Masonic Con and the Power of Great Ideas

After three and a half weeks on the road, the Hodapp traveling circus finally dragged into Indianapolis late Saturday night, and I'm trying to slowly get through nearly a month of mail, emails, bills, irate HOA violation letters, and other assorted detritus and ephemera. Plus, I have that muddy trench to flatten out that I managed to dig through the yard by steering wide in the rain. After 2,500 miles without mishaps, I made the last 15 feet look like it had been attacked by a mad farmer with his Massey-Ferguson disker...

We visited Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, and a minuscule sliver of New Jersey just wide enough for six gas stations. Never again in April — way too many closed campgrounds and Old Testament levels of non-stop rainfall.

The last big Masonic event I was able to attend while in New England in April was Masonic Con 2019 at Ezekiel Bates Lodge in Attleboro, Massachusetts. Once again, close to 500 brethren and non-Masons attended this amazing event that has been a complete grassroots effort by the entire Masonic family at Ezekiel Bates Lodge. The place was packed with vendors, speakers, podcast hosts, food, and most of all, excited Freemasons and their families.

I had anticipated just going as an attendee and book huckster. However, at the last minute, presenter William Kulisansky had to cancel, and I was asked by Brother Bryan Simmons, Masonic Con's chief organizer, to step in and speak.

A link to see videos of the day's presentations can be seen on Facebook HERE. As much as I realize that video recordings of anyone's speeches immediately render them spoiled and force us all to write new ones as soon as they appear online, to have an video record of all of these terrific presentations from the day is a treasure trove of Masonic education:

• John Michael Greer - Masonry and the Secret Societies 
• Walter Hunt - Merging Grand Lodges 
• Shai Afsai - Benjamin Franklin's Virtues, Freemasonry and Judaism: the Sage, the Prince and the Rabbi 
• Chris Douglas - Tombstone Territorial Lodge No. 5 
• Ryan Flynn - The Divine Master 
• Ben Wallace - The Middle Chamber - GL of North Carolina's program to explain the Philosophical Aspects of the FC Degree 
• Dr. Craig Williams - Metaphysics of Kshatriya and the Spiritual Warrior of Contemporary Times 
• Christopher L. Hodapp - How Dare We Be Masons? 
• Nicholas Harvey and David Riley - A Better Masonic Education 

I deeply appreciated the opportunity to play my own tiny part in the day’s events. But far more important, I count myself extremely lucky to see firsthand just what true Masonic leadership, brotherhood, and love for both the fraternity and each other was able to accomplish over the last few years. 

Year one of Masonic Con demonstrated that it was an idea whose time had come. Then, over the next three years, they proved it wasn’t just once, but was reproducible year after year. For all that and more, Bryan and the brethren and family members of Ezekiel Bates Lodge have my eternal admiration.

I even got to finally meet up with famed artist, Brother Travis Simpkins
and his equally talented wife Janet.

When I first concocted attending Masonic Con about six weeks ago in conjunction with a pair of other speaking requests, I had it in my mind to pick their brains to determine what magical formula they had stumbled upon to make this event such an ongoing success. I see now what a foolish waste of time that would have been. It is clear that the biggest bit of magic was the passion that Bryan Simmons in particular brought to the concept to begin with, and the infectious nature of that passion he inspired in his fellow members at the lodge. 

Like most of us, they knew that other groups had their own conventions that were actually just plain fun to attend, that their wife or partner hadn't been bored at, and that they had left those non-Masonic events feeling just plain better than when they arrived. They saw a need that wasn't being fulfilled in their part of the Masonic world - a FREE event with education and enjoyable presentations, a suitable location, piles of Masonic merchandise, family involvement, appendant groups all pulling on the same oars, food all day and night, and plenty of opportunities for Masons to just simply chat and meet and remind ourselves what this is all supposed to be about. There’s no plan or roadmap to achieve that. But one Brother, or one small group of Brothers, who have a vision and determination and won't take no for an answer, can change their lodge, change a state, change the fraternity. 

And more, sometimes.

It starts with one. Maybe you.

Already there are, or have been, Masonic Con copycats (or more correctly homages) sprouting up across the U.S. - last year in New Mexico; Texas MasoniCon in Ft. Worth, Texas in July; in Ventura, California in August; Esotericon in Virginia in June; and more are undoubtedly coming. That's a damn good development. If their brand of excitement and shared Masonic community spreads to other jurisdictions and invigorates more legions of Masons, that's a pretty gratifying legacy.

At the Festive Board attended by over a hundred Saturday night, it was announced that the 2020 Masonic Con would be the fifth and final one, in conjunction with celebrating the 150th anniversary of Ezekiel Bates Lodge next year. Their question is what to do next - shut it down, or transform it into something different. And sometimes, even boundlessly enthusiastic brethren want to sit on the sidelines and see what others can do. Maybe that's what's happening here.

The stars of some of your favorite Masonic podcasts gathered under one roof!

Meanwhile, have a look at Brother Robert Johnson's blog entry on the Midnight Freemasons website for a recap of the weekend and his own personal thoughts about this event: A Masonic Revolution - Education and the Front Lines of a War to Save Freemasonry

MRF 2019 Symposium in Lexington, KY 8/16-18

The Masonic Restoration Foundation has announced its 10th Annual Symposium will be held this year in Lexington, Kentucky from August 16-18, 2019. This year's event will be hosted by Lexington Lodge No. 1 at the historic Spindletop Mansion. 

Founded in 2001, the Masonic Restoration Foundation is an educational organization that provides news, research, and analysis relating to the rich heritage in Freemasonry and current trends in the North American Masonic experience.

"We believe the focus on a quality fraternal, educational and social experience for each individual Mason determines the uniqueness and effectiveness of the lodge. And its potential power rests in this—such a place does not exist anywhere else in the world.

"To assist in creating such a culture, and to experience it in lodge after lodge, within Grand Jurisdiction after Grand Jurisdiction, is the mission of the Masonic Restoration Foundation." - MRF Statement of Purposes

The MRF was organized to identify and distribute, through its research, the time-tested cultural and fraternal Masonic practices that have proven successful in the historical repertoire of Masonic experience. The focus of the MRF is to promote the characteristics which form the best lodge meetings, fraternal and social practices across the Masonic landscape, while preserving Freemasonry’s landmarks and upholding its identity as a transformative art. 

If you've never visited John Bizzack, Cameron Poe and the other brethren of Lexington Lodge before, aren't aware of their lodge's historic significance in the expansion of American Freemasonry into the West, or just have never seen the sort of programming they consistently provide for their members, this would be an outstanding opportunity to come to this beautiful part of the country for the weekend.

Featured speakers and panelists in August will include:

• John W. Bizzack, author of Island Freemasonry, WM Lexington Lodge 1
• Douglas L. Caudle, PGM Grand Lodge of North Carolina
• John D. Cissell, GJD Grand Lodge of Kentucky
• Patrick Craddock, Craftsman's Apron and current president of the Masonic Society
• Andrew Hammer, author of Observing the Craft and MRF President
• Dan Kemble, WM William O. Ware Lodge of Research, Covington, KY
• Chris Murphy, PM, Fibonacci Lodge No. 112, South Royalton, VT
• Cameron Poe, SW Lexington Lodge 1
• Robert Pollock, JW Harmony Lodge No. 8, Urbana, Ohio
• Mikel Stoops, GSW Grand Lodge of Kansas

The event will begin with a Harmony [Festive Board] held in the Elizabethan Room at Spindletop on Friday evening, conducted by Lexington Lodge, and featuring comments from Keynote Speaker, MW Mikel Stoops, Grand Senior Warden of the Grand Lodge of Kansas. Brothers will have the opportunity to attend a special exemplification of the English Master Mason degree (Emulation ritual) on Saturday afternoon, performed by Fiat Lux Lodge No. 1717, of Washington, DC. Registration for the Symposium is $125.00 USD, and $75.00 USD for the Saturday session only. Brothers who wish to attend only the Friday night Harmony will pay $50 USD.

For the complete program, lodging information, registration and more, visit the MRF Symposium website HERE.

Samuel Lawson's 'Songs From the Lodge'

Music was an intrinsic part of Masonic lodge meetings at least since the transformation to speculative Masonry in the 1600s. Anderson's Constitutions in 1723 includes a number of songs that were commonly sung during those lodge gatherings at the formation of the premiere grand lodge in London - and undoubtedly from before that. 

Over the next centuries, music in lodge waxed and waned depending upon the traditions of a particular lodge or the talents of its members. By the turn of the 19th into the 20th century, pipe organs were commonplace in well to do lodges, and Shrines and Templar Commanderies tried to outdo each other with their own special theme music and marches composed by their own Masonic musicians. By the 1950s, the electric Wurlitzer console organ was becoming a regular sight in countless lodges, which frequently had their own harp-shaped collar jewel specifically for the lodge musician. 

Sadly today, most of those mighty Wurlitzers sit broken or dust covered in an unused corner of lodge rooms, or consigned to the basement by Masons too sheepish to simply have them hauled away, but too talentless or unmotivated to take up the instrument themselves and lead their brethren in song once again.

My friend and Lodge Vitruvian Brother Samuel Lawson is an extraordinarily talented musician. He is a music teacher, classical guitarist, singer, and serves as director of the Chorus of the Indianapolis Valley of the Scottish Rite. Through the intersection of his interests in music, Freemasonry and all things Scottish, he continues to make an ongoing study of Masonic music and its forms and influences in the fraternity. Some of you may have seen some of his Masonic presentations around Indiana and the midwest, while others have heard him play at various non-Masonic venues, fairs, and festivals as a solo, or with his wife Rebekah and Celtic Rain.

Samuel recently recorded an entire album of Masonic-related music called Songs From The Lodge, available on the Reverbnation.com website HERE. (You can listen to each song, save songs or the whole album in an online library, or pay to download them into iTunes if you sign up on the site). 

Some of the songs may be familiar to Masons, depending on your lodge or location in the world — The Entered Apprentice Song, the Master's Song, Pleyel's Hymn. Others are less famous, but nevertheless authentically Masonic.

If you're looking for appropriate music to accompany your lodge meetings or festive boards, give it a listen. Even if it's only a recording, let Brother Samuel lead your brethren in song again, as the founders of our fraternity intended.

Alabama Community and Masons Restore Historic Temple

Crawford, Alabama was originally named Crockettsville after Davy Crockett, and it served as the seat of Russell County from 1833 to 1868. In 1848, the Freemasons of Alabama's Tuckabatchee Lodge No. 96 in Russell County proudly erected their two-story clapboard Greek Revival Masonic Temple. Their historic hall survived the lapse of time, the ruthless hands of ignorance, and even the devastations of war - it was famously passed by when Union Army troops set fire to other buildings in the town of Crawford during the Civil War, legendarily because their commander was himself a Freemason.

Eventually, Tuckabatchee Lodge merged or consolidated to become Crawford Lodge 863. But just short of the building's 150th anniversary, the lodge decided to move out in 1995 and erect a newer temple on the same property. The decision was then made to allow a local landowner to purchase and move the old lodge building about 100 feet to the east where it still sits today. 

The original lodge hall was the sole remaining building from Crawford's county seat days. In addition to its purpose as a Masonic temple, it also hosted local church services and a school room, as so many other lodges did in our communities over the years. This historic building was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on September 6, 1978. 

Local preservationists and community leaders finally saw the historic significance of the Masonic temple and decided to save the empty hall instead of letting it be consumed by the elements. In 2012, newly elected Russell County Commissioner, Chance Corbett, proposed creating a committee of the community in an effort to lead a restoration effort. The Tuckabatchee Masonic Lodge was officially listed on the Alabama Historic Commission’s Places in Peril. 

The restoration project began in late 2013. Spearheaded by the Russell County Commission, a committee of local citizens and the members of the Crawford Lodge 863, many volunteers and local contractors also helped in the restoration project. 

Donations were made by the community to aid in the restoration efforts and brick pavers were purchased and placed on the front walkway to show the community's dedication and support for the project. In 2015, prior to opening the doors to the public, the downstairs was restored for use as a community center and the upstairs was restored and designated as a museum to pay tribute to the original intended use as a Masonic Lodge. Additionally, a playground was added to the property through a state grant and matching vendors' grant.

Crawford Lodge sits just next door in a new, steel building.

A video of the dedication event can be seen on YouTube below:

Thanks to Kennebunkport Lodge

My deepest thanks to the members and officers of Arundel Lodge 76 in Kennebunkport, Maine for their kind hospitality on April 25th. Great food, great fellowship - if only that speaker hadn't droned on like a foghorn all night long...

LtoR: Jonathan Rosen, Worshipful Master Ian Smith,
the Dummy, Grand Master Mark Rustin,

My extra special thanks to Brother Jonathan Rosen for his kind invitation. 

It was an honor to have both Grand Master Mark E. Rustin as well as long-time, long-distance friend Ed King (of MasonicInfo.com fame) in attendance. Ed was one of the earliest and most enthusiastic supporters of Freemasons For Dummies and my subsequent books. But much more important, his MasonicInfo.com Anti-Masonry Points of View website was one of the earliest online Masonic resources, and it has grown to more than 350 pages of factual and well-researched material today, touched with Ed's personal asides and wit. He proudly boasts that his website predated Google, and it was one of the first Masonic websites I looked through when I was a very early member of the fraternity. Over the years I have returned to it time and time again when in need of a quick reference. So it was great at last to meet in person.

Arundel Lodge has an absolutely magnificent lodge room, thanks to the talents of an artistic Masons from long ago. In 1930, Kennebunkport's own Brother Lewis Norton painted a continuous mural all the way around the room that depicts the various ages of the Earth in an impressionistic style. The result is positively stunning upon entering the lodge, and becomes endlessly fascinating upon closer inspection.

Whether it was intentional or not, it even has an appropriate detail for the northeast corner, which is often a traditional gathering area in many lodges for their Past Masters: a pair of squabbling dinosaurs...

MSA Expands Nebraska Disaster Appeal

In March, Nebraska experienced catastrophic flooding in the eastern part of the state and crippling blizzards in central and western Nebraska, leading to major destruction of farm and ranch property, and loss of income. Many Nebraska Masons were affected by these catastrophic events and required assistance to get back on their feet. At that time, the Grand Lodge of Nebraska AF&AM issued a statewide disaster appeal for Masons and their families across the state.

Since that time, the Grand Lodge determined that more help was needed than their statewide funding could handle. This month, the Masonic Service Association issued the following statement:

Nebraska Grand Master Robert W. Moninger has asked the Masonic Service Association to issue a Disaster Relief Appeal. Nebraska has experienced historic flooding in the eastern part of the state and devastating blizzards in central and western Nebraska with major loss of farm and ranching assets and income. 

Rivers swollen by rain and dam breaches have left many bridges and roads impassable and triggered the evacuation of thousands of residents. The Nebraska Masonic family have been affected by these catastrophic events and will need assistance to get back on their feet. Please give what you can toward this Disaster Relief Appeal.

MSA deducts no part of your contribution for administrative expenses including charges by PayPal, bookkeeping, and cost of acknowledgment letters. Your entire gross donation is sent to the affected jurisdiction. Make donations online at www.msana.com.

Please forward any donations you feel appropriate to MSA. Checks should be payable to MSA Disaster Relief Fund and sent to 3905 National Drive, STE 280, Burtonsville, MD 20866. When remitting by check, please mark that your donation is intended for the Grand Lodge of Nebraska.

For more information and to donate online via credit card, visit the MSA Disaster Relief web page HERE. 

New Minnesota GM Passes Away

(This story has been updated 4/23/2019 at 11:50AM)

Tragic news from Minnesota this Easter weekend. MW Steven D. Johnson, the newly elected and installed Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota AF&AM for 2019-2020, passed away very suddenly to the Celestial Lodge on Saturday, April 20th.

He had been in office for only a week.

My deepest heartfelt condolences go to his wife Lynette, his family, and to the entire Masonic community of Minnesota. His column is broken, and his brethren mourn.

Requiescat in pace.

---

Grand Master Steven D. Johnson's obituary has been posted this morning:

Age 70, of Eagan, died suddenly Sunday, April 21st 2019.

Steven was born February 17th, 1949 in Rushford, MN, son of Maynard and Marjorie Johnson, and graduated from Bloomington Kennedy High school in 1967. 

He is survived by his loving wife Lynette; his three children, Ben (Jennifer) Johnson of Minneapolis, Tia (Jeff) Marks of Owatonna, and Michelle (Sean) Ronsen of Minnetonka; his five grandchildren, Josiah, Lydia, Maggie, Emelia, and Fletcher; his sister Linda (Bob) Stankovich; his sister-in-law MaryAnn Johnson; his niece, nephews and their families; and his first wife, Tammy (Rob) Olsen.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Jerry Johnson.

Steve had a curiosity and passion for life. He loved his hobbies and toys; racing cars, motorbikes, and sailboats. He and Lynette loved spending time together on their boat and motorcycle. Always with their dog Schooner along for the ride!

Steve was blessed with amazing creative talents from his writing original stories and characters, songs, jingles, and the many instruments he played. Steve was a dreamer with vision and he loved to share it with others. Steve combined these talents with his passion for people in his work at the University of Minnesota Medical Foundation where he helped raise millions of dollars. This drive and charisma also led him to his position of leadership on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Masonic Charities.

Steve joined the Masons of Minnesota in June of 2005. He respected their honored traditions and philanthropic mission, but above all, he valued their friendship and guidance toward becoming his best self. Steve was installed as the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota on April 13th, 2019. This was a tremendous honor for him.

His family will remember his laughter and humor, his zest for adventure, and his desire to imagine new ways to do things. Steve was incredibly proud of his children and grandchildren; their skills, gifts, and individuality. His face would light up whenever he could teach them something new or spend time witnessing what brought them joy. He cherished his life with Lynette – his perfect match, his partner, his love, his best friend. 

He left us too soon and he will be missed. But we will never grow tired of telling stories of who he was and the mark he left on our lives.

According to the website, there will be a gathering on Saturday, April 27th from 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM at:

Klecatsky & Sons Eagan Chapel
1580 Century Point
Eagan, MN, 55121

The Masonic Memorial Service will begin at 3:00PM

Florida's Prince Hall Masons Vote For Joint Recognition

Joint recognition between the mainstream and Prince Hall grand lodges in Florida may have finally been achieved this Easter weekend.

Back at the May 2018 annual communication of the mainstream Grand Lodge of F&AM of Florida, the Craft voted overwhelmingly to empower their Grand Master to sign an acceptable agreement extending recognition to the Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons, Florida, Belize, Central America & Jurisdiction, Incorporated, Prince Hall Affiliated (established in 1870).

I'm now receiving reports this evening that Florida's Prince Hall Masons of the MW Union Grand Lodge F&AM have just held their 149th annual session this weekend in Jacksonville, and they have voted to reciprocate with the GL of Florida, thereby achieving joint recognition between the two grand lodges.

This comes more than a decade after Florida's PHA grand lodge first reached out to their mainstream brethren by requesting recognition. However, recognition issues in Florida were complicated by the existence of a second Prince Hall grand lodge, in addition to the usual intricacies and stumbling blocks.

I have seen no written notices, letters or announcements yet, so I hope this isn't premature. I will update this post when such documents become available. My understanding is that the last step is for the Grand Lodge F&AM of Florida to officially vote on the final agreement in December.

If all of this diplomatic foreplay is at last consummated, there will remain just seven mainstream, predominantly white grand lodges in the U.S. and Canada that have not recognized their predominantly black Prince Hall Affiliated (PHA) grand lodge counterparts, and/or vice versa: Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and West Virginia.

It’s been 30 years since Connecticut first adopted joint recognition, setting off the process nationwide. Three long decades. And there are still seven states that don’t. 

The space program got to the Moon in a third of the time.

2019 World Conference on Fraternalism, Freemasonry & History in Paris: 6/13-15

The 3rd World Conference on Fraternalism, Freemasonry, and History will be held in Paris on June 13-15, 2019 at the Bibliothèque Nationale - Paris. This year's theme is "1,000 Degrees: Constructing Fraternal Rites."

Convened by the journal, Ritual, Secrecy, and Civil Society, in cooperation with the Bibliothèque Nationale, this now event focuses on the study of the lasting influence of the Enlightenment, ritual, secrecy, and civil society vis-à-vis the dynamics of scholarship around the world. The conference explores how civil society, social capital, secrecy, and ritual have been important elements during different episodes of local and world histories, and indeed still are. It is a part of the Policy Studies Organization's support of research into associations, civility, and the role of non governmental organizations in democracy.

This year's event is particularly centering around the creation of various degrees and rites. The workshop on the Thursday before the opening will specifically examine rare documents related to the generation of Masonic degrees in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The inaugural conference on Friday morning will be presented by Andrew Prescott about the debates, assumptions, and controversy over the creation of the Premiere Grand Lodge in London in 1717. or 1721. Andrew Prescott was one of the key players in the innovative work carried out in 2017 for the presumed tercentenary of modern speculative Freemasonry.

There is also a round table hosted on Saturday afternoon about Eccosais/High Degree Masonry in the U.S. before the foundation of the Scottish Rite. S.Brent Morris, Josef Wages, and Reinhard Markner. will be part of this event.

For a list of presenters and sessions, CLICK HERE.

Simultaneous translation French-English, English-French, is offered for all sessions.

These ongoing international conferences have been spearheaded and supported by Brother Paul Rich for over a decade now, and he has been a champion of promoting and pursuing Masonic scholarship on a worldwide basis. A shocking number of U.S. Masons are unaware of his role in this pursuit, as well as his own scholarship, and that is a downright shame. On top of his many accomplishments and honors in the academic world, he is the publisher of numerous books about Freemasonry (among others) through Westphalia Press. These conferences are organized, in part through his organization, the Policy Studies Organization.

In conjunction with Paul, Brother Pierre Mollier in France is one of the top Masonic historians in the world. Among his many accomplishments, he is the director of the Grand Orient de France's incredible Museum of Freemasonry in Paris (Musée dé Franc-Maçonnerie). If you don't know his name or reputation, you need to.

The World Conferences on Fraternalism, Social Capital, and Civil Society, explores how associationalism and volunteerism have shaped democracy, politics, and history. The conferences are held alternatively in Paris (2019, 2021) in odd numbered years and in Washington in even numbered years (2018, 2020). The Paris conferences are held at the French national library, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, and the Washington conferences at the historic Quaker Meetinghouse. 

No charge is made for registration for the Conference, but registration is IMMEDIATELY requested to plan for catering, headsets, and other conference needs. For information and registration CLICK HERE, or contact PSO Executive Director, Daniel Gutierrez, at dgutierrezs@ipsonet.org

Historic Cincinnati Masonic Hall To Be Repurposed

The city of Cincinnati, Ohio has kicked off a $10 million renovation of a historic Masonic temple in the East Price Hill area's Incline neighborhood. Price Hill Lodge 524 was chartered in 1882. 

The 21,000-square-foot temple, built in 1911, was the home of the Price Hill Lodge until 1989, when they merged with the nearby North Bend Lodge 346. That lodge still flourishes today.

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer website:

Mayor John Cranley and other city officials will be on site at 11 a.m. to help launch the project at 3301 Price Ave., which is being funded in part with a $3 million grant from the city.

The project also received historic tax credits.

Plans call for the 21,000-square-foot historic lodge in the growing Incline District to be converted into an arts and event venue called the Incline Arts and Event Center.

The neoclassical building was designed by renowned Cincinnati architect Samuel Hannaford, who also designed some of the city's best known landmarks, including Music Hall and City Hall.

MYCincinnati Youth Orchestra, which will be the main tenant in the building, will perform Thursday at the kickoff ceremony for redevelopment of the building, which has been vacant for decades.

The lodge closed in 1989. The building is four stories tall and features two two-story auditoriums. Plans are to have concerts featuring Price Hill Will's 110-member youth orchestra, as well as other attractions.

An under-used Masonic hall that's currently occupied by Masons can still be an important part of a city or town by opening its doors and making itself available as community space. Doing so serves the public and puts Freemasons back in front of the the community's awareness. This one was abandoned 30 years ago, so it's very different. But it's interesting that the neighborhood long believed the Masonic building was too historic and important to tear down and fought for its preservation and reuse - something our own members all too rarely do themselves.

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Reno, Nevada's Historic Masonic Cornerstone

The oldest purpose built Masonic temple in Reno, Nevada at 98 Commercial Row managed to survive from 1872 until 2019, but local efforts to save the empty, beleaguered structure ended in January. 

The Reno Masonic Lodge was built when Ulysses S. Grant was president shortly after the Comstock Lode of gold and silver was struck in Virginia City.

The Reno Mercantile/Masonic Lodge No. 13 building, at 98 W. Commercial Row, was the oldest standing commercial structure in Reno when it was razed three months ago to make way for a new downtown hotel. But the demolition crews at the site worked with preservation experts to remove what important relics and details that could be saved.

This past week, the lodge's original 1872 cornerstone was opened and its contents displayed for the public. There were 40 items packed inside of the cornerstone's cavity. 

Reno mayor Hillary Schieve presided over a public unveiling ceremony  at Cargo Concert Hall at Whitney Peak Hotel, along with members of the Nevada Historical Society and Historic Reno Preservation Society. Nevada's Grand Master and members of Reno Lodge 13 were on hand for the occasion. 

Items placed in the lead box included silver dollars minted in Carson City and San Francisco, and a piece of wood from Sutter's Mill where the discovery of gold sparked the California Gold Rush. There was a quartz specimen from the drill at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California, a harmonica, a business card from the Young Men's Christian Association offering "Spirited Refreshments" for 25 cents, and a copy of the Virginia Enterprise in nearby Virginia City where Brother Samuel Clemens began his newspaper career during the 1860s before adopting his pen name of Mark Twain.

According to an article in the Herald Extra on Tuesday:

Some papers in the box were waterlogged, but once restored Magee said they'll be able to read pages from the Nevada State Journal, Reno Crescent, Carson Appeal, Sacramento Union, San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner.

In addition to the 1872 silver dollars, the capsule included a Mexican dollar, an English quarter shilling and two American 3-cent pieces. There's a silver specimen from a mine in White Pine County near the Utah line, the Constitution of the Masonic Grand Lodge and the names of all the officers of the state of Nevada and Washoe County, as well as members of the California Legislature, 1871-72.

From the KTVN.com website on April 16th:

"We knew we were searching for this cornerstone and we hoped we might find a time capsule but when we actually did, we were all so excited that we didn't even know what our first move should be," Niki Gross, Managing Director of Whitney Peak Hotel said. "Who do we call? Who do we tell?" 

The Whitney Peak Hotel owners also own the property where the Masonic Lodge once stood. They got help from historians and archaeologists to carefully pick through the time capsule. It included nearly a dozen newspapers from northern Nevada and California and a variety of 19th century coins. 

"English sovereigns, coins from Mexico, silver dollars from Carson City and San Francisco," Catherine Magee, Director of the Nevada Historical Society said.
Other items included a harmonica, tuxedo studs, an arrowhead, a Masonic manual and many other artifacts. Most of the items are in one piece but some of the papers did get wet and muddy. 

"A lot of that material has disappeared, so it's always fabulous to see the original pieces," Magee said. 

[snip]

"It's been a source of pride for northern Nevada masonry to have the oldest purpose building lodge in town and oldest commercial building," Steve Robison, Grand Master of Mason's of Nevada said. 

People from around northern Nevada attended the event, to see what the Masons left in the time capsule. 

"It's like they sent us a note of what was important to them at the time, what the culture was like at the time," Nathan Digangi, Worshipful Master of Reno Lodge #13 said. 

"It shows us that people really wanted to share with us, here in the future, not knowing when that future was and also things that were really important to the Masons at the time," Magee said. 

Magee hopes most of the items will go to the Nevada Historical Society but that some could be loaned to a Masonic museum or stay on the Whitney Peak property. Gross says the plan is to build a five-story Extended Stay on the vacant property, using some of the original materials from the Masonic Lodge. It would also include the Masons, who would place the building's cornerstone, possibly with another time capsule. 

"We might get a community process going to see how we might approach something like that," Gross said. "It would be a really fun idea to incorporate that into the next phase." 

"The fact that they're preserving all that and making use of it, it's going to speak for generations," Digangi said. 

The Reno Mercantile/Masonic Lodge No. 13 building survived two major fires in the 1870s, and the growth and expansion of the city's downtown.

As Reno grew in size and prominence, Reno Lodge 13 played a larger role in Nevada Freemasonry. Outgrowing their original home, the lodge vacated their old lodge 1872 building, and erected a new building in 1905 on the northwest corner of Virginia Street next to the newly completed Virginia Street Bridge, along the Truckee River. However, Reno Mercantile continued in business in the old building until 1970, after which it was occupied by a succession of commercial businesses including a pawn shop. Most recently, the original building served as storage for Fitzgerald’s Casino (now renovated into the Whitney Peak Hotel).

The 1905 Reno Lodge 13 temple burned down in 1955

In October 3, 1953, Reno No. 13 built a large addition immediately west of their existing 1905 structure. A devastating fire destroyed the oldest part of the original Virginia Street structure August 15, 1955. The burned out structure was razed and replaced by the now existing three story building in 1967.

In the photo above, three buildings shown form the Lodge's property. The tall, pinkish- white four-story building on the left is the older 1953 portion, the green building on the right is the portion rebuilt after the fire in 1967, and they are connected by the narrow vertical gray section in the center.

Today the combined structures serve the needs of several Masonic lodges and appendant bodies: Reno Lodge 13, Mount Rose 40, Pyramid 43, along with the York Rite bodies, the Scottish Rite Orient of Nevada, and the Grand Lodge all call it home.

The buildings include three separate lodge rooms, a banquet hall, the Grand Lodge offices and Grand Lodge Library/Museum, Scottish and York Rite offices, along with several administration and storage areas. The fourth floor is a 400-seat theatre. All of the first floor and most of the second are available for commercial rental.