Trimount
Contents
TRIMOUNT LODGE
Location: Dorchester
Dispensation Granted By: Herbert W. Dean
Charter Date: never chartered
Precedence Date: 09/02/1931
Current Status: dispensation returned, 1932-133; 06/08/1932.
HISTORICAL NOTES
In the summer of 1931, a group of Master Masons in Dorchester undertook to establish a new lodge there with the name Trimount (a colonial name once applied to Boston, referring to the three hills of the town's skyline; only Beacon Hill remains today, though the name is perpetuated in "Tremont"). There were 38 petitioners, including six Past Masters and three presiding Masters (of Rabboni, Gate of the Temple and Aberdour Lodges). It also included a recent District Deputy Grand Master (of the Cambridge 2nd Masonic District), Arthur E. Fisk, and Bro. A. Neill Osgood of Aberdour Lodge, who would become Grand Master thirty years later, as well as several men who would serve as Master and District Deputy in the future.
Norfolk Hall, Dorchester, about 1936
The petition was duly granted and a dispensation was issued on 2 September 1931 by Grand Master Herbert W. Dean, appointing Harry Black, James H. Wallace and Frank R. Keith as the first three officers. A copy of the dispensation was duly sent to Rt. Wor. Bro. Henry MacRitchie, District Deputy Grand Master of the South Boston 4th Masonic District, with instructions for institution of Trimount Lodge. This was done on October 23, 1931 at Norfolk Hall in Dorchester (pictured above). 25 petitioners and 3 other Masons "added to the roll later" as well as 60 visitors were present for the event.
The lodge was originally to meet on the fourth Tuesday, but with the Grand Master's permission this was changed on November 30 to the third Monday (Gate of the Temple Lodge, in the Dorchester 4th District, met on the former night). In his letter to the Grand Master. Wor. Bro. Black asked to move the date because "the present meeting night was so late in the month in November and December that it would very often interfere with holidays".)
The library is in possession of the meeting notices for Trimount Lodge, U. D., as well as the secretary's record of communications. The notices tell almost nothing; the secretary's record, scarcely more; Wor. Bro. Frank Keith, the Junior Warden, had secured a "very handsome altar" for the lodge's use, and the Carpet for the Senior Deacon's lecture had been loaned "indefinitely" by Union Lodge; electric candlesticks came from Brotherhood Lodge.
Trimount Lodge met seven times under dispensation, and in May 1932 petitioned for its charter. The Grand Secretary, Rt. Wor. Frederick Hamilton, provided instructions to the Secretary of the lodge as to procedure: the request letter was to include by-laws, records and a financial statement. All of these are on file: a complete and thorough set of by-laws, an indication of the financial status of the lodge (receipts of $1,021.50 and disbursements of $791.70, leaving the lodge in the black as of May 31, 1932). The list of charter members included all but seven of the original petitioners, with seven others added to the list (see below). The petition was declined at the June 8, 1932 Quarterly Communication, and the lodge under dispensation was dissolved.
PAST MASTERS
- Harry Carleton Black, 1931-1932 N
PETITIONERS
- ALBERT ALEXANDER ABBT 1897-1986
- not a dispensation petitioner, added to charter member list
- MM 1931, United
- HARRY CARLETON BLACK 1896-1967 N
- Master under dispensation
- MM 1920, WM 1927-1928, Rabboni
- DDGM, Dorchester 4, 1937-1938
- HARRY J(AMES). BOROFSKY 1902-1968
- MM 1927, Everett C. Benton
- PHILIP COOK 1900-1985
- MM 1925, Constellation
- Member 1951, MM 1927, Zerubbabel; suspended 1974
- FREDERICK W. DERBY 1873-1937
- MM 1918, Aberdour
- CHESTER J. DUNN
- not a dispensation petitioner, added to charter member list
- no card found
- ARTHUR E. FISK 1868-1947 Memorial
- not on charter member list
- MM 1893, Revere
- Affiliated 1912, WM 1923, Aberdour
- DDGM, Cambridge 2, 1924-1925
- Charter Member 1933, Moses Michael Hays
- GEORGE WASHINGTON FITZ 1880-1964
- not on charter member list
- MM 1927, WM 1945, Faith
- WALDO S. FORD 1995-1955
- not on charter member list
- MM 1920, King Solomon's
- Affiliated 1933 Thomas Talbot
- FRANK GAINSBORO 1889-1981
- MM 1929, Everett C. Benton
- NATHAN KRAUS GALLINGER 1889-1982
- Secretary under dispensation
- MM 1918, WM 1928, Aberdour
- Demitted 1968
- MORRIS AARON GINSBERG 1894-1979
- MM 1930, Brotherhood
- CHARLES LOUIS GOLDBERG 1895-1940
- MM 1928, Everett C. Benton
- MICHAEL GOLDMAN 1905-1959
- MM 1928, Brotherhood
- CHARLES HARRISON GREEN 1891-1949
- MM 1927, Shawmut
- GEORGE A. GUILD 1899-1979
- not a dispensation petitioner, added to charter member list
- MM 1931, Everett C. Benton
- Member of Germania, 1948-1960
- IRA MAURICE HAMILBURG 1897-1962
- not a dispensation petitioner, added to charter member list
- MM 1926, Aberdour
- GEORGE HARRIS 1900-1959
- MM 1932, Trimount U.D.
- Affiliated 1932, United
- GEORGE EVERETT HIBBARD 1889-1950
- not on charter member list
- MM 1919, Adelphi
- Affiliated 1930, West Roxbury
- PHILIP H. HOWELL
- not on charter member list
- no card found
- Member of Esoteric
- GROVER CLEVELAND HOYT 1884-1960
- not on charter member list
- MM 1921, WM 1927, Faith
- DDGM, Dorchester 4, 1932-1933
- FRANK ROLAND KEITH 1886-1940
- Junior Warden under dispensation
- MM 1911, WM 1920, Gate of the Temple
- PHILLIP LEVINE
- not a dispensation petitioner, added to charter member list
- no card found
- EDGAR PAUL LEWIS, JR. 1886-1959
- not a dispensation petitioner, added to charter member list
- MM 1919, Fidelity (U. D.)
- CHARLES WHITNEY LOWE 1887-1967
- MM 1923, WM 1937, Rabboni
- JOHN D. MARKS 1883-1944
- MM 1914, WM 1936, Aberdour
- Charter Member 1926, United
- DAVID L. MARTIN, REV., 1874-1945 Memorial
- MM 1907, Lafayette (Roxbury)
- Member 1921-1924, St. John's (Boston)
- Affiliated 1932, WM 1941, Rabboni
- DDGM, Dorchester 4, 1943-1944
- COLEMAN CLYDE McCULLY 1891-1968
- MM 1922, WM 1931 Rabboni (Presiding Master during dispensation)
- FREDERICK WARREN McKINNON 1880-1936
- not on charter member list
- MM 1913, Paul Revere
- CARL FREDERICK MEYER 1885-1944
- MM 1922, Mt. Hermon
- MALCOLM EDWIN NICHOLS 1876-1951
- MM 1913, WM 1925, Aberdour
- CHARLES WALTER NOFFSINGER 1878-1954
- not a dispensation petitioner, added to charter member list
- MM 1920, WM 1933, Rabboni
- A. NEILL OSGOOD
- MM 1928, WM 1933-1934, Aberdour
- Charter Member 1958, WM 1961, Maugus Hill
- Charter Member 1975, The DeMolay
- DDGM, Boston 2, 1938-1939
- Deputy Grand Master 1955
- Grand Master 1963-1965
- Grand Treasurer 1969-1973
- JOHN PANDY 1895-1952
- MM 1928, Aberdour
- HENRY PENN
- no card found
- Member of Rabboni
- HENRY H. PIERCE
- no card found
- Member of Theodore Roosevelt
- ROB ROY RECTOR 1888-1945
- MM 1921, King Solomon's
- ALLISON WARREN ROBBINS 1893-1957
- Senior Warden under dispensation
- MM 1919, WM 1932, Rabboni (Senior Warden during dispensation)
- ARTHUR RUBIN 1902-1978
- MM 1929, Brotherhood
- LAWRENCE FENN SQUIRE 1898-1949
- MM 1924, WM 1934, Rabboni
- BENJAMIN MYER SRIBERG 1900-1979
- MM 1926, Faith
- Affiliated Garden City 1957
- BENJAMIN LEWIS WALKER 1869-1952
- MM 1916, Algonquin
- Affiliated 1920, WM 1931 Gate of the Temple (Presiding during dispensation)
- Removed from petition for dispensation, 10/21/1931
- JAMES HENRY WALLACE 1878-1934
- Senior Warden under dispensation
- MM 1924, WM 1931 Aberdour; (Presiding during dispensation)
- NATHANIEL WARSHAW 1894-1985
- MM 1930, Faith
- WILLIS RAYNES WEBBER 1876-1959
- MM 1929, WM 1935, Aberdour
- CHESTER LESLIE WHITTEMORE
- MM 1922, WM 1942, Union (Dorchester)
- DDGM, Dorchester 4, 1947-1948
REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS
GRAND LODGE OFFICERS
- Harry C. Black, DDGM, District 4 (Dorchester), 1937, 1938; N
- Arthur E. Fisk, DDGM, District 2 (Cambridge), 1924, 1925; Memorial
- Grover C. Hoyt, DDGM, District 3 (Chelsea), 1932, 1933; N
- David L. Martin, DDGM, District 4 (Dorchester), 1943, 1944; Memorial
- A. Neill Osgood, DDGM, District 2 (Boston), 1938, 1939; Deputy Grand Master 1955; Grand Master 1963-1965; Grand Treasurer, 1969-1973
- Chester L. Whittemore, DDGM, District 4 (Dorchester), 1947, 1948; N
DISTRICTS
1931: District 4 (South Boston)