I don't vouch for the accuracy of this table. It's really a rough estimate, from data given by GL websites and the websites of some of the lodges themselves. The thing to do would be to write to the 20 or so oldest grand lodges in the USA and ask them for a list of all lodges over 200 years old, along with their charter dates. Unless that kind of list is lying around on the Grand Secretary's Desk (at least one grand lodge offers such a list as a PDF on their website), it might be some work to create it. I would like to see all of these lodges (and all masonic lodges) have comprehensive websites that have a page with their lodge history, but that's up to the lodges themselves to implement. Keep posted for more and more accurate listings. Please comment with more details if you have them.
Table of current masonic lodges chartered within 50 years of the the oldest lodge in the USA still in operation, listed roughly in order of age:
| Year | Lodge Name | Number | State | Affiliation | Notes | |
| 1733 | St. John's Lodge, Boston | MA | AF & AM | Claims to be the oldest duly constituted and chartered lodge in the Americas; Benjamin Franklin's mother lodge. | ||
| 1733 | Norfolk Lodge | 1 | VA | |||
| 1734 | Solomon's Lodge | 1 | GA | F & AM | Claims to be oldest lodge in continual operation | |
| 1735 | Solomon's Lodge | 1 | SC | AFM | ||
| 1736 | St. John's Lodge | 1 | NH | F & AM | Claims to be oldest lodge in continual operation | |
| 1749 | St. John's Lodge | 1 | RI | |||
| 1750 | Hiram Lodge | 1 | CT | AF & AM | ||
| 1752 | Fredricksburg Lodge | 4 | VA | |||
| 1754 | St. John's Lodge | 2 | CT | AF & AM | ||
| 1755 | St. John's Lodge | 1 | NC | |||
| 1755 | Union-Killwinning | 4 | SC | |||
| 1756 | St. Andrew's Lodge | MA | AF & AM | Past masters include Joseph Warren and Paul Revere | ||
| 1756 | St. Tammany Lodge | 5 | VA | |||
| 1756 | Harmony | 22 | SC | |||
| 1757 | St. John's Lodge | 1 | NY | AYM | ||
| 1757 | St. John's Lodge | 1P | RI | I don't know what 1P means | ||
| 1757 | Blandford Lodge | 3 | VA | |||
| 1758 | Pennsylvania Meridian Sun Lodge | 2 | PA | F & AM | ||
| 1760 | Philanthropic Lodge | MA | F & AM | |||
| 1760 | Independent Royal Arch Lodge | 2 | NY | |||
| 1760 | Mount Vernon Lodge | 3 | NY | |||
| 1761 | St. John's Lodge | 1 | NJ | AYM | ||
| Pre 1762 | Fidelity-St. John's Lodge | 3 | CT | AF & AM | ||
| 1762 | Triangle Lodge | 1 | ME | AF & AM | ||
| 1762 | Wyllys-St. John's Lodge | 4 | CT | AF & AM | ||
| Pre 1765 | Union Lodge | 5 | CT | AF & AM | ||
| Pre 1765 | St. John's Lodge | 6 | CT | F & AM | ||
| 1765 | King Solomon's Lodge | 7 | CT | AF & AM | ||
| 1766 | St. John's Lodge, Newburyport | MA | AF & AM | |||
| 1766 | Mariner Lodge | 2 | SC | |||
| 1766 | America- St. John's Lodge | 8 | CT | AF & AM | ||
| 1766 | St. Patrick's Lodge | 4 | NY | F & AM | ||
| 1767 | Royal White Hart | 2 | NC | |||
| 1768 | Masters Lodge | 5 | NY | |||
| 1768 | Winchester Hiram Lodge | 21 | VA | |||
| 1769 | Washington Lodge | 1P | DE | AF & AM | ||
| Pre 1770 | Bonnie Blink Daylight | 1 | MD | |||
| 1770 | Massachusetts Lodge | MA | AF & AM | Petitioned 100 days after the Boston Massacre | ||
| 1770 | Tyrian Lodge | MA | AF & AM | |||
| 1770 | Washington Lodge | 3 | MD | |||
| 1771 | Union Lodge, Nantucket | MA | F & AM | |||
| 1772 | St. John's Lodge | 3 | NC | |||
| 1772 | St. John's Lodge | 4 | NC | |||
| 1773 | Williamsburg Lodge | 6 | VA | |||
| 1773 | Botetourt Lodge | 7 | VA | |||
| 1774 | Royal Edwin Lodge | 5 | NC | |||
| 1774 | St. George's Lodge | 6 | NY | |||
| 1775 | Unanimity Lodge | 7 | NC | |||
| 1776 | American Union Lodge | 1 | OH | F & AM | Originally from Roxbury, MA. Moved to Ohio in 1790. | |
| 1779 | Essex Lodge | MA | AF & AM | |||
| Pre 1780 | Solomon's Lodge | 3 | PA | F & AM | ||
| 1780 | Richmond Lodge | 10 | VA | |||
| 1780 | Tacony Masonic Temple | 9 | PA | F & AM | ||
| Pre 1781 | Compass Lodge | 9 | CT | AF & AM | ||
| 1781 | St. John's Lodge | 2 | DE | AF & AM | ||
| 1781 | Wooster Lodge | 10 | CT | AF & AM | ||
| Pre 1783 | St. Paul's Lodge | 11 | CT | AF & AM | ||
| 1783 | Alexandria-Washington Lodge | 22 | VA | First WM George Washington | ||
| 1783 | King Hiram's Lodge | 12 | CT | AF & AM | Chartered in March | |
| 1783 | Montgomery Lodge | 13 | CT | AF & AM | ||
| 1783 | King Solomon's Lodge | MA | AF & AM | Chartered in September. Built the original Bunker Hill Monument. |
Connecticut itself didn't establish a GL until 1789, so we have over a dozen lodges that precede the GL.
ReplyDeleteNote that Conn's current designation is AF & AM - it's incorrect on some of the items in your list.
I have fixed that for most of the CT lodges, except St. John's Lodge #2 in Middletown, CT, which calls itself F & AM on its website. I know that in Massachusetts, all lodges became AF & AM after the merger of the Ancients and Moderns (for example, St. John's Lodge in Boston was originally F & AM, but became AF & AM after the merger), but Philanthropic Lodge in Marblehead, MA, still calls itself F & AM in its website.
ReplyDeleteSt. John's Lodge #1 in New Hampshire was originally chartered through Massachusetts. I've seen an early list of chartered lodges at the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts library, and lodges as far away as Jamaica and Bermuda were chartered through Boston, so I would imagine that some of the Connecticut lodges might have been originally chartered from Boston as well.
Cynthia Alcorn, the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts librarian, is amazing to talk to about masonic history. The list she showed me was in a hand-written notebook with the cover loose, tied together with string, aged into a leathery color. The youngest lodge on the list was from the mid-1740s. She told me that the list was compiled in London by the Grand Lodge of England (Modern). They would issue such a list to Provincial Grand Lodges every decade or so, so that lodges know who was legitimately chartered through England (I would imagine that the Irish, Scottish, York and Ancient Grand Lodges did something similar in those days).
St. John's in Middletown was indeed chartered by the GL of MA. I don't remember them having the F&AM designation in the lodge itself, but I probably wasn't looking for it.
ReplyDeleteI invite you to read the following for some information relative to your original post.
ReplyDeletehttp://masonicline.blogspot.com/2009/03/lodges-solomon.html
Palmetto Bug:
ReplyDeleteThank you, that was fascinating.
Actualy, St. John's Lodge #2 in Middletown CT is A.F. & A.M.. The Web site has been updated to reflect this. (Thank's for pointing it out!) Originally, we were "Moderns" and adopted the A.F. & A.M. after the formation of the GL of CT.
ReplyDeleteNice to see we made the list.
Sincerely and Fraternally,
Don Tansey
Senior Warden,
St. John's #2
Middletown, CT
Brother Don:
ReplyDeleteI've corrected this. You should be very proud of your great history, as one of the oldest ten (as far as I can tell) lodges in the USA still in operation. How did you celebrate your 250th anniversary?
I am happy to see my Massachusetts Lodge (Philanthropic) on this list. We are celebrating our 250th anniversary next year and are whipping up quite a series of event.
ReplyDeleteChris Hansen, Goliath Lodge #5595 UGLE
Philanthropic Lodge, F&AM Massachusetts
Brother Chris:
ReplyDeleteI have some family in the Marblehead area. I'd be delighted to participate in at least one of your anniversary events, if it is open to visiting masons. Do you know why your lodge chose to remain Modern after the merger of grand lodges? I'm always curious about little details like that.
St. John's Lodge No. 1, Ancient York Masons, in New Jersey marked its 248th anniversary this past Wednesday.
ReplyDeleteThere used to be a society of Sts. John lodges. Don't know if it still exists.
St. John's Lodge #1 AYM in New Jersey has been added. Do you know in which town it resides? I've heard about a society of Sts. John lodges, from someone at St. John's Lodge of Newburyport, MA. I wonder if they publish anything.
ReplyDeleteMy lodge, St. Johns Lodge No. 6 in Connecticut is actually just F. & A. M. Although for a period of time in the 1800's we tacked on the first "A" it was removed reflecting our original charter from the Provincial Grand Master of New York. Great list and I love your banner.
ReplyDeleteBrother M.M.M:
ReplyDeleteDo you know the date and year of your charter?
Thanks for the kind words. There's tons of masonic clip art online, and free fonts. The font I used came from a pirate-themed website.
St. John's Lodge No. 1 in New Jersey is now located in a suburb called Mountain Lakes, having left the City of Newark years ago.
ReplyDeleteSt. John's Lodge No. 1, AYM in New York City celebrated its Installation of Officers last night.
ReplyDeleteHere are some more from the Palmetto State:
ReplyDeleteUnion-Kilwinning No. 4, Charleston (3May1755).
Harmony No. 22, Beaufort (15Sep1756).
There are others but - due to changes in numbers because of the union of the Ancients and Moderns in 1817 and the great fire at Charleston in 1838 that destroyed the Grand Lodge building - it is hard to track down exact dates of charters.
Thanks again, Brother Bug, these have been added. I agree that this project is challenging. I wonder if this information is available to the Grand Secretaries of the various Grand Lodges?
ReplyDeleteInteresting info. Just to update you. There are two St John's Lodges in RI. The 1P is the lodge in Cranston, RI, while 1 is the Lodge known as St. Johns of Newport, which is located in Portsmouth, RI. Some history on St John's Portsmouth, RI, http://www.rimasons.org/lodges/histories/st_johns_1_history.htm
ReplyDeleteI, myself am a member of May Flower Lodge in Middleboro, MA. We will be celebrating 150 years in 2015. I know of St John's because my Father's lodge, Eureka merged with St John's in 2001.
Yours fraternally
Edward M Croft