USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > History of Saint John's Lodge of Boston in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as shown in the records of the First Lodge, the Second Lodge, the Third Lodge, the Rising Sun Lodge, the Masters' Lodge, St. John's Lodge, Most Worshipful Grand Lodge > Part 10
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The Second Masonic Temple, corner of Tremont and Boylston Streets, was built of Concord granite and covered 9,000 square feet of land and was 90 feet in height, with an octagonal tower 120 feet high. The corner stone was laid October 14, 1864, and the building was dedicated June 24, 1867, in the presence of Bro. Andrew Johnson, President of the United States. It also was destroyed by fire.
"Stated communication Monday Evening Sept. 2 1867. The Wor- shipful Master on behalf of the committee appointed to procure accom- modation for the Lodge in the new Masonic Temple reported the fol- lowing arrangements: The Lodge to pay an annual rent of Six Hundred Dollars exclusive of heating and lighting, and a Superintendent's fee of Two Dollars for each meeting held by the Lodge. The number of meet- ings to be unlimited. Approved report spread upon the records."
"Stated Communication November 4, 1878. Died Right Worshipful Bro. & Chaplain Rev. E. M. P. Wells, aged 85 years 3 mos. 26 days. Joined St. John's, April 6, 1835. Elected honorary member Nov. 5, 1860. Appointed Chaplain Dec. 22, 1835, and continued in office to date of death. Dist. Dep. Grand Master Ist Masonic Dist. 1844, and at close
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of year Deputy Grand Master for the year 1845. Chaplain of House of Reformation in Boston 1831 & 1832; Principal of the Farm School, Thompson's Island, 1833; Principal of School for Moral Discipline, So. Boston Point, from 1834 to 1844; when he removed to Purchase St., Boston, and became pastor of St. Stephen's Chapel and Principal of the Mission and Home adjoining, where he remained until the great fire of 1872 swept away his chapel and home. Funeral services were held in St. Paul's Church. Buried at Mt. Auburn."
"Stated Communication October 3, 1881. Died in Boston Oct. 2 1881, 80 yrs. 6 mos. 11 dys, Daniel Harwood M.D. Was raised in Rising Star Lodge, Worcester, Mass. in 1822. Member of this lodge Mar. 3, 1834. Jun. Warden 1836. Master 1837-38 and again 1848, 1849, and 1850."
"March 6-1882. On Motion of Wor. Bro. William H. Thomes it was voted that a committee of five be appointed, with the Wor. Master Chairman of said Committee, to consider the expediency of celebrating the One Hundredth & Fiftieth Anniversary of St. John's Lodge. Wor. Bro. Wm. H. Thomes, Bros. Curtis Guild, W™. U. Moulton, and S. L. Emery, were appointed."
The committee by Harvey N. Shepard, its chairman, subsequently re- ported that the celebration was expedient; that because of the heat of the summer months and of the absence from the city of many members it would be best to postpone the celebration to October, that the Temple be engaged for the afternoon and evening, that the Lodge be opened in due form in Egyptian Hall at four o'clock P.M. and then adjourn to Sut- ton Hall, that after a voluntary upon the organ a committee be appointed by the Master to conduct the Most Worshipful Grand Master and his suite and the invited guests into the Lodge; and that there be an ode by a quartette choir, an address of welcome by the Master, prayer by the Chaplain, reading of the Charter of the Lodge, ode by the choir, an his- torical address, and singing by the choir, to close the proceedings in Sutton Hall. After sufficient time given the ladies to inspect the Temple, and its several apartments, the brethren, ladies, and guests, to march into the Banquet Halls to the music of the band, and after grace and an appropriate discussion of the bounties of the tables, to occupy the rest of the evening with speeches and sentiments by the M.W. Grand Master and other guests. The report was accepted. May 7, 1883, Worshipful Brothers Samuel W. Clifford, Frederick T. Comee, and Harvey N. Shepard, and Brothers William U. Moulton and Stephen L. Emery, were made a committee with full powers to complete the details at an expense of $800 to be paid from the funds of the lodge.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ORGANIZATION OF SAINT JOHN'S LODGE
Monday Evening October 1st A.L. 5883, a Lodge of Master Masons was opened in Egyptian Hall in due form.
The Worshipful Master informed the brethren that Most Worshipful Samuel C. Lawrence, after due and careful investigation, had become satisfied that St. John's Lodge is the first regular organized Lodge of Free Masons in America, and, in order that there should be no further doubt in the matter, would during the evening restore to St. John's Lodge a copy of the Original Charter dated July 30, 1773. On motion of the Secretary it was voted that the Wor. Master and Wardens be authorized to surren- der the present charter of the Lodge, and accept in place thereof the charter prepared by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge. On motion of the Treasurer it was voted that a committee of three be appointed to consider the expediency of publishing the proceedings of this evening and report at the next meeting. Bro. Edward A. White and Wor. Bros. Frederick T. Comee and Harvey N. Shepard were appointed as the committee.
R.W. Frederic D. Ely, Grand Marshal of the M.W. Grand Lodge, then entered the Hall and announced that the Most Worshipful Samuel C. Lawrence, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, was in the adjoining room, accompanied with his suite for the purpose of par- ticipating with St. John's Lodge in celebrating the 150th Anniversary of its organization. The Wor. Master appointed R. W. Bro. Wyzeman Marshall and Wor. Brothers Emmons, Pierce, and Munroe, and Bros. Moulton and S. L. Emery, a committee to receive and escort them into the Hall, where they were received in due form.
The Grand Lodge, escorted by St. John's Lodge, then proceeded to Corinthian Hall, where the ladies and invited guests had previously assembled, Bro. J. Thomas Baldwin's orchestra discoursing excellent music while the procession entered the Hall.
Wor. Master Clifford then made an address of welcome. The Weber Quartet sang "All Hail the Great Mysterious Art." After which Wor. Master Clifford introduced the Orator of the evening, Right Worshipful Sereno D. Nickerson, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Massa- chusetts, who then delivered the Historical Address:
"We are assembled for the purpose of commemorating the one hun- dred and fiftieth anniversary of the organization of the First Lodge in Boston, which was the first regularly warranted Lodge established on the
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Continent of North America so far as any authentic and reliable evidence now appears. The significance of the event is brought home to us with great distinctness and force when we consider the enormous growth of our Institution in this country from that small beginning and the great power for good which it has exerted for the last century and a half, and which bids fair to extend into still wider and ever widening circles.
"What a flood of thought almost overwhelms the mind at the mere men- tion of the words "a Century and a half" in this connection! How crowded with incident has been the history of our Country and our Craft, and how closely have the two been connected!
"Masons faint and fall by the wayside, but the Lodge flourishes, and grows more and more vigorous with increasing age. Five generations of Brethren have passed on to that undiscovered country, from whose bourne no traveller returns; but St. John's Lodge still lives, and its ranks are constantly being recruited by Craftsmen, proud of its antiquity, and its history, and eager to do their part towards perpetuating its existence and its usefulness until time shall be no more.
"With these thoughts in view, the speaker shrinks with diffidence from the task he has undertaken and is strongly inclined to regret that it had not fallen to more skillful hands. Under the circumstances perhaps the wiser course is to present a round unvarnished tale, leaving the delicate touches to be supplied by the vivid imagination and the trained experi- ence of his auditors, trusting to their kindly thoughts and bright eyes for a portion of the inspiration and encouragement which will make his duty more easy and agreeable, and thus react for their pleasure and profit.
"It is doubtless known to most of my hearers that the origin of Ma- sonry is lost in obscurity. Many fanciful theories as to the source from which it sprang have been suggested, and defended with most elaborate argument and with great zeal and warmth. But time will not allow us even to mention these various pre-historic speculations. We have to do on the present occasion only with the comparatively authentic and gen- erally admitted history of the Craft since the revival, or reorganization as it is called, which took place in England in 1717.
"In no quarter was the new departure more cordially approved and more cheerfully conformed to, than in the British North American Prov- inces. The relations between the colonies and the Mother Country were intimate and tender. To the colonists England was home and its fashions had almost the binding force of law. There is a tradition that the New Masonic plan was followed in Boston as early as 1720, only three years after it was inaugurated in London. It was asserted forty years ago (1843) that there was in existence documentary evidence to prove that
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a regularly warranted lodge was organized in Boston, in that year, but soon ceased operations, on account of violent opposition. Diligent search has been made for this evidence without success. It may, how- ever, yet come to light.
"The first warrant for this country granted under the authority of the Grand Lodge of England, as reorganized in 1717, so far as any re- liable evidence is now known to exist, was the deputation or commission granted to Daniel Coxe, Esq., of New Jersey by the Duke of Norfolk, Grand Master, bearing date at London the 5th day of June, 1730, ap- pointing Brother Coxe Provincial Grand Master of the Provinces of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, for the term of two years from the Feast of St. John the Baptist next ensuing the date of the commission. It is believed however by Masonic students generally that the authority granted by this deputation was never exercised by Brother Coxe.
"On the 30th day of April, 1733, Anthony Browne, Lord Viscount Montague, Grand Master of the Free and Accepted Masons of England, granted to our Right Worshipful and well beloved brother Mr. Henry Price a deputation or commission, constituting him Provincial Grand Master of New England, and Dominions and Territories thereunto belonging.
"By virtue of this commission ten brethren resident in Boston were convened on Monday, July 30th, 1733, at the Bunch of Grapes Tavern. The Provincial Grand Lodge was duly organized by the appointment of Andrew Belcher as Deputy Grand Master and Thomas Kennelly and John Quane as Grand Wardens. The brethren then united in a petition to the new Grand Master, that he would constitute them into a regular lodge. The first few pages of the record of the new Provincial Grand Lodge, now in possession of our Grand Lodge, consists of what appears to be a transcript of brief memoranda describing the important incidents in the history of that body between 1733 and 1750; or they may have been made up from the recollections of brethren who had been active among the Craft during those seventeen years. In either case it is not surprising that a few trifling errors have been discovered. Nor do such . errors impair our faith in the general accuracy of the narrative. From 1750 the record is in regular form and unquestionably contempora- neous."
The M.W. Grand Master presented the lodge with a new charter in nearly the following words :-
"W. Master and Brethren - Duly authorized by a vote of the Grand Lodge to decide upon the claims of St. John's Lodge to a date of pre- cedence earlier than that named in its present charter, I have given care-
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ful attention to the historical facts involved in this question, and have reached a conclusion which has already been informally announced to the members of the lodge. The reasons which have moved me to a com- pliance with their wishes are embodied in the amended charter which I hold in my hand, and they need not be recapitulated here-it is suffi- cient to say that this lodge had its origin in the First Lodge, so called, of Massachusetts, instituted 1733. About fifty years afterwards on the 7th of February, 1783, the First Lodge, by the process of consolidation, absorbed the membership of the Second Lodge, which had been instituted February 15, 1749, and the United Lodge assumed the title of St. John's Lodge, and as such received a new charter, dated February 7, 1783. The memories and traditions of your ancient Lodge go back to the time of its foundation as the First Lodge. Its birth was coeval with that of organized Masonry in this State and it was a stay and support to the Grand Lodge at a time when Masonry had few adherents in a sparsely settled country, and when an organized association of faithful and enter- prising brethren here in Boston could render invaluable aid to the Grand Body. Naturally the brethren of St. John's Lodge have felt that the date of precedence named in the charter which they now hold, misrepre- sents the true history of the Lodge, and tends to cut them off from those associations with a venerable past which they would most tenderly and sacredly cherish, for they cling to their origin with that feeling, instinc- tive in man which prompts him to hold fast to his home, his family, and his native land. Recognizing the justice of the claims of this lodge for an unbroken identity with the First Lodge and sharing with fullest sym- pathy the sentiment which prompts the brethren to assert their rights, I have caused a charter to be prepared, and duly authenticated under which St. John's Lodge will enjoy its true date of precedence, and thus a long-standing injustice will be rectified.
"And now, Worshipful Master, accept this roll; it is the amended charter of your lodge. Effectually, I give you back your old charter in 1733. It gives me sincere gratification to find myself the instrument of conferring a pleasure upon the members of this lodge, and of consum- mating an act of substantial justice. I heartily congratulate you mem- bers of St. John's Lodge that the true historical record of your lodge is now vindicated, and that its annals are enlarged by another half-century of faithful work and interesting experience.
"Brethren - Your past is now secure. May the record of the long and honorable life which your lodge has enjoyed be an incentive to you, and those who come after you, to add, year by year, new lustre to its record by accumulating deeds of charity and fraternal love. May the princi-
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ples of our beloved Institution find a fresh enforcement in your hearts when you recall the memory of the good men who through 5 generations have been associated in this lodge, and who by their fidelity to their Masonic Vows, and by the pure tenor of their lives, have helped to make Masonry a name of honor in this Commonwealth; securing for it a moral and material prosperity far surpassing anything which could have been looked for by its founders.
"Few associated bodies in this land can boast of a pre-revolutionary ancestry, and of an antiquity such as yours. But the pride which comes from a high lineage, and from the inheritance of a spotless name, is only justifiable when it stimulates man to a corresponding nobility of action, and I rejoice to believe that the well-earned fame of this lodge is re- garded as a sacred truth by you who inherit it, and that you will hand down the same unsullied record to your successors, so that the future of this lodge will be worthy of its brilliant past.
"I invoke the blessing of Divine Providence upon all your efforts to promote the honor, and prosperity, and increase the usefulness of St. John's Lodge."
To this address the W. Master replied and then further addressed the audience as follows :-
"Brethren, and Ladies and Gentlemen-As you passed in at the en- trance of the anteroom adjoining this hall, you probably noticed two bunches of grapes suspended above the door-way. These grapes are his- toric relics; they are the property of Bro. Enoch Paige, and I have re- ceived in relation to them the following letter, which I will read :-
"'Worshipful Master and Brethren of St. John's Lodge - With the approach of the celebration of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the institution of our lodge, I feel that it is not only my duty, but also my pleasant privilege, to send this communication to you. Our lodge had its birth one hundred and fifty years ago in one of the rooms in the Bunch of Grapes Tavern, a famous hostelry in revolutionary and ante- revolutionary days, where wise and patriotic men frequently met to con- sult with one another upon the needs of a country which then became the embryo of a mighty nation. In this tavern were planted the germs of American Masonry. Here also were held those first deliberations of which the conflict of '76 was one of the results. From the corner of this building which was located at the junction of State and Kilby Streets, projecting towards the street were several bunches of grapes, symbols of good cheer and conviviality. In later years, and in deference to the march of mod- ern improvement, this building was removed, and the grapes were taken to the Commercial Coffee House on Milk Street, kept by Col. Whitney.
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Again the march of modern improvement demanded a sacrifice; the bunches of grapes were taken from the building by Col. Whitney and pre- sented by him to me. Valuable as relics of a former generation, many antiquarians have sought to obtain possession of these grapes. Two of the bunches yielding to the destructive influences of time, have crumbled, into their original dust. Two bunches remain, attesting by their excel- lent condition the sterling character of the oak from which they were carved. I would prefer that they should not be subject to the uncer- tainties of the laws of inheritors. I think the time has now arrived for me to determine where their permanent home shall be. I therefore pre- sent them to you as valued memorials of the past, with full confidence that you will also cherish them on account of their peculiar associations with the foundation and early history of our venerable lodge.
"'Fraternally and cordially yours,
"'Enoch Paige.'
"Although exposed to the assailing influences of time, they have not yet, you perceive, fully lost the verdure of their youth.
"Brother Guild -I recognize in you a dual capacity. You are one of the oldest and most venerable members of St. John's Lodge. You are also the President of the Bostonian Society, an association devoted to the cul- ture of antiquarian lore; it is peculiarly appropriate that the duty of re- sponding in behalf of the lodge for this generous gift of Brother Paige should devolve on you. I therefore call upon you to discharge the meas- ure of your obligation."
Bro. Curtis Guild replied as follows :-
"Worshipful Master-I thank you for the courtesy of your introduc- tion, and for the complimentary allusion to the Bostonian Society, that I have the honor to represent. You will, however, permit me on this occasion, in my capacity as a member of this lodge, to join with you in congratulating our fellow members upon the reception of the valuable relic that has just been presented to us, - a relic celebrated in the history of Boston, -its early history, here where the Revolution was begun, - and a relic around which so many recollections are entwined, and with which so many associations are connected as to render it almost I may say a National Memento.
"The old Bunch of Grapes Tavern certainly has a national reputation. It existed as early as 1712, and was situated on the corner of Mackerel lane, now Kilby Street, near the water's edge, and King Street now State
WINSLOW LEWIS
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Street. The sign of the hostelry was four bunches of grapes. Two of the bunches we are told have crumbled into dust, these being the only ones remaining.
"Few of the ancient inns have had more notable guests within their walls than this. In 1728 Governor Burnett, after a most hearty recep- tion, found comfortable quarters there.
"Lafayette visited it in 1784. The meetings of the Society of the Cin- cinnati, composed, as you know, of the officers of the American army dur- ing the Revolution, were also held there, and its walls have heard the voice of their great Commander-in-Chief, and our illustrious brother Mason, George Washington.
"But to us, Worshipful Master, this emblem, and you know our Craft teaches us to appreciate the value of emblems, -to us this relic of the past has a peculiar significance. Beneath it have passed those early fathers of Freemasonry in America, the founders of St. John's Lodge, of Boston-Price, Belcher, Kennelly, and Quane, to the first meetings of the first lodge in America.
"This emblem is indeed a treasure to possess, in itself but a rude carved and ornamented symbol; but American citizens, and more especially every member of this time-honored Masonic Lodge, will value it as worth more than its weight in the precious metal it so rudely counterfeits.
"If this quaint old relic had power of speech, what a tale of interest it could tell of the days of provincial government, when our solemn an- cestors in cocked hats, knee-breeches, and shoe-buckles, passed beneath its clusters.
"How many fierce discussions has it heard on the enforcement of the obnoxious Stamp Act! But a stone's throw distant, it could have almost heard Capt. Preston command to fire, which was followed by the rattling volley that laid low those who fell in the Boston Massacre. Part of the crowd that had been a short distance further on the water-front to the tea-mixing in Boston harbor may have passed beneath it on their return. Beneath it was told the story of the fight at Lexington and Concord. It heard the booms of cannon that at early morning on the 17th of June, 1775, announced the discovery of breastworks on Breed's hill, and the morning sunbeams flashed upon the golden cluster, and were reflected back from the bayonets of British soldiery that marched to take part in the memorable conflict of that day.
"A year later, when the Declaration of Independence had been pro- mulgated, this gilt emblem flashed and gave back the ruddy beams of a bonfire built in front of the Bunch of Grapes Tavern, -a bonfire which consumed crown, lion, and unicorn, the emblems of royal government,
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that had been torn down from government offices and other positions they had occupied in the town.
"And when the British troops had defiled before it for the last time, as the army of occupancy marched with measured tramp, flashing arms and waving banners to their ships, it heard, after the echoes of their de- parture had scarcely died away, another and more welcome footstep, as General George Washington and his staff of officers, the deliverers of the town after its ten months' siege, passed beneath it and enjoyed the hos- pitality of the ancient hostelry that it decorated.
"The old tavern has passed away and so have our fathers, who knew it in their day; but their memories and example still live, and need not even a visible memorial to remind us of them, their deeds, and their sacrifices. Yet we cherish this memento as one they knew so well, a relic of their day, because of its many associations, because they whose mem- ories we respect and honor have looked upon it; it once belonged to them, and, therefore is dear to us :-
"'Their bones are dust, Their good swords are rust Their souls are with the saints, we trust.'
"Worshipful Master, neither dust nor rust shall obscure their memories here. I thank you for the privilege accorded me, and join with you in this part of the ceremony, not only in recalling these histories of former days, but in your gratitude to the thoughtful donor for his appropriate and valuable gift to the lodge."
The exercises of the evening were interspersed with humorous recita- tions by R.W. Brother Wyzeman Marshall, Past Master of St. John's Lodge, and by Music by Brother J. Thomas Baldwin's Orchestra and the Weber Quartette. The audience joined in singing the following hymn written for the occasion by Mrs. A. H. Walton :-
Dedicated to the Members of St. John's Lodge, F. & A. M., for their 150th Anniversary, Oct. 1, 1883.
Tune - America. Ho! Brothers of St. John! Pause while ye journey on, Pause while we may!
Call back the vanished years; The plans, and hopes, and fears, Duties, and smiles, and tears, Are ours to-day.
!
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The Past is still our guest, Turn we to East or West, To South or North.
One hundred fifty years! How short the time appears; How plainly each one hears The call, come forth-
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