose of laying the corner-stone of the Town Hall, the building in which we are now holding our festivities, a handsome structure in the Colonial style of architecture. Worshipful George Albert Adams, our present Marshal, was Master of the Lodge and cordially welcomed the Most Worshipful Grand Master, and then, under escort of Gethsemane Commandery, of Newtonville, the Lodge and the Grand Lodge marched over some of the principal streets to the site of the new edifice where the ceremonies were conducted, and the stone was laid with due and ancient ceremony, according to established Masonic visage and pronounced "Well made, truly laid, true and trusty." Those of us who were present will never forget the occasion ; the day was glorious and a large body of Masons attended, and more than three thousand persons, visitors and Masons, witnessed the laying of the corner-stone. It was an eventful day in the history of Masonry in Needham. It bore the admiration of all who beheld it on account of the simple, yet beautiful and impressive ceremony.

Might I, at this point, digress and speak, not for our history, but of the honor of Most Wor. Bro. Gallagher? One thing I well remember he said in July, 1902, at the of the corner-stone of the Masonic Temple in Roxbury. Speaking of the patriot Joseph Warren who, at the time of his death at Bunker Hill, was Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts, he said: "The body of Joseph Warren was thrice buried, first in the trenches where he was slain, at Bunker Hill; second, in the Granary Burying Ground, and finally on Warren Avenue in Forest Hills Cemetery. There was erected to his memory a marble monument on Bunker Hill, succeeding the first placed there by King Solomon's Lodge in 1794, the column unbroken, but white in its purity and full and upright in its miniature grandeur, indicative of his spotless life and sturdy character." The last sentence, I think, also can well be applied to his own life, which was one of usefulness and honor to the Craft.

The third visit was when Most Wor. John Albert Blake visited the Lodge in Masonic Hall, Kingsbury Building, February 11, 1907, when Wor. Leonard Dawson was Master, the occasion being one of a fraternal gathering, the two previous visits of Grand Officers being for official duties. The presence of the distinguished guests reflected lonor on Norfolk Lodge; the social and fraternal communion was notable.

Those who are acquainted with Most Wor. Bro. Blake are pleased to know that he is still doing active Masonic work. r»e have seen him so many times at the Masonic Home at Charlton where he is like a loving father to the guests lere- I personally like to think of him standing strong, sterling, and upright, like the pillars most remarkable in Scripture history, which were erected by Solomon at the porch of the Temple and which Josephus describes in part as follows: "moreover Hiram made two hollow pillars-one of these pillars he set at the entrance of the porch, at the right hand (or south) and called it Jachin, and the other at the left hand (or north) and called it Boaz." The initials of these pillars, Jachin and Boaz, are J. A. B., the same as those of our Most Wor. Brother, John Albert Blake.

The fourth visit was an occasion long to be remembered. Most Wor. Leon Martin Abbott, with a suite of Grand Officers and representatives of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge, visited Norfolk Lodge on January 13, 1919, when Wor. Harley E. Crisp was Master, to pay respects to Rt. Wor. Horace A. Carter on his having been chosen to the honorable position of Junior Grand Warden. We are indeed proud of our Most Wor. Brother Abbott and we regret his inability to be with us on this occasion. He is one of the honorary members of our Lodge.

The visit tonight of our honored Most Wor. Dudley H. Ferrell is the climax of all. We know him to be a great leader in this time-honored Institution. His decisions are wise and just and our admiration goes out to him in his great work as leader of the oldest Masonic Grand Lodge on this continent, and we all welcome him here tonight, but I shall have to leave it to the future historian to record the story of this event in full and of his honored presence here.

The Lodge has had several places of meeting, but all have been within a few hundred feet of each other. From 1874 until September 29, 1879, the communications were held at Odd Fellows Hall, corner of Great Plain Avenue and Chapel Street (where the Crest and other buildings stand). From October 27, 1879, Masonic Hall in the Parker Hall Building was occupied until March 18, 1882, when Masonic Hall with nearly all the property of the Lodge was destroyed, on the morning of this date, by a fire which entirely consumed this building. (Parker Hall was located where the two bank buildings now stand, corner of Great Plain Avenue and Garden Street.)

On April 3, 1882, the Lodge returned to Odd Fellows building when Elliott Lodge offered the use of its hall and also its white aprons, which the Lodge accepted with thanks, and negotiations were made to continue meeting at that place at a rental of $50 per year, until May 13, 1887, on which date the Odd Fellows Building was destroyed by fire, and I here write in part from the records relating to the loss sustained:

On Friday night May 13, 1887, at low twelve a fire broke out in be basement of the Odd Fellows building in Needham which soon spread throughout the whole structure and quickly destroyed all its contents.

For a second time Norfolk Lodge suffered the loss of all its properties, files, and jewels, together with the beautiful and antique seal, the pride of the Lodge. The Charter, being the special charge of the Master, Wor. Albert E. Miller, was saved as were also the records and official copy of the by-laws.

Again Norfolk Lodge is homeless. Much of the work of the Lodge was the handiwork and free gift of the Brethren. These gifts and associations connected with their presentation can never e replaced and this record is made that the history of Norfolk Lodge may do justice to the self-sacrificing zeal of the Brethren who stood by it in trial and misfortune.<

Our Treasurer now has in charge a wax impression of the seal referred to above, it being the only impression made by this seal.

The Master and Wardens of Constellation Lodge, of Dedham, tendered to Norfolk Lodge the kind offer to use their Lodge-room and regalia after hearing of the loss by fire.

At a special communication held May 20, 1887, the Lodge met in St. Paul's Chapel, Moseley Building, corner of Great Plain Avenue and Chestnut Street, later known as the Bourne Building. The meeting was held in the apartments adjacent to the large hall now occupied by the Needham Theatre. Here the Lodge continued to meet until May 21, 1888, controlling the apartments, which were named Masonic Hall, Moseley Building. The Grand Lodge Tyler, Brother Henry Y. Parker, kindly loaned aprons and jewels for the regular communication held May 30, 1887.

On June 18, 1888, the first meeting was held in Masonic Hall on the third floor of the Kingsbury Building. This building is now standing and is located on the south side of Great Plain Avenue and east of the now New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad tracks. The Lodge met in a small room on the front or easterly side of the building until October 10, 1892, when the room was extended to the west side of the building; the hall, being practically doubled in size, was refitted and also provided with a new carpet. Here the Lodge met until July 26, 1893, when again the Lodge was visited by fire, which destroyed the carpet, altar, and furniture of the Lodge, this being the third time in its history that a like event had happened. The next regular communication was held August 14, 1893, in the banquet room of the Kingsbury Building; also the September and October communications were held there, the renovating being completed for the November, 1893, Communication.

On September 12, 1898, the apartments of the Lodge wre lighted by electricity for the first time; previous to this date kerosene lamps had been used. The new lighting proved a great convenience and was much enjoyed by the Brethren. The Lodge continued to meet in these apartments until June 24, 1907.

On September 9, 1907, the Lodge met at Bourne Hall, in the large hall now occupied by the Needham Theatre, and continued to hold meetings there until October 9, 1911, when arrangements were made to return again to the Kingsbury Building, where meetings were held until September 13, 1915.

On October 11, 1915, the first regular communication was held in the new Masonic Hall, 992 Great Plain Avenue, Needham, this property on the south side of said avenue opposite the Town Hall and Needham Common having been purchased by the Needham Masonic Hall Association. Extensive alterations had been made and a new building erected in the rear. The building and apartments now comprised a Lodge-room with suitable ante-rooms and parlor, together with a banquet room on the lower floor.

Early in 1923 the Masonic Hall Association installed a Frazee pipe organ in Masonic Hall at a cost of $4,000 and an organ recital was given on June 8, 1923. This instrument occupies the entire floor space of the organ loft, the console being situated directly under it. The entire action is electro-pneumatic.

The four panels which adorn the wall of the Lodge-room were formerly used by Dalhousie Lodge, Newtonville. On April 14, 1924, the Lodge took over the entire apartments on the second floor of the building which were vacated by the Needham Masonic Club, and also purchased the greater portion of the furniture.

In these Masonic Hall apartments we have now met for nearly nine years, where it has always been like "home, sweet home," living in "peace, unity and concord and with goodwill towards all.

During the period which has passed one communication was suspended, the four hundred and sixty-first regular, called for October 14, 1918; this was on account of the prevailing epidemic of influenza or grippe, when many persons succumbed to the dread disease. This suspension was in order to carry out the suggestion of the Emergency Health Board of the town. Authority to suspend meetings without Dispensation while the epidemic lasted was granted by the Grand Master.

The postponed meeting was held November 11, 1918, a memorable day in world history. The records state:

The lateness of the hour in opening this Communication, it being nine o'clock P. M., was on account of a 'General Town Celebration and Bonfire' on the occasion of the Allied Victory over the German Huns. This was a day of glorious celebration, November 11, A.L. 5918.

During these fifty years, Norfolk Lodge has been in three Grand Lodge Masonic Districts, as follows:

The Fifth District now comprises fifteen Lodges; it has the largest number of Lodges of any District in Massachusetts.

The ministers of the five Protestant churches in Needham, besides our honored Chaplain are all members of the Masonic Fraternity.

It is interesting to note the growth of the Lodge by each decade:

Periods of Ten Years Membership Increase Number of Members in Last Named Year
1874 — 28 (Charter members)
1874 to 1884 4★ 32
1884 to 1894 36 68
1894 to 1904 77 145
1904 to 1914 86 231
1914 to 1924 243 474

★ = This small increase is accounted for by a loss in membership from 1879 to 1884; five years of fourteen members.

From this table it will be noted that the Lodge has more than doubled its membership during the last ten years and has grown from its Charter list of 28 to 474; 750 have signed the by-laws of our Lodge. There have been thirty Masters of Norfolk Lodge of whom eighteen are now living; their names and year of election are as follows:

  • Rt. Wor. Emery Grover†, 1874-1875
  • Wor. James E. Chapman†, 1876
  • Wor. Edward A. Mills†, 1877
  • Wor. Edward Dorsey†, 1878
  • Wor. Edgar H. Bowers†, 1879
  • Wor. Aaron Twigg†, 1880, 1889
  • Wor. Isaac R. Stearns†, 1881-1882
  • Wor. Henry S. Locke†, 1883-1884
  • Wor. Elbridge G. Leach†, 1885
  • Wor. Albert E. Miller†, 1886
  • Wor. George Adams†, 1887-88, 1890
  • Wor. T. Frederick Peabody†, 1891-1892
  • Wor. William C. Freeman†, 1893-1894
  • Wor. Norman C. Munson, 1895-1896
  • Wor. Frederick D. Sutton, 1897-1898
  • Wor. Charles E. Stanwood, 1899-1900
  • Wor. George A. Adams, 1901-1902
  • Wor. John L. Twigg, 1903-1904
  • Wor. Leonard Dawson, 1905-1906
  • Wor. James H. Whetton, 1907-1908
  • Wor. Allston R. Bowers, 1909-1910
  • Wor. Theodore McIntosh, 1911-1912
  • Rt. Wor. Horace A. Carter, 1913-1914
  • Wor. Clifford M. Locke, 1915-1916
  • Wor. Harley E. Crisp, 1917-1918
  • Wor. Carleton G. Mcintosh, 1919
  • Wor. Robert B. Hill, 1920
  • Wor. Samuel H. Wragg, 1921
  • Wor. Walter K. Queen, 1922
  • Wor. Herbert N. Mitchell, 1923

† = Deceased. Past Masters of other Lodges who are affiliated with Norfolk Lodge are:

  • Wor. Joseph Satterlee, Past Master Wolcott Lodge No. 50, Stafford, Conn.
  • Wor. Fred M. Norcross, Past Master Bethesda Lodge, Brighton.
  • Wor. Frank E. Babcock, Past Master Wellesley Lodge, Wellesley.
  • Wor. Frank E. Porter, Past Master Soley Lodge, Somerville.

A few years ago the Past Masters of the Norfolk Lodge formed a Past Masters' Association, to keep up close fraternal relationship with each other and to discuss from time to time matters which may be of interest to Norfolk -lodge and to Masonry in general. Wor. James H. Whetton is now President; former Presidents have been Rt. Wor. Emery Grover and Wor. Clifford M. Locke. One new Lodge, Wellesley Lodge, of Wellesley, has been instituted, formed in part from our membership; four of its Past Masters received their degrees in Norfolk Lodge, Wor. Frank E. Babcock, Wor. Frank H. Vaughn, Wor. Arthur Dedrickson, and Wor. William S. Wilson. On April 8, 1912, Norfolk Lodge received the formal petition for recommendation of Wellesley Lodge, and at that meeting Norfolk Lodge unanimously resolved to recommend that the petition for a new Lodge be granted, and further expressed the earnest wish that the future of the new Lodge would be bright and prosperous and a credit to our Ancient Institution.

The seed of Masonry was sown in Needham when Meridian Lodge held its meeting in the town. It it fitting, however, that our Masonic descent should come from Constellation Lodge of Dedham, especially so when we consider that the town of Needham, prior to 1711, was a part of the shire town of Dedham. In like manner our Masonic descendants very properly go to Wellesley, especially so when we consider that prior to 1881, Wellesley was a part of the town of Needham. We therefore rejoice that we are linked together in so close a union.

Fifty years have passed since Norfolk Lodge was Instituted and note the advance in that period; from kerosene lamp to the electric light, controlled near at hand or by remote control; before the invention of the telephone, the electric car or automobile, the aeroplane or undersea boat, the radio-telegraph or radio-telephone, and yet the great principles laid down in this time-honored Institution remain the same and will stand the further tests of time. It is impossible to predict what the future of Masonry will be in the town of Needham, but when we realize the accomplishments in the last half century and note its steady growth in a community which is larger in area than the Cjty of Somerville, the City of Everett, and the City of Cambridge combined, then who can tell what the future of our Fraternity will be in Needham, or throughout the world? With the great principles which are inculcated into our Order, having stones laid into its very foundation, such as liberty, justice, and equality, with the Holy Bible, the Great Light in Freemasonry, as our guide, and with a belief in God who is the ruler of us all, we must move steadily forward, and may, with these truths leading the way, arrive at a period when we shall embrace the entire race of man, looking forward to the time when one universal law of brotherhood shall bind all the nations of the earth.

Behold the acorn, from a tender root,
Puts forth a weak and unregarded shoot!
But Nature's faithful process once begun,
It gains new strength with each revolving sun
Till its firm stem the raging storm defies,
And its bold branches wave amidst the skies.

125TH ANNIVERSARY HISTORY, MAY 1999

From Proceedings, Page 1999-35:

On April 6, 1874, a group of Masons formed a committee to establish a Masonic Lodge in Needham. Officers were elected on April 29, 1874. On May 18, 1874, the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts granted a dispensation to hold meetings in Needham.

The first regular meeting, under the dispensation, was held on May 20, 1874. Meetings were held on the "full of the moon" in Odd Fellows Hall, at the comer of Great Plain Avenue and Chapel Street. On July 1, 1875, Norfolk Lodge, A.F. & A.M., was duly constituted. There were 28 brethren present when the charter was presented by the Grand Lodge Officers.

The early years saw Norfolk Lodge meeting at the old and new Odd Fellows Hall, Parker Hall, St. Paul's Chapel, Kingsbury Building and the Bourne Building, site of the Needham Theatre. Fires greatly influenced Norfolk Lodge's early history and meeting places. Many of our original records, documents and furniture were destroyed by three fires occurring in 1879, 1887, and 1893.

In 1911, the Needham Masonic Hall Association purchased the land and building at 992 Great Plain Avenue. The building was renovated and Norfolk Lodge moved into its new home on the second floor in 1915. Norfolk Lodge continued to grow and, during our 50th anniversary year, 1924, the meeting facilities were enlarged to occupy the entire second floor of 992 Great Plain Avenue.

We commenced the celebration of our 50th Anniversary on May 18, 1924, with a parade that was followed by a church service in Needham Town Hall. On May 19th, a reception was held in the Lodge Hall with Most Worshipful Dudley H. Ferrell, Grand Master, presiding. A banquet followed in the Town Hall. The anniversary celebration also included a Ladies' Night at Town Hall. During 1924, we laid the cornerstone of the Congregational Church. At the time of our fiftieth anniversary, Norfolk Lodge had 474 members.

Membership continued to grow and peaked at 502 shortly preceding 1929's "Black Tuesday". The annual dues during this period were $8.00 and Grand Lodge dues $2.00. During the Depression and well into World War II, the membership continued to fall and bottomed at 378 in 1943.

Despite the Depression and the World War, the fifteen-year period from 1929 and 1944 remained an active and positive one for Norfolk Lodge. In 1931, our Masonic Service Committee was formed. In 1936, the Needham Masonic Corporation was created to replace the Needham Masonic Hall Association. The Lodge quarters were renovated in 1937 complete with a new kitchen and banquet Hall. Despite the difficult financial times, the mortgage on the Masonic Apartments was burned on October 12, 1942.

Two notable items were presented to us during this fifteen-year period. In 1931, Wor. Walter K. Queen returned the gavel with which he opened Lodge in Little America. Not only was this gavel made from a rafter taken from Fanueil Hall in 1805 but was also used in our dedication. In 1941, the Ancient Masonic Apron of Bro. Albert M. Miller was presented to the Lodge; at the time, this apron was over 100 years old.

In 1944, Norfolk was proud to dedicate a Roll of Honor to our members in the Armed Forces of World War II. Twenty-two of our members are listed.

With the armistice and the return of peace, Norfolk Lodge membership again started growing and reached 500 brethren at the time of our 75th anniversary in 1949. The membership continued to grow and reached a peak of 657 in 1964.

In 1964, the Needham Masonic Corporation purchased the property at 1101 Highland Avenue as the location of a new Lodge. A Committee was appointed to formulate plans.

In 1968, building and fund raising committees were formed. Plans were drawn, and in December 1970, the Masonic Corporation was authorized to proceed with the construction. The Great Plain Avenue building that had served us for so many years was sold to assist in the funding of the new Lodge Hall. Ground was broken in November 1971 and the Lodge was dedicated on September 6, 1972.

In 1974, we observed our 100th anniversary with several gala celebrations commencing with a worship service at Carter Memorial Methodist Church, an anniversary communication and a ladies' night dinner dance. During our May 13, 1974 communication, M. W. Donald W. Vose, Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts, was received. Our celebration included the burning of the mortgage.

During the years, Norfolk Lodge has been honored by having two of its members elected as Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts. They are M. W. Samuel H. Wragg, 1945-1947 and M. W. Laurence E. Eaton, 1960-1962. M. W. David W. Lovering, Past Master of Nehoiden Lodge, now wears M. W. Samuel H. Wragg's Grand Masters Jewel.

Three of our members have been Deputy Grand Master. They are M. W. Samuel H. Wragg, 1940; R. W. Carl A. Gordon, 1993; and R. W. Ralph I. Sewall, 1998.

Many of our members have served, and are serving, as officers and active participants in Scottish Rite, York Rite, and The Shrine, and many are 33° Masons.

The past 25 years have witnessed the continued high attention to the tenets of our institution but with a continued change in our outward appearance to the community. Masonry at Norfolk Lodge encompasses excellent ritual as well as several charitable and community activities.

We have been deeply involved with the Town of Needham in many events and are frequently called upon to participate or lend personnel and space. The Lodge members currently sponsor the Independence Day Pancake Breakfast and co-sponsor the Holiday Tree Sale with Nehoiden Lodge. We have contributed funds and/or labor to Needham Food Pantry, Needham DARE Program, Rosemary Tot Lot, Needham Library, Little League, Needham Public Schools, Boston Marathon Cancer Drive and Needham Educational Foundation Spelling Bee.

Our involvement with other groups and participation in their events include Boy Scouts of America, Order of Rainbow, DeMolay, Needham Council for Aging, Needham Scouters' Club, Girl Scouts of America and Scouting for Food Collection.

Culture has changed during the past 25 years. New life-styles, living arrangements, and technologies have placed additional demands on the use of valuable free time. Organizations that meet on a regular basis during the evenings have found it difficult to attract and maintain their membership. Freemasonry, notwithstanding, remains a strong and vital part of Needham's culture and lifestyle. During the past five years, our membership has stabilized at about 300. We are attracting men of all ages and maintaining an interesting program, blending the ancient Masonic ritual with new and modern thoughts and technologies. The brethren work together on all projects from building a tool shed to retiling the Lodge Hall ceiling to the semi-annual Lodge cleanups.

Norfolk Lodge, A.F. & A.M., has enjoyed a magnificent history and looks forward to the future with optimism and the commitment to continue the high Masonic values which have brought us through our first 125 years.

OTHER

  • 1901 (Transfer of districts)
  • 1912 (Dispute over jurisdiction)

EVENTS

CONSTITUTION OF LODGE, JUNE 1875

From New England Freemason, Vol. II, No. 7, July 1875, Page 359:

A Special Communication of the M. W. Grand Lodge of Massachusetts was held at Needham, on Thursday afternoon, the 1st inst., for the purpose of constituting Norfolk Lodge and installing its officers. The M. W. Grand Master conducted the services. The ceremony of constituting the Lodge was performed in the Lodge-room, and was, of course, in private. When it was concluded, the Grand Officers were escorted by the members of the Lodge to the chapel of the Congregational Church, where the installation services were performed in the presence of a large number of ladies and invited guests. The W. Master was installed by Grand Master Everett, the Senior Warden by Past Grand Master Heard (acting Senior Grand Warden), the Junior Warden by R. W. Henry Endicott (acting Junior Grand Warden), and the remaining officers by Past Grand Master Coolidge (acting Deputy Grand Master). After these exercises were concluded, the Grand Master gave suitable words of encouragement and instruction to the officers and members of the new Lodge. At fifteen minutes past six, the Grand Lodge was closed in Ample Form. A collation followed, after which brief speeches were made by the Grand Master, the Past Grand Masters and others. The occasion was much enjoyed by all present.

The following is a list of the officers of the new Lodge:

  • Emery Grover, W.M.
  • James E. Chapman, S.W.
  • Edward A. Mills, J.W.
  • Elbridge G. Leach, Treas.
  • John T. Abbott, Sec.
  • Edward Dorsey, S.D.
  • Edgar M. Bowers, J.D.
  • Rev. Stephen G. Abbott, Chaplain
  • Aaron Twigg, Marshal
  • Theo. F. Hanks, S.S.
  • John F. Edwards, J.S.
  • Isaac R. Stearns, LS.
  • Lewis Armstrong, Tyler.

GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

DISTRICTS

1874: District 12 (Milford)

1877: District 13 (Dedham)

1883: District 21 (Framingham)

1902: District 5 (Waltham)

1927: District 5 (Brighton)

2003: District 5

LINKS

Lodge web site

Massachusetts Lodges

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