Phoenician

PHOENICIAN LODGE

Location: Lawrence

Chartered By: William Sewall Gardner

Charter Date: 09/13/1871 1871-152

Precedence Date: 07/03/1869

Current Status: in Grand Lodge Vault; merged with Tuscan Lodge to form Tuscan-Phoenician Lodge, 05/01/1980. Now a part of Lawrence United Lodge.

NOTE ON DISPENSATION

The original petition for dispensation for this lodge, submitted on 09/01/1868, bore the name of Grand Master Gardner; according to Proceedings Page VII-486, "I refused to have the lodge so named, and the Dispensation was granted in Blank." The original dispensation, dated 07/03/1869, is written over in the Grand Master's own hand with the words: "This Dispensation not having been accepted, it is cancelled, and the Proceedings upon which it is founded are hereby declared null and void and of no effect on future applications; July 16, 1870."

PAST MASTERS

D. F. Robinson, 1869, 1870 (U. D.)
John Haigh, 1871-1873
Caleb Saunders, 1874, 1875
Thomas Leyland, 1876; SN
Andrew C. Stone, 1877, 1878
William H. Barrell, 1879
Andrew Sharpe, 1880, 1881
Octavius T. How, 1882, 1883
William L. Holmes, 1884
Thomas M. Cogswell, 1885, 1887, 1888
William T. Kimball, 1886
Parry C. Wiggin, 1889-1891
Alfred P. Showell, 1892, 1893
Fred A. Carr, 1894, 1895
Edgar S. Rideout, 1896, 1897; Mem
Dana W. Scott, 1898, 1899
Arthur E. Colby, 1900, 1901
William A. Shattuck, 1902, 1903
Holman J. Stanchfield, 1904, 1905
William H. Glover, 1906, 1907; N
Hollan Garth, 1908, 1909
Thomas L. Sullivan, 1910
George D. Fitts, 1911-1913
Otis W. Boothby, 1914, 1915
Thomas W. Murphy, 1916, 1917
Perley R. Leck, 1918, 1919
William E. Redfern, 1920, 1921
Joseph C. Saalfrank, 1922, 1923
Arlon C. Adams, 1924, 1925
Perry B. Ellis, 1926
James Houston, 1927, 1928
Daniel Saunders, 1929, 1930
Harry J. Bunting, 1932, 1933; N
Philip A. Carr, 1934, 1935; N
Allan J. Battershill, 1936, 1937
Harry B. Call, Jr., 1938, 1939
Herbert P. Reifel, 1940, 1941
George W. Day, 1942, 1943
Paul H. Leslie, 1944, 1945
A. Earl Arnfield, 1946, 1947
Adolph R. McLennon, 1948, 1949
Perley H. Locke, 1950, 1951; N
Richard A. Hale, Jr., 1952, 1953; N
William H. Redfern, 1954, 1955
Robert Barnett, 1956, 1957
Ralph L. Robbins, 1958
Weston D. Eastman, 1959
Richard G. Locke, 1960, 1961
Duncan S. McKillop, 1962, 1963
Stanley I. Kay, 1964, 1965; N
Alan R. McLennan, 1966
John H. Campbell, 1967
James L. DeMarco, 1968
Harry J. Masucci, 1969
Albert J. Reynolds, 1970, 1977
William H. Tracy, 1971
Philip G. Flanagan, 1972
Robert P. Barnett, 1973
Albert F. Hill, 1974
Harry C. Holman, 1975, 1980; N
Richard A. Naylor, 1976
Michael S. Donsuso, 1978
Philip G. Flanagan, 1979

REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS

Petition for Dispensation: 1869; 1870
Petition for Charter: 1871
Consolidation Petition (with Tuscan Lodge): 1979

ANNIVERSARIES

1920 (50th Anniversary)
1945 (75th Anniversary)
1970 (Centenary)

VISITS BY GRAND MASTER

1872 (Nickerson; Constitution of lodge and installation, hall dediication; Special Communication; see below)
1885 (Howland)
1899 (Hutchinson; installation)
1900 (Gallagher)
1907 (Blake)
1920 (Prince; 50th Anniversary; Special Communication)
1921 (Prince)
1945 (Wragg; 75th Anniversary; Special Communication)
1970 (Jaynes; Centenary; Special Communication)
1980 (Melanson; Consolidation; Special Communication)

BY-LAW CHANGES

1881 1888 1891 1900 1904 1913 1917 1918 1920 1930 1935 1937 1944 1945 1957

HISTORY

1920 (50th Anniversary History, 1920-351)
1945 (75th Anniversary History, 1945-497)
1970 (Centenary History, 1970-483)

OTHER

1922 participation in Lawrence temple cornerstone laying, 1922-105)

EVENTS

CONSTITUTION OF LODGE, FEBRUARY 1872

From Moore's Freemason's Monthly, Vol. XXXI, No. 5, March 1872, Page 150:

PHOENICIAN LODGE. This is the historically suggestive and classical name of a new and promising Lodge, located in the city of Lawrence, which, having worked a year under Dispensation, was formally Constituted and had its Officers duly installed by the M. W. Grand Lodge of this Commonwealth, on Wednesday the 21st of February, ult. Both ceremonies were tastefully and impressively performed by Grand Master Sereno D. Nickerson, assisted by R. W. Bros.

Percival L. Everett, D. G. M.
Chas. Kimball, S. G. W.
Tracey P. Cheever, J. G. W.
John McClellan, G. Treas.
Wm. T. Grammer, R. G. Sec. pro tem
Chas. W. Moore, C. G. Sec.
Rev. Chas. H. Titus, as Gr. Chap.
Winslow Lewis, P. G. M.
John T. Heard, P. G. M.
William Parkman, P. G. M.
Charles C. Dame, P. G. M.
Joseph S. Howe, D. D. G. M.
James E. Gale, P. D. D. G. M.
William H. Chessman, G. Marshal
R. M. Field, as J. G. Deacon.
Bro. F. A. Pierce, Grand Tyler.

It is worthy of note in this connection that with two exceptions, the offices of the Grand Lodge were filled by their official representatives, and that there were four Past Grand Masters present; the last fact being especially gratifying, as indicating the interest which the older members of the Grand Lodge feel in every new enterprise calculated to strengthen and promote the welfare of the Order in the jurisdiction.

The ceremonies were conducted in accordance with the Ritual, and therefore need not be particularly described here, further than to add that the interest in them was largely increased by the fine singing of an excellent choir, and the equally fine playing of an accomplished organist. We were particularly struck with the effective rendering of the following beautiful hymn, sung at the closing of the Constituting ceremonies:—

HYMN.

Whilst thy genius, oh Masonry, spreads all around.
The rays of the halo with which thou art crowned;
Shall be the star, in thy sky, which now rising appears,
Not partake of that light, that grows brighter with years?

Shall its portion of fire be left to expire,
And leave no bright trace for as to admire?
Oh, no, its mild beams shall be seen from afar;
And the child of distress, bless the new rising star.

, Like the beams of that Star, which of old marked the way,
And led where of peace the sweet Messenger lay,
May its light, still to Virtue and Masonry true,
Mark the path that with strength Wisdom bids us pursue.
As its beams, unconfined, illumine the mind
With pleasure that leaves no sad feeling behind;
The jewel of beauty glows bright, and its ray
Makes Grief's gloomy night fly from Joy's radiant day.

As the blush of the rose more enchanting appears,
When its sweet leaves are fill'd with the morn's pearly tears;
So from gratitude's tears shall our star rise more bright;
For Charity's smile shall give warmth to its light.
And Justice divine shall with Harmony join,
To assist its ascent by the unerring line,
Whilst Prudence and Temperance guarding their own,
Shall shed a new ray upon Masonry's crown.

At the conclusion of the ceremonies at the hall, the Grand Lodge and Brethren in attendance were escorted to the American House, where they sat down to a well served dinner. This having been satisfactorily disposed of, the half hour remaining before the leaving of the cars for Boston, was occupied by short speeches by the M. W. Grand Master and R. W. Bros. Lewis, Heard and Parkman — all the speakers expressing their personal gratification with the organization and material of the new Lodge, and their hopes for its continued prosperity. We give the names of the officers installed as follows:

John Hay, W. M.
Granville M. Stoddard, S. W.
Caleb Saunders, J. W.
Samuel M. Stedman, Treas.
Arthur W. Dyer, Sec.
Thos. Leland, S. D.
John Pendergast, J. D.
Andrew Sharpe, Jr. Chaplain.
Horatio G. Herrick, S. S.
Cyrus N. Chamberlain, J. S.
John W. Barlow, I. S.
Gideon W. Waterhouse, Tyler.

There are now three Lodges in the city, all in active operation, and a new and more spacious hall for their future occupancy is nearly ready for dedication.

GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

Harry J. Bunting, DDGM, District 11 (Lawrence), 1936, 1937; N
Philip A. Carr, DDGM, District 11 (Lawrence), 1946, 1947; N
William H. Glover, DDGM, District 11 (Lawrence), 1918, 1919; N
Richard A. Hale, Jr., DDGM, District 11 (Lawrence), 1970, 1971; N
Harry C. Holman, DDGM, District 11 (Lawrence), 1992, 1993; N
Stanley I. Kay, DDGM, District 11 (Lawrence), 1976, 1977; Deputy Grand Master 1981; N
Thomas Leyland, DDGM, District 6 (Newburyport), 1878, 1879; SN
Perley H. Locke, DDGM, District 11 (Lawrence), 1956, 1957; N
Edgar S. Rideout, DDGM, District 10 (Lawrence), 1904, 1905, 1906; Memorial
Andrew C. Stone, DDGM, District 10 (Lawrence), 1886, 1887, 1888; Senior Grand Warden 1889