Vermont AHGP
Part of the American History and
Genealogy Project
Old Masonic Hall, 1834
By Thos. H. Cave
Aurora Lodge:, No. 9, F. & A. M., was chartered Oct. 14. 1796, the petition for which was signed by Moses Hubbard, Benjamin Waite, and others.
The hall first occupied we have been unable to ascertain; but in 1805-6 the meetings were held in a room over Geo. B. R. Gove's store, (the building now occupied by Fisher & Colton,) on Main street. Then from 1809 to 1822, they had a hall in the old Academy building. About the first of January, 1822, this was destroyed by fire. January 7th of that year, they assembled at Reuben Lamb's mansion-room, so called; and from February 4 of the same year held their meetings in the Pavilion hotel, then kept by Thomas Davis, until they occupied their new hall. The corner stone of this hall was laid August 8, 1822, with masonic ceremonies, the oration being delivered by Erastus Watrous. The Lodge held their first meeting in their new hall October 7, 1822. This building stood at the corner of School and Main streets, on the site now occupied by Bethany Church.
Among the members of the Lodge we rind the names of many prominent citizens of this and adjoining towns:
| R. Bailey Daniel Baldwin Sylvanus Baldwin Amasa Bancroft Nathl. Bancroft H. N. Baylies Parrot Blaisdell L. O. C. Bowles Roger G. Bulkley Wyllis L Cadwell Nelson A. Chase Rev. Benj. Chatterton Dr. Charles Clark Silas W. Cobb Salvin Collins James Deane Charles Bulkley Silas Burbank Barzillai Davenport Parley Davis Sylvester Day Nathan Doty Daniel H. Dewey Israel Dewey Lemuel Farwell Col. Samuel Fifield James Fiske Perrin B. Fisk John Goldsbury |
Mark Goss Samuel Goss Apollos Hall Geo. W. Hill Richard Holden Ches'r W. Houghton Joseph Howes Timothy Hubbard Nathan Jewett Col. Cyrus Johnson Chapin Keith R. R. Keith Lovell Kelton Nat. C. King Abel Knapp Roswell H. Knapp Larned Lamb Walter Little Gen. Gusta. Loomis Jeduthan Loomis Cornelius Lynde Jacob Miller Chester Nye Jonah Parks Eliakim D. Persons Levi Pitkin Maj. John Poor Samuel Prentiss Jr. Isaac Putnam |
Seth Putnam Hezekiah H. Reed Thomas Reed Jr. Thos. Reed Sr. Harry Richardson Diah Richardson Sylvanus Ripley Norman Rublee Isaiah Silver Denison Smith O. H. Smith Dr. James Spalding John Spalding Otis Standish Jona. Wallace Thomas Wallace Joseph S. Walton Cyrus Ware Gamaliel Washburn Salmon Washburn Erastus Watrous Joseph Wiggins Joel Winch Dr. John Winslow Joseph Wing David Wing Jr. M. T. C. Wing Elijah Witherell Geo. Worthington |
The Lodge flourished until the time of the great anti-masonic wave in 1834. We find among the documents preserved the following notice, which was published at the time in the Vermont Watchman:
Masonic Notice
A meeting of all the masons in Washington County is hereby notified to be holden at the hall in Montpelier, on Friday, the 19th day of September inst., at 1 o'clock, P. M., for the purpose of taking under consideration the unhappy and divided state of community on the subject of Freemasonry. It is desirable that the views and feelings of every mason in the County should be fully represented and expressed upon that occasion. This notice is the result of a very extensive consultation among masons, and is given at their request.
Montpelier, 10th of September, 1834.
We, the undersigned, do cordially approve of the above notice, and request that the same should be published in all the papers in this County.
Montpelier, 10 September, 1834.
|
Nathl. Bancroft G. W. Barker H. N. Baylies Jason Carpenter Israel Dewey S. C. French Saml. Goss Jos. Howes N. Jewett R. R. Keith |
Lovel Kelton William Mann Ira Owen Alonzo Pearce Simeon L. Post H. H. Reed H. Richardson Luman Rublee Isaiah Silver Oramel H. Smith |
Source: History of Washington County Vermont, Collated and Published by Abby Maria Hemenway, 1882.
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