Freemasonry in the District of Columbia

On January 1, 1823, Lloyd Nicholas, William C. Costin, Francis Datcher, Sr., William Jackson and William Wormley were initiated, passed and raised to the sublime degree of Master Masons, in due form, in Laurel Lodge, No. 2 (Philadelphia). John W. Prout was made a Master Mason January 4, 1816 in Union Lodge (Philadelphia). On January 4, 1825, these brothers petitioned the African Grand Lodge of North America, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for a warrant to form a Masters’ Lodge in the District of Columbia.

Their Prayer was granted by the African Grand Lodge of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 7, 1825. The new Lodge was placed under Dispensation. The Lodge was duly chartered and constituted on June 6, 1825 as Social Lodge No. 7 under a Charter issued by the African Grand Lodge of Philadelphia. The Grand Lodge of Philadelphia appointed the following officers: John W. Prout, W.M., Francis Datcher, S.W., William Jackson, J.W., Moses Liverpool, Treasurer, William C. Costin, Secretary, William Wormley, S.D. Lloyd Wormley, S.D., and Lloyd Nichols, J.D.

In 1835, William Dudley, Benjamin Crier and Sandy Bryant were made Master Masons in St. George Lodge, No. 32, Liverpool, England. They were seafaring men and moved to Alexandria, D.C. in 1838 (* the area called Alexandria, D.C. returned from the District of Columbia to Virginia on July 9, 1846). They were admitted as members of Social Lodge No. 7. Shortly afterward, these three Brethren along with Reverend John Thomas, also a member of Social Lodge No. 7 and living in the same town, applied to Deputy Grand Master Daniel Smith, of the Hiram Grand Lodge, Pennsylvania, for a charter to establish a Lodge in their city. This was granted to them August 26, 1845.

The new Lodge, which was the first Lodge in Virginia, was known as Universal Lodge No.10 with Brother George Sims, W. M.; Edward Evans, S. W.; Dennis Bourbon, J. W.; James Evans, S. D.; Ephraim Bancroft, J. D.; Richard Garnett, Treasurer; Joseph L. Gipson, Secretary; William Dudley and Benjamin Crier, Stewards; and Sanday Bragrant, Tiler.

Early in the year of 1846, a meeting was held on Pennsylvania Avenue, near Third Street, N.W., DC. in a barber shop owned by Augustus and John T. Costin. In attendance were William Dudley, Benjamin Crier, Daniel Smith, John Thomas and William H. Bruce, all residing in Alexandria, D.C. The result of this meeting was the forming of Felix Lodge No. 17, which was constituted April 4, 1846, under a charter granted by Hiram Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania with Augustus Costin, W. M.; Richard H. Phiske, S.W.; John Massey, J.W.; John T. Costin, Secretary; Benjamin Newton, Treasurer; Basil Sims, S. D., and Charles Hunt. J. D.

In 1848, John E. Thomas then Worshipful Master of Social Lodge No. 7, issued a call to the other two Lodges which had been chartered in the D.C. area, namely; Universal Lodge No. 10 (Alexandria, VA) and Felix Lodge No. 17 (District of Columbia) to meet in a special convention with Social Lodge No. 7 for the purpose of organizing a Grand Lodge for the District of Columbia. This meeting presided over by District Deputy Grand Master David P. Jones of the Grand Lodge of Philadelphia resulted in the organization of the first Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia. Charles Datcher of Social Lodge No. 7 was elected the first Grand Master, Daniel H. Smith of Universal Lodge No.10 Deputy Grand Master, Richard Phiske of Felix Lodge No. 17, Senior Grand Warden, and Francis Datcher of Social Lodge No. 7 Junior Grand Warden. The Grand Officers were duly installed by R. W. Rev. David P. Jones, D. D. G. M., under the title of Union Grand Lodge for the District of Columbia, March 27th, 1848.

The constituent Lodges: Social Lodge No. 7, Universal Lodge No. 10, and Felix Lodge No. 17, surrendered their former warrants and received new warrants from the Grand Lodge that they had constituted according to their separate dates of formation, to wit: Social Lodge No. 1, Universal Lodge No. 2, and Felix Lodge No. 3.

After the Civil War the name of “Union Grand Lodge” was changed to the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia. The word “Union was stricken from the title of the Grand Lodge in 1868. Then, the name of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia was again changed by a resolution adopted on December 12, 1917, which was officially recorded on December 31, 1924. On the aforementioned date the Grand Lodge voted to become an incorporated body under the name of The Most Worshipful Acacia Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia. Thus, in 1918 the name of the Grand Lodge was changed to “Acacia.”

Finally, during the administration of the late Simpson W. Wallace (member of John F. Cook Lodge No. 10), who served as Grand Master during the years 1945-1946, the name of the Grand Lodge was changed and incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia as the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, F. & A.M., Inc., of the District of Columbia.

Since 1848 the following Lodges have been established under the Jurisdiction of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia* in the order named:

(*the name of the Grand Lodge has changed throughout its inception)

  1. Social Lodge No. 1
  2. Universal Lodge No. 2 (to Virginia in 1865)
  3. Felix Lodge No. 3
  4. Hiram Lodge No. 4
  5. Eureka Lodge No. 5
  6. Meridian Lodge No. 6
  7. Widow’s Son Lodge No. 7
  8. Warren Lodge No. 8
  9. Pythagoras Lodge No. 9
  10. John F. Cook Lodge No. 10
  11. Sprig of Acacia Lodge No. 11 (not active)
  12. St. John’s Lodge No. 12
  13. Prince Hall Lodge no. 13 (now 14)
  14. Prince Hall Lodge No. 14
  15. Charles Datcher Lodge No. 15
  16. James H. Hill Lodge No. 16
  17. Ionic Lodge No. 17
  18. Corinthian Lodge No. 18
  19. Doric Lodge No. 19
  20. Fidelity Lodge No. 20
  21. Jewel Lodge No. 21 (not active)
  22. Harmony Lodge No. 22
  23. Victory Lodge No. 23
  24. Redemption Lodge No. 24
  25. Acacia Lodge No. 25
  26. Fellowship Lodge No. 26
  27. Prudence Lodge No. 27
  28. Thomas L. Johnson Lodge No. 28
  29. Nathaniel Matthews Adams Jr. Military Lodge No. 29

 

* In 1865 Universal Lodge No. 2 surrendered its charter and was instrumental in organizing the Grand Lodge of Virginia. Sprig of Acacia No. 11 surrendered its charter in 1885; and sometime after 1929, Jewel No. 21 ceased to function, and the members of those Lodges joined other Lodges in the Jurisdiction.