The Masonic Lodges of Lexington*

From "Lexington" by Mary Wilson and Sharon Y. Asher, published sometime after 1975.

SCOTT LODGE NO. 12
1820 - 1829

In April 1820, only two months after the new county of Scott had been formed and named for General Charles Scott, fourth Governor of Kentucky, a group of Masons residing in the pioneer town of Lexington, which had been platted in 1813, petitioned the Grand Lodge of Indiana for a dispensation to form a new lodge of Masons there. They were as follows:

l. Henry P. Thornton, a lawyer, who had been Grand Secretary at the first Grand Lodge of Indiana in 1818

2. Jacob Thomas, who died October 7, 1822

3. Moses Gray, a merchant

4. James Ward, first postmaster of Lexington, 1814

5. James L. White, who died September 7, 1822

6. James Goodhue, second postmaster of Lexington, 1823

In due course the dispensation was granted to them by Grand Master John Tipton, and they began functioning as a Masonic Lodge. Then on September 18, 1820, at the Grand Lodge held at Jeffersonville, Scott Lodge U. D. represented there by Henry P. Thornton and Jacob Thomas, was granted a charter. In the minutes of the Grand Lodge we find: On motion, resolved that a charter be granted to Scott Lodge; that said Lodge be numbered 12 and that Brother Jacob Thomas be the first master, James Goodhue the first Senior Warden, and James L. White the first Junior Warden."

In addition to the above mentioned petitioners, the other members that first year were:

John F. Kirby, William White, Hugh J. Patterson, Jesse Jackson, Joseph Chappell, Joseph P. Pierson

The Lodge was small and apparently not too active. It seemed to have difficulties from the very start. Life must have been pretty rugged in the little frontier town of Lexington. The charter members probably had their hands full of their own daily affairs without devoting too much of their time to lodge activities. They met twice a month at their temple, which still stands and is used today as a residence. On November 13, 1823, two prominent men from Madison, James F. D. Lanier and Jeremiah Sullivan, attended a called meeting of Scott Lodge No. 12 for the purpose of pepping up the sagging lodge. Things looked brighter for several years, then went from bad to worse. A committee was appointed on May 28, 1829 to wind up the affairs of the Lodge and it was "Resolved that the building and ground belonging to this Lodge for Masonic purposes be donated to the Lexington School Society for the use of a Female Seminary of Learning." This old lodge hall was used as the Lexington school from 1829 until 1874, when the abandoned Scott County courthouse was acquired for that purpose.

On December 4, 1829, the charter was surrendered to the Grand Lodge, thus ending the nine year life of a pioneer Masonic Lodge.

Scott County was without a Masonic Lodge for the next twenty years, until 1849, when Scott Lodge at New Frankfort was granted a dispensation and two years later received its charter as Scott Lodge No. 120. In 1861 this lodge moved to the new town of Austin, where it remains active today.

LEXINGTON LODGE NO. 346
1866 - 1885

Before and during the Civil War Lexington underwent considerable growth and became a rather prosperous town. Masons residing and working there got together and decided to form a lodge. Accordingly they petitioned the Grand Lodge of Indiana to grant them a dispensation, which was done under the date of May 30, 1866, and Lexington Lodge U. D. came into being with 14 members. The officers were:

James H. Morgan, W. M.
Marion Powers, S. W.
Madison Gasaway, J. W.

Other officers and members that first year were:

Madison Gasaway, Daniel Hennessy, John Keepers William Powers, Patrick H. Jewett, James Powers, Willis L. Clark, J. G. W. Traylor, John Hinds, James G. Traylor, John W. Blackford, James Buxton, Joseph H. Childs, James B. Chambers.

The Lodge, too, had its trials and tribulations, and in its 19 years of existence had a total of only 75 members. In 1884 it had a membership of 23. The old record book can still be seen at the Grand Lodge in Indianapolis. It reveals what was eventually to happen - many members demitted to other lodges, some were suspended, others were expelled, but the biggest and most serious problem was "non-payment of dues." Since they were unable to pay their Grand Lodge dues, the Grand Master, Albert P. Charles, ordered the dissolution of the Lodge, and the charter of Lexington Lodge No. 346 was taken up on September 7, 1885. Thus ended Lexington's second Lodge of Masons.

ENGLISH LODGE NO. 622
1898 - 19--

The Masons residing in and near Lexington were not content to be without a lodge of their own, so on May 24, 1898, John G. Chambers, John M. Switzer, and others petitioned the Grand Lodge of Indiana to establish a new lodge in the town. The dispensation was granted August 20, 1898, and the lodge was to be called English Lodge U. D., in honor of the prominent English family of Lexington and Indianapolis. The officers of this third lodge were:

John G. Chambers, W. M.
Wm. C. Dawson, S. W.
Edgar A. Stonehouse, J. W.
John M. Switzer, Treas.
Adam E. Stonehouse, Sec.
Alexander Hough, S. D.
James Morris, J. D.
Clarence B. Chambers, Tyler

Other members besides those listed above were:

Lewis P. Detheridge, John W Switzer, William A. Ralston, James H. Dismore, Newton M. Wilson, James Morris, Clem C. James, Rev. Marion Noell,

The following were initiated in 1898:

Andrew Taff, Lewis Hough, William E. Green, M.D., Albert B. James

The Charter for English Lodge No. 622 was granted by Grand Master Olin E. Holloway under the date of May 23, 1899. On June 12, 1899, William E. English was appointed as Special Deputy by the Grand Master to constitute English Lodge No. 622. He visited the Lodge and on June 16, 1899, reported that duty performed. The officers of the new lodge were:

Lewis Hough, Tyler
John G. Chambers, W. M.
Edgar A. Stonehouse, J. W.
John M. Switzer, Treas.
Charles C. James, Sec.
Andrew M. Taff. S. D.
James Morris, J. D.

The membership remained the same as above when under dispensation, but the following were initiated in 1899:

Wesley O. Green, John H. C. Morris, Thomas Loftus, William McCutcheon

In 1900 there were 22 members in English Lodge No. 622, and in 1901 there were 23. Over the years of the twentieth century the Lodge has shown a healthy growth under competent and aggressive leadership and has been a distinct credit to Scott County Masonry, along with her sister lodges, Scott Lodge Mo. 120 and Scottsburg Lodge No. 572, with whom she has worked diligently at the craft.

*Written by Carl R. Bogardus, Sr., M.D., Austin, Indiana, 1966

Return to: Lexington - A Pioneer Town