MW Thomas Watson, Grand Master of South Carolina, Passes Away

by Christopher Hodapp

Most Worshipful Brother Thomas 'Tommy' E. Watson, the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge AFM of South Carolina, passed away unexpectedly at his home on Monday. A message was forwarded to members yesterday by Deputy Grand Master A.C. "Acey" Flora, IV. 

Brethren are asked to keep his family in their prayers.

Grand Master Watson was elected in 2025. Presumably, DGM Flora will now assume the duties of the office until the next annual meeting of the Grand Lodge. 

(NOTE: This story has been corrected. It previously stated GM Watson was elected to a two-year term of office. South Carolina's tradition is that a GM is elected for one year, and generally re-elected to a second consecutive term. I regret my misunderstanding.)

From GM Watson's biography on the Grand Lodge website:

Thomas Evans Watson was born November 17, 1952, in Greer, S.C. to the late Rev. Choice and Grace Watson of Duncan, S.C. He has one sister, Peggy, and two brothers, Billy and Bradley.He has four children, six grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

He was educated in the public schools in New Orleans, La. and in Spartanburg County District Five. He graduated from James F. Byrnes High school in 1971. He attended the Baptist College of Charleston (Charleston Southern).

He served in the United States Air Force from 1972 to 1976 during the Viet Nam era where he was an electronics technician on the B-52 Stratofortress. He was promoted to the rank of Sgt in 1974.He was named Base Airman of the Month at Lowery AFB in January 1973. He was stationed at Robbins AFB in Ga. and Anderson AFB in Guam.

He entered law enforcement in 1977 with the Duncan Police. In 1981 he was appointed Chief of Police for the Town of Lyman. In 1983 he became Director of Public Safety for the town of Lyman. In 1990 he was hired as the Chief of Police for the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, where he served during the 9-11 crisis. He retired from Law Enforcement in 2011. He served as the President of the South Carolina Police Chiefs’ Association in 2002.

He was trained as a grief counselor with the National Organization of Victims assistance in early 2001 and was deployed to Ground Zero in September 2001 to assist the NY-NJ Ports Authority Police.

He was elected Mayor for the City of Wellford in 2011 where he served one term.

He was initiated, passed, and raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason in 1978 at Irving Southworth Lodge #350 in Lyman South Carolina. He served his Lodge as Master in 1984 and 2016. He Was appointed District Deputy Grand Master of the 21st Masonic District by Most Worshipful Grand Master Ron Mitchum in 2006 and was re-appointed by Most Worshipful Grand Master Gerald Carver in 2007. He served as Masonic Education Committeeman for the 19th 20th and 21st Masonic Districts from 2012-2017 and Grand Marshal from 2017 to 2019.He was elected Junior Grand Warden in April 2019, Senior Grand April 2021, Deputy Grand Master 2023, and was Elected Most Worshipful Grand Master in 2025.
In 2017 he was presented with the second highest award in masonry in SC, the Fredrick Dalco certificate of Merit, by Most Worshipful Brother Michael D. Smith Sr. In 2019 he received the Albert Gallatin Mackey Medal, the highest masonic award in South Carolina.

He received his degrees in the York Rite of Free Masonry and was knighted as a Knights Templar on September 10. 2007. He is a member of Chicora Chapter # 33 where he served as Excellent High Priest in 2013, Blake council # 19 where he served as Illustrious Master in 2014 and Spartanburg Commandry #3 where he served as Eminent Commander in 2015. He was appointed District Deputy Grand Commander for the 4th District in 2016.

He is a member of the Spartan Council #153 AMD where he served as Sovereign Master. He is a member of the Sam Womack chapter # 20 of the Knight Masons, Piedmont York Right College #84, and Super Excellent Master of Aiken Council # 23. He was inducted into the Order of the Red Cross of Constantine in 2017.

Tommy is a member of the Lyman Chapter of the Order of the Eastern star where he served as Worthy Patron.
He received the Royal Order of Scotland in 2016.

He received his degrees in the Palmetto Forest No. 206 Tall Cedars of Lebanon of North America in 2017.

Tommy is a Noble of the Hejaz Temple of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He served as President of Mid-City Shrine Club in 1986.

He received the Masonic Order of Althalstan on June 22, 2019.

He received his degrees in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in 1985. He was honored with the Rank and Decoration of a Knight Commander of the Court of Honor in 2009 and was crowned as a 33rd Degree Inspector General honorary in 2015. He served Spartanburg Valley in many capacities, but his favorite was being the Americanism Chairman, where he ensures that the ROTC and JROTC awards are given with Pride and dignity.
​
He was inducted into the South Carolina South Carolina College Societas Rosicruciana In Civitatibus on October 29, 2022.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

His column is broken, and his brethren mourn.

Requiescat in Pace

Albert Pike's Masonic Statue To Be Reinstalled in Washington D.C.

by Christopher Hodapp

The National Parks Service has announced it will restore and re-install the iconic bronze statue of Scottish Rite sage Albert Pike on its former plinth in Washington, DC's Judiciary Square. On June 19, 2020, the statue was toppled by rioters, covered in paint, doused with lighter fluid, and ignited, a victim of the national Confederate-related statue-toppling mania that went on in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

According to a press release from the NPS issued yesterday,

Micro-abrasive cleaning of the Albert Pike statue to remove corrosion 

and paint in order to review the conditions of the bronze prior to repairs 

NPS photo

The restoration aligns with federal responsibilities under historic preservation law as well as recent executive orders to beautify the nation’s capital and re-instate pre-existing statues.

Originally authorized by Congress in 1898 and dedicated in 1901, the statue honors Pike’s leadership in Freemasonry, including his 32 years as Sovereign Grand Commander of the Ancient Rite of Scottish Freemasonry. The statue has been in secure storage since its removal and is currently undergoing restoration by the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Training Center.

This action supports both the Executive Order on Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful and the Executive Order on Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, which direct federal agencies to protect public monuments and present a full and accurate picture of the American past.

Site preparation to repair the statue’s damaged masonry plinth will begin shortly, with crews repairing broken stone, mortar joints, and mounting elements. The NPS is targeting October 2025 for completing the reinstallment of the fully restored statue.

Upon the announcement, Washington D.C.'s longtime non-voting delegate to Congress, Eleanor Holmes Norton, announced her intention to introduce a new bill in Congress to prevent its reinstallation and to, instead, donate it to a museum, saying, "a statue honoring a racist and a traitor has no place on the streets of D.C."

Before its toppling, detractors had long objected to the statue on the grounds that Pike had owned several slaves when he lived in Arkansas, and served for just five months in the Confederate Army as a Brigadier General before resigning in disgust, making it the only statue of a "former Confederate soldier" in the District. There has also been a longstanding, unsubstantiated allegation that Pike had been a founder of the post-war Ku Klux Klan, claiming he had written their original rituals. And, oof course, there's a whole raft of conspiracy theories about Pike, topped by the absurd notion that he was a Luciferian whose rituals turned Freemasonry into Satanic ceremonies.

Pike was a complex, intellectual and deeply profound man in his day, and attempting to portray him as a "racist and a traitor" ignores just how complex he really was, reducing his lifetime to just two misleading adjectives. And wrapping up such a superficial judgement with lies and conspiracy theories is a deliberate attempt to rewrite history to win likes and clicks.

(See Scottish Rite SJ Grand Archivist Arturo DeHoyos' statement from 2020 about Pike's real writings and activities HERE.)

Pike's statue had first been erected by the Scottish Rite SJ across from the location of their original 'House of the Temple' headquarters. For thirty years, protesters and the press characterized Pike's sculpture as a "Confederate monument," despite the fact that it was never anything of the kind. His statue was not erected by pro-Confederate veterans groups, or by alleged Ku Klux Klan members (it predated the 1920s resurgence of the KKK by many years). The statue was originally erected on a tiny sliver of land between two diverging diagonal streets. The streets and the statue were moved slightly when a new highway on-ramp was built there in the 1950s. The 11-foot tall bronze sculpture by Italian artist Gaetano Trentanove was erected in 1901 and donated to the city by the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction to commemorate their own 100th anniversary. 

Out of their first 90 years, Albert Pike had served as the AASR-SJ's Sovereign Grand Commander for 32 of them—over a third of the Supreme Council's entire lifespan at that time. The original House of the Temple held their headquarters, their auditorium for putting on degrees, their vast and growing library, and Albert Pike lived and died there. So did his TWO successors. That made this particular corner historically significant.

The sculpture did NOT depict Pike as a Confederate soldier, nor did it commemorate or celebrate the five months in which he served as a general in the Confederate army. It was a Masonic representation of Pike's lifetime accomplishments as an author, philosopher, orator, lawyer, historian, polyglot, and a soldier (not only in his brief stint in the Confederate army, but also in the Mexican-American War). He wasn't atop a horse; he had no sword dangling from his belt; there was no declaration of heroship, and no phony bromide about 'healing a divided nation' that are the hallmarks of Civil War statues. Pike stood there with a book in his hand and the inscription Vixit Laborum Ejus Super Stites Sunt Fructus. "He has lived. The fruits of his labors live after him." Yet few - if any - who tore it down had any interest in actually looking up what the fruits of his labors really were.

There were no references to the Confederacy, only that Pike had been a "soldier" and the banner in the hand of the Grecian figure is not a Confederate flag or symbol, but a Scottish Rite one featuring the double-headed eagle. It was purely a Masonic statue and an homage to his life's many accomplishments. Nevertheless, it was felled by the mob and hauled away to an unspecified location by the District's Parks Department.

This morning, an NPR reporter sent me an email asking for a comment about the statue's restoration. Unfortunately, I returned her call too late for her deadline. The last thing any Freemason wants is for this whole controversy to bubble up again and used to fling mud on the fraternity. I've never been of the opinion that Pike needed to be beatified by Masons, and he didn't either, if his own writings were any indication. He once wrote: “When I am dead, I wish my monument to be builded only in the hearts and memories of my Brethren of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, and my name to be remembered by them in every country, no matter what language men may speak there, where the light of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite shall shine, and its oracles of Truth and Wisdom be reverently listened to.”

Besides, Washington Masonic sites get enough vandalism from the lunatic crowd without giving them another one. But I despise it when the hysterics go out of their way to spread lies about the fraternity, especially when the truth is easily discovered.

For more than you'll ever want to know about Pike and the statue, see Albert Pike, Statues, History and Hysteria from back in 2017. In the 1980s and 90s, it became something of a crusade for perennial presidential candidate and famed nutcase Lyndon LaRouche to demand its removal.

Every time this particular subject arises, I always add the same post script. In February 1993, the Philalethes magazine published a piece about the Pike statue controversy that was raging back then. It was written by the Reverend Howard L. Woods, a Christian minister who served for ten years as the Grand Master of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Arkansas F&AM. In 1991, he had been invited as the Lecturer for the Philalethes Society, the first Prince Hall Mason ever asked to do so, and still many years before Prince Hall recognition became widespread. GM Woods wrote before more recent scholarship has brought to light more of Pike's writings and verification that Pike did indeed provide his revised Scottish Rite rituals to help the Prince Hall aligned Scottish Rite.*(see note)

The Reverend Grand Master Woods' perspective in 1993 deserves to be repeated now, both for our own members and the general public. It still rings true 32 years later.

The Albert Pike Statue: Let It Stand

There is no love lost between Prince Hall Masons and the memory of the late Albert Pike, Masonic Historian, writer, alleged ritualist for the Ku Klux Klan, but, if Freemasonry is to remain the bulwark of free-thinking people, then, "Let the statue remain!"

Like the natures he wrote about, Albert Pike showed the light and dark sides of his own soul, when with one breath he spoke of his willingness to give up his Freemasonry rather than recognize the Negro as a 'Masonic Brother' and with another breath, declared that every man should be free, for a free man is an asset, while a slave is a liability. Mankind is that way, and as long as the statue stands, America and Freemasonry will survive.

Let the statue be torn down and America and Freemasonry will be in jeopardy, for one would have to wonder, "What would be next?" As a Prince Hall Mason, an African American and supposedly free-thinker, I can see a higher power than the mortal mind of Albert Pike guiding his pen as he wrote such beautiful words of life without an occasional helping hand from someone "bigger than you or I."

Let the statue stand, even if it is proven that Albert Pike did write ritual for the Ku Klux Klan; more ignoble deeds have been done by others without sacrifice of their historic heroism.

Let the statue stand as a reminder that the good and evil of men are in equilibrium within us, and we all should strive for perfection now and in the future, not in the past. Let the statue stand!

 --Rev. Howard L. Woods, Grand Master, Prince Hall Masons of Arkansas.

*NOTE: Between 1887 and 1891, Albert Pike happily shared personal, autographed copies of his Scottish Rite Masonic degree rituals with his counterpart, Thornton A. Jackson, in the parallel Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction for black Prince Hall Masons, in order to assist their fledgling organization. Pike's correspondence has not survived, but in writings of the period, Jackson described Pike as his friend. Later comparisons of their two sets of rituals confirmed that the Prince Hall AASR-SJ today remain very close to those Pike wrote in the years before 1887.

Post-riot photos by Brother Efrian Olujimi Dalle

Cincinnati Masonic Center Sold, But the Phoenix Rises

(Google Maps)

by Christopher Hodapp

The Scottish Rite Valley of Cincinnati has just sold their 1928 downtown Masonic Center and Taft Theater to real estate development firm Western & Southern. The new owners are currently in the research phase of just how to renovate and develop the historic 30,000 square foot complex and are working with the city to determine their future plans.

But the Valley has amazingly bucked the usual trend of Masonic organizations over the last half century of shucking their magnificent early-20th century temples and moving into generic, bland and un-remarkable buildings.  Instead of fleeing to the suburbs and erecting a metal pole barn, or moving into an abandoned strip mall big box storefront, they purchased another historic downtown Queen City landmark—the Phoenix Event Center at 812 Race Street (photo above).

The Phoenix was bought by the Valley a year ago for $2.2 million and is officially their sixth home since their formation. Originally built as The Phoenix Club in 1893, the building was constructed by the first Jewish businessmen’s organization in this part of the country. In 1911, the place was bought by the Cincinnati Club and converted to a gymnasium and sporting club, with a lap pool and bowling alley in the basement. 

The building became a restaurant and public event center in 1983. Over the years it was a popular venue for weddings, receptions, private business meetings, and more—its long, Italianate, white marble Grand Staircase has popped up in countless wedding photos, and the building is decorated with impressive Tiffany glass, imported from West Germany in the early 1880’s. The 3rd floor Grand Ballroom has a 32-foot ceiling with unique 'Romeo and Juliet" balconies, and there are two other large ballrooms, along with several smaller rooms that were used as dining rooms.

Here are a few images from the Phoenix's former website:

The Valley hasn't officially released plans or architectural renderings of what they have in mind for the Phoenix' remodeling, but they've obviously wrestled with the reality of their membership falling from more than 6,000 ten years ago to just over 2,000 today. But they've contributed to their city's heritage by moving to a home that's as storied as the one they're leaving. 

As the new owners take possession, here's a last look at the beautiful Cincinnati Masonic Center, just shy of its 100 years of service to the fraternity.

Speaking Tonight at Valparaiso, Indiana's Crowned Martyrs Lodge

by Christopher Hodapp

I'll be speaking tonight at Crowned Martyrs Lodge 771 in Valparaiso, Indiana on the topic of the William Morgan Affair. The disappearance of Morgan two hundred years ago next year set off the most notorious anti-Masonic period in American history. My presentation will put the Morgan affair in its wider historical context, discuss some of the after-effects it had on the fraternity, and explore the most bizarre story ever inspired by mysterious fate of Morgan himself, the 19th century science fiction 'lost world' novel, Etidorpha.

The meeting begins at 7:00PM Central Time (Valpo being close to Chicago.)

Grand Lodge of Texas Issues Disaster Relief Message for Central Texas Floods

Photo: BatesvilleTribune.com

by Christopher Hodapp

The scope of the death and destruction from the horrific floods in Texas over the weekend continues to grow as recovery and relief efforts increase in the region. In the wake of this disaster, Grand Master Rayborn Reader of the Grand Lodge of Texas AF&AM has issued the following appeal for donations on social media:

Brethren, Family and Friends,

In the wake of the devastating floods that have struck Central Texas, our hearts are heavy with sorrow. Lives have been lost, homes destroyed, and entire communities upended. The loss of young children, families, and neighbors has touched us all deeply. 

To those grieving, know that you are not alone. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Masonic family are with you. We mourn with you, and we stand ready to help. 

As Masons, we are called to be men of compassion, action, and hope. Now is the time to lift our hands to help, open our hearts to give, and stand together as Brothers, united by faith, fraternity, and charity.

I encourage all who are able to contribute to the ongoing relief efforts. I ask all Texas Masons and those who support our work to stand together in aid of our fellow Texans.

 To support relief efforts, donations can be made to the Texas Masonic Charities Foundation:

Online: https://txmcf.org/donate Or go to www.txmcf.org

 Checks may be mailed to:

Texas Masonic Charities Foundation

P.O. Box 2156

Waco, TX 76703

Let us demonstrate that the Masonic spirit of Brotherly Love and Relief is not just words—it is action. May the Great Architect of the universe watch over us all, and may He bring comfort and strength to those in need.

Fraternally,
Raborn Reader Jr.
Grand Master 2025
Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M.

Note that, as of this time, this is the only officially-operated relief charity of the Grand Lodge of Texas – they have NOT requested a disaster relief appeal through the Masonic Service Association. The Texas Masonic Charities Foundation is a 501c3 organization, and, like the MSA, donations to them are tax deductible.

Georgia Lodge Selling Mini Iron Pans As Fundraiser

by Christopher Hodapp

Landrum Lodge 48 in Savannah, Georgia is partnering with the appropriately-named Lodge Cast Iron company to create the first-ever Masonic cast iron mini skillets.

As a fundraiser they are offering this unique set of three miniature cast iron skillets representing the three degrees of Freemasonry: the Entered Apprentice with the square, compass, sun & moon; the Fellowcraft with the square, compass, and two pillars; and the Master Mason with the square, compass, and sprigs of acacia. The set will come in a custom printed cardboard box fit for display. Crafted in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, these naturally seasoned mini pans are the perfect size for serving individual cookies or brownies. Seasoned and ready to use.

Price is US$99.99 for the set. Orders are shipped within 2-business days​

Click here to order.

​

UnXplained Episode: Secret Societies

by Christopher Hodapp

The History network finally got around this week to airing an episode of The UnXplained with William Shatner that I shot a segment for a year ago. Season 7/Episode 9: Secret Societies. 

Thanks again to the kind folks at Prometheus Productions who have kept calling me back for 15 years now, for some inexplicable reason.

The portion on the Freemasons featured bits of me and Arturo De Hoyos that were shot in Washington D.C.'s beautiful Scottish Rite Cathedral (which is not the same thing as the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction's House of the Temple, which sits a few blocks south on 16th Street). Built in 1939, it ha a unique style all its own. If you've never been there, it's well worth a visit.

By the way, for some odd reason, production companies keep crediting Art as the 'Grand Historian' of the Scottish Rite, when he is, in fact, the Grand Archivist.

His other titles are, of course, a big secret...

I will say that this is the third program I've been in hosted by William Shatner, but if you think I've actually been permitted to meet him, or even be in the same room with him, forget it. This was the only way I could say I've made pictures with Shatner.

Cuban Government Places Disgraced Past Grand Master Back In Charge. . . Again

by Christopher Hodapp

(For MUCH more background on this continuing story, see Cuban Freemasons Oust Grand Master in Called Session on May 29th.)

The government of Cuba has forced the Grand Lodge of Cuba to violate its own internal rules in order to re-install their former Grand Master, Mario Alberto Urquía Carreño (photo above). He had been forced to resign a year ago, put back into the job by order of the government's Ministry of Justice, and was removed yet again as the head of the order by the members off Grand Lodge in May, but the government has taken the unprecedented step of interfering with the fraternity yet again, putting their handpicked administrator back in the Grand East. 

Carreño was accused last year of embezzling almost US$19,000 from the Grand Lodge, and stealing another US$20,000 in cash from an office safe. When he resigned, he named his own successor, Mayker Filema Duarte, who was seen by the rank and file Cuban Masons as just another government informer. Duarte was supposed to hold elections on May 25th, but canceled their grand session, suspended elections until further notice, and locked the brethren out of their downtown Havana headquarters.

In protest, 120 Cuban Masons held an impromptu Grand Lodge session on the sidewalk outside, ousting Duarte and naming the then-current Deputy Grand Master Juan Alberto Kessel Linares as the new sitting Grand Master until a called meeting for general elections can be held in September. 

The massive Grand Lodge of Cuba building in Havana is a
prominent city landmark (although it's filled with government
offices that far outnumber Masonic lodge rooms and offices).

Now the government's Ministry of Justice has stepped in once more and demanded Mario Alberto Urquía Carreño be put back in as Grand Master again.

From the English language Cuba Headlines website on June 18th:

The Cuban government's reinstatement of Mario Alberto Urquía Carreño as Grand Master of the Supreme Council and the Grand Lodge has ignited a wave of discontent among Cuban Freemasons. Urquía Carreño was reinstated by the Ministry of Justice's Directorate of Associations (MINJUS), bypassing the majority's decision to reject him following accusations of embezzling $19,000 from his office earlier this year and other actions deemed "high treason" by the Masonic community.

"The Freemasons do not accept Urquía; many lodges will decide not to recognize him and will notify the MINJUS Register of Associations," a Masonic source who wished to remain anonymous told the independent outlet Cubanet. The same source added that there is "a lot of confusion but unanimous feeling of rejection."

The Freemasons appear determined to step down from their positions if the Grand Master does not resign. Others plan to gather in large numbers at the Grand Lodge building to protest and demand Urquía's removal, according to Cubanet.

One such individual is Master Karel Miralles Sánchez, who staged a sit-in at the Grand Lodge of Cuba as a form of protest, asking for Urquía to submit a formal signed resignation. "I am not calling for anything or anyone; I am driven by a personal situation, exercising my right to protest, one of the first rights conferred upon me when I joined this august institution," he stated in a video.

Another source interviewed by Cubanet argued that "if the majority of Freemasons decide we do not want him, he should step down. If MINJUS thinks this is not the correct way to expel him, we will repeat the process immediately." They added that "an overwhelming majority does not wish for him to continue leading our fraternity, as he is materially and morally responsible for the loss of funds donated to aid brethren in distress. Nothing imposed works in a democratic system like ours."

Echoing this sentiment, another Freemason accused the State Security of being behind the situation, suggesting that "they are playing with fire. This might be the push we Freemasons need to finally take the lead in the changes Cuba requires."

Several employees of the Grand Lodge of Cuba have resigned in protest, according to Cubanet. In March, Urquía Carreño was expelled from the semiannual session of the High Chamber.

 

That the Cubans' Marxist dictatorship even permits Freemasonry to openly operate, hold its own elections, and function as a charitable fraternal organization is remarkable among Communist regimes throughout the world. Such governments overwhelmingly distrust Freemasonry because of its reputation for secrecy. After all, you can't prevent an uprising by the Bougies and the Proles if they're going to be members of secret societies, exchanging secret handshakes, baking up black market meat loaf dinners, and telling private dictator jokes in lodge.

"Knock knock!" 

"Who's there?" 

"WE ASK THE QUESTIONS!"

So how did Cuban Freemasons avoid the firing squads under Castro and his successors? The story goes that Marxist revolutionary Fidel Castro and his brother Raoul were hidden and given aid and support by Freemasons during their revolution in 1959 against the Batista government. When Castro seized power, he praised the Masons and gave them the rare consent to keep their lodges and organization intact. 

It's hard to say where all this is headed, but it's been more than half a century since a grateful Fidel Castro clutched the Cuban Freemasons to his heaving bosom and gave them his blessing. The island's present regime may not be so loving anymore.

250 Years of Prince Hall Freemasonry in Boston

Photo: WGBH

by Christopher Hodapp

THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED ON JUNE 25, 2025 AT 1:00PM

On Memorial Day, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts celebrated a true milestone for their unique branch of the fraternity of Freemasonry, marking the traditional 250th anniversary of the raising of Prince Hall and 14 other free black men as Masons in Boston. The Boston Memorial Day event saw a large procession to Copp's Hill burial ground, led by Grand Master Justin A. Petty, where a striking monument to WB Hall stands today.

The long-standing story goes that, back in March 1775, Hall and his brethren were initiated by an Irish military lodge of Masons in the British Army just before the American Revolution broke out.*  At the time, Boston's established lodges wouldn’t admit them. So after the war ended, Hall took matters into his own hands and got a proper charter from England in 1784 to start African Lodge No. 459. From that beginning, what became known first as 'African,' then Prince Hall, Freemasonry spread across the country, peaking nationwide in the 1960s with 310,000 members in 5,100 lodges. 

Early Prince Hall Masons pushed hard for abolition, education, and community uplift, sponsoring schools, signing petitions, providing for impoverished families, offering scholarships, and more. Arguably, they became as important and influential within their communities as the black churches, frequently cooperating on countless programs. 

Their downtown temples and grand lodge buildings often became important office hubs for black professionals like doctors, dentists and attorneys. During the 1950s and 60s, these places often were home to the headquarters of civil rights organizations. Within the rolls of Prince Hall Grand Lodges you'll find politicians, educators, entertainers, sports figures, community leaders and businessmen. 

So, for Prince Hall Freemasonry to grow, thrive and survive for 250 years as the nation's oldest black fraternal organization is a very big deal. 

Today, Prince Hall Affiliated Freemasonry shares recognition with so-called 'mainstream' grand lodges in all but four states in the U.S.: Arkansas, Mississippi, South Carolina and West Virginia.

WBGH in Boston has a long article about Hall and the festivities that day HERE:
In 1775, Boston’s Prince Hall broke Freemasonry’s racial barrier. His global movement marches on.

* I say "the longstanding story" for a reason. Several years ago, researcher John Hairston (a Prince Hall Mason in Washington state) published Landmarks of our Fathers: The Critical Analysis of the Start and Origin of African Lodge No. 1 in which he painstakingly looked into the existing evidence of the formation of African Lodge. What he found alters the dates of the degrees of Hall and his 14 brethren to 1778, after the Revolution was already underway, and shows that the Irish military lodge had nothing to do with the event. Former sergeant John Batt, who conferred their degrees, was a dicey character who had left the British Army and may very well have been a degree peddler who took advantage of the situation and duped the black men into thinking he had authority he didn't possess. None of that alters the ultimate legitimacy of African Lodge once it received its English charter, and certainly has no bearing on the long heritage of Prince Hall Freemasonry, but calling into question anything about their founding risks the slaughter of sacred cattle. The 1775 date was loudly defended for more than 150 years as white Masons refused to accept the Prince Hall/African Lodge story as legitimate and would use any excuse or deviation from the original story to attack them. There's probably no harm in the general acceptance of the 1775 story when it comes to legendary heritage. Nevertheless, Brother Hairston's evidence should not be ignored or discounted by serious researchers and historians.

Massachusetts Masons To Rededicate Bunker Hill Monument June 16th

Photo: National Parks Service

by Christopher Hodapp

As the 250th anniversary (the Semiquincentennial, in case you were wondering) of the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution gets underway this year, Boston-area Freemasons and the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts A.F.&A.M. will take part in a rededication of the monument marking the Battle of Bunker Hill at Charlestown next Monday, June 16th.

From the Charlestown Patriot-Bridge website yesterday:

On Monday, June 16, Charlestown will become the center of national remembrance as the Bunker Hill Monument Association leads a full-day commemoration marking the 200th anniversary of the laying of the Bunker Hill Monument’s cornerstone and the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Titled “Two Centuries of Glory,” the event will blend pageantry, history, and patriotism. The day begins with a ceremonial procession at 9:30 AM from the Charlestown Navy Yard, featuring more than 500 participants — Freemasons in full regalia, veterans, military groups, civic leaders, and historical reenactors — retracing the symbolic path toward the monument.

At 10:00 AM, a traditional Masonic cornerstone-laying ritual will take place at the base of the Bunker Hill Monument, replicating the original 1825 ceremony that drew thousands and helped define the commemorative landscape of early America. Attendees will witness stirring musical tributes form 20 musicians and historical readings, including portrayals of Daniel Webster and the Marquis de Lafayette — key figures in the monument’s founding.

The celebration continues in the evening at 6:00 PM at the Old South Meeting House with “It Has Begun!” — A Grand Monumental Celebration. This culminating event will include authentic spirited toasts each followed by a lively interpretation form the Dee Orchestra and Chorus of the orginal odes and songs that 60,000 people heard in 1825. Lafayette’s 1825 tribute to freedom and liberty, read aloud once more in the very city where American independence first found its voice will be followed by the Marseillaise and the Star Spangled Banner.

Presented by the Bunker Hill Monument Association in collaboration with Boston National Historical Park, The Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts, Revolutionary Spaces, the American Friends of Lafayette, and additional partners, the day promises to be a fitting tribute to two centuries of American memory and the enduring legacy of Bunker Hill.

For details about the Grand Lodge's involvement and for contact information, visit the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts event page HERE.

Photo: Steven Markos

Unfortunately, the article doesn't explain just how much the Freemasons in the Boston area really had to do with the battle and with the erection of the monument itself two centuries ago, in 1825. Dr. Joseph Warren was the Master of St. Andrews Lodge and Provincial Grand Master under the Grand Lodge of Scotland (St. Andrews originally started out as a completely independent, un-chartered lodge of its own, but finally took enough flak over it that they obtained a charter from the GL of Scotland to give itself more legitimacy.) Warren died leading revolutionary troops against the English on Breeds Hill. After the revolution, King Solomon Lodge purchased the land in 1783 and erected a monument to Warren and the other Masons who died there with him during that desperate fight. 

To prepare for the 50th anniversary of the battle, the city of Charlestown decided that a more impressive monument needed to be constructed. In 1823, King Solomon Lodge donated their property to the newly-formed Bunker Hill Monument Association, with the provision that any future monument had to preserve 'some trace of its former existence.' 

Photo: National Parks Service

The Association did just that, and built a replica of the original Masonic monument inside the building adjacent to the present obelisk. Today, visitors can see a beautiful marble sculpture of WB Warren, and his Masonic apron is also on display there.

Photo: Sarah Oliver/flickr

When the official dedication of the cornerstone was done in 1825, it coincided with the visit of Brother Maj. General LaFayette on his nationwide tour. He symbolically laid the cornerstone, and Brother Senator Daniel Webster gave the address to the crowd. In fact, Webster was still alive in 1843 when the monument was finally completed, and he spoke again at that ceremony. At that time, the country was still in the final vestiges of its anti-Masonic period, and the Masons chose not to take an official role at the event.

LaFayette's grave in Paris (Photo: Parisology)

One final connection to Lafayette was that he took a box of soil from Bunker Hill back home to France, which he had spread over his grave in Paris upon his death. The General wanted to be buried beneath both French and American ground, and the flags of both nations have flown over his resting place ever since 1834.

Local ABC station WCVB-TV in Boston put together a great feature on the monument and the Masonic involvement HERE.

Read the story of the Monument and the Freemasons on the National Parks Service site HERE.

And to keep with the many activities and events being planned as part of the Semiquincentennial (I'll never get used to THAT one) celebrations over the next two years, visit the America 250 website.

NOTE: In case you're wondering, Massachusetts and Hawaii are the only two U.S. grand lodges that do not number their lodges. Massachusetts did it because of the confusion immediately after the Revolution caused by the formation of multiple competing grand lodge bodies in that state. (By 1784, there were two competing grand lodges, plus two completely independent upstart lodges, PLUS Prince Hall's African Lodge No. 459, which had just been issued its own charter from the Grand Lodge of England/Moderns.) 

Once they finally all settled down, buried the hatchet, and merged into one single Grand Lodge of Massachusetts (except for African Lodge), ego arguments began to fly over whose lodge was oldest, which No. 1s should really be THE No. 1, etc. King Solomon Lodge was the 9th oldest lodge in the state, but that number is not assigned to them or anyone else there.

And Hawaii doesn't number theirs because their first lodges were originally charted without numbers by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, and they've followed that practice ever since.