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 125th
Anniversary - History of Pequossette Lodge
The history of Freemasonry in America, and
therefore our history as Masons, begins in April 1733 when Anthony Lord
Viscount Montague, Grand Master of the Craft in England, appointed a man
named Henry Price organized the Provincial Grand Lodge at “The Bunch of
Grapes” Tavern in Boston, and the name chosen was Saint John’s Grand
Lodge. This Grand Lodge then proceeded to grant warrants for the first
Masonic Lodges in Massachusetts and other parts of America.
In 1756, Saint Andrew’s Lodge, No. 82, was
constituted in Boston under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of
Scotland. Establishment of an Ancient Grand Lodge in Boston did not
take place until 1773, when the Grand Master of Masons in Scotland
commissioned the Right Worshipful Joseph Warren, Esq., as Grand Master
of Masons for the Continent of America.
The first Masonic body in Watertown was Meridian
Lodge, chartered on December 11, 1797. Almost nothing is now known
about this Lodge in its early years, for its records were destroyed by a
fire in 1862. A few names of members supposed to have been Watertown
residents survive. In 1811 Meridian Lodge was moved to Needham; in 1843
it was transferred again to Newton Lower Falls; and finally in 1852 it
went to Natick and remained there.
After 1811, there was no Masonic Lodge in Watertown
until William Webster came here as first principal of the
newly-established high school. Webster, who had held minor offices in
Hiram Lodger of West Cambridge (now Arlington), was associated with a
group of prominent citizens of Watertown in organizing Pequossette
Lodge; and he was elected the first Worshipful Master. “Pequossette”
was chosen because it was the ancient Indian name of the town.
In 1857 when Pequossette Lodge was organized, there
were 27 members of whom twelve were officers. The first Masonic Hall
was in the Dana block, a building removed many years ago, that stood on
the north side of Main Street, between Church Street and Merchants Row.
Pequossette Lodge was duly constituted on December 23, 1857, with the
Grand Master, Most Worshipful John T. Heard officiating. That evening,
the return of Masonry to Watertown was celebrated, according to the
record, by a “bountiful and luxurious dinner” for 60 members and guests
at the Spring Hotel which was also on the north side of Main Street, a
few steps away from the lodge room.
During the first 54 years of Pequossette Lodge,
1857 to 1911, it was customary for the “officers in line” to serve two
years in each office to which they were advanced; so that when a man was
chosen as Inside Sentinel, he could look forward to 14 years to his
retirement as Past Master and, supposing that his memory stayed with
him, to becoming a good ritualist.
On October 3, 1870 Pequossette Lodge was moved to
the Noyes Building, one of a row that stood on the Main Street side of
what is now called the Delta in the middle of Watertown Square, with
officers of the Grand Lodge participating in the dedication ceremonies.
Here the Lodge remained for 18 years, but sentiment had been growing
among the members for a new building which, it was suggested, would have
stores on the ground floor and quarters for the Lodge above them. A
suitable location for the building at the corner of Spring and Main
Street could be purchased for $15,500. At that time, however, the Lodge
decided against such a large undertaking.
The property was acquired and the new building was
erected in 1888 by Ward M. and Horace W. Otis, member of Pequossette
Lodge, and leading citizens of Watertown for more than 60 years after
their return from active service in the Civil War. In 1889 the Lodge
leased the rooms on the third floor and continued the arrangements for
sub-leases with other organizations that had shared the former
quarters. This brought the net cost to the Lodge for rent down to $300
per year. At this rate, even the elderly Brethren were willing to climb
the two long flights of stairs.
In 1911, the Otis Brothers decided to enlarge their
building by extending it to Merchants Row, and at this time Pequossette
lodge voted to lease the entire third floor for $1,250 a year, adding a
new Lodge room and anterooms. The new and enlarged apartments were
dedicated in the presence of officers of the Grand Lodge on January 21,
1914. In that year some 50 applicants were received into the Lodge.
In the years after the First World War there was a
remarkable growth in applications for membership. Sixty-three new
members were added in 1918, and 94 in 1920. At one meeting in 1920,
balloting on the candidates took over four hours.
Such were the conditions when a second Lodge,
Victory, was formed in 1920 by 60 Brethren, almost all of whom including
the first Master, Wor. George H. Dale were members of Pequossette
Lodge. In 1931, the year before the 75th Anniversary,
membership in Pequossette Lodge reached a high point of 720.
The 25th Anniversary of the Constitution
of the Lodge was observed on December 14, 1882 at the regular
communication. Sixty-five members and 60 guests were present. A
contemporary account said that there were then 130 active members.
After the work, supper was served by the Stewards and the Tyler. Among
the items on the menu were scalloped oysters, ice cream, and coffee.
The 50th Anniversary celebration was
held on December12, 1907 at the Town Hall where supper was served in
honor of Old Home Night and music was provided by instrumentalists from
among the Brethren. After supper the assemblage proceeded to the Lodge
Room where the Lodge was opened in due form, and further ceremonies were
held, including a reception for the Grand Master. Present were 157
members and three visitors. Wor. Alberto F. Haynes gave a history of
the Lodge from its inception.
Pequossette Lodge celebrated its 75th
Anniversary, December 10, 1932 at the Commander Hotel in Cambridge, with
reception and dinner, attend by about 250 persons, including members and
their guests. Wor. S. Eugene Proctor, whose term in the East was
1901-02, and was Secretary for 40 years, 1903-43, presented a history of
the Lodge.
The One Hundredth Anniversary of the Constitution
of Pequossette Lodge was observed with dignified and deeply moving
ceremonies, beginning on Sunday afternoon, December 8, 1957, at Saint
John’s Methodist Church, where devotional services were conducted by
Rev. Bro. Edson Gould Waterhouse, pastor, who was Chaplain of the Lodge.
Preceding the church services, Worshipful Master
William T. von Schoppe opened the Lodge in due form at 2:00 P.M. in
Masonic Hall. A parade of the Lodge members and visiting Brethren,
wearing their aprons, followed, escorted by uniformed Knights Templars,
from Main Street in front of the Otis Building to the church. Well over
200 Masons were in the line of march up Mount Auburn Street, and as they
neared the sanctuary where 100 others were already gathered, they were
greeted by the Whitney memorial Chimes played by Wor. A. Lester Shipton.
Wor. William W. Norcross, Jr. was Chief Marshall, and his Aides were Wor.
Arthur L. Rockwell, Wor. George B. Wellman, and Wor. Robert N. Alger.
At the Regular Communication of the Lodge on
December 12, the Most Worshipful Andrew G. Jenkins, Grand Master of
Masons in Massachusetts was received with his suite, and he presided at
the seal of the capsule to be opened at the 200th Anniversary
of the Lodge in December A.D. 2057. Bro. Miles P. Robinson read the
history of the first hundred years of the Lodge which he had written.
The program ended with an address by the Grand Master, and the Lodge and
the Grand Lodge were closed at 10:00 P.M.
Previous to the ceremonies in the Lodge Room, a
dinner catered by Alma Andrews was served in the banquet hall which,
from 1889 to 1914, had been the Lodge Room. The menu included fresh
fruit cup with sherbet, roast tenderloin of beef with mushroom sauce,
mashed potatoes, green beans, squash, salad, pickles, assorted rolls,
assorted ice cream, cake, macaroons, and coffee, and the price was $3.00
per ticket.
Less then two years after the Centennial
Celebration, the cornerstone of the new Masonic Temple on Church Street
was laid by the Grand Master, M.W. Andrew G. Jenkins, in accordance with
ancient form and ceremony. Thus was brought to fruition on a wish that
had long been in the hearts of the Brethren and their friends in
Watertown. Members of Pequossette Lodge shared prominently and
honorably in the effort with their colleagues of other Masonic bodies of
the Town.
The Lodge had established a building fund as early
as 1921, and a Building Committee was appointed in 1923. Prudence,
however, continues to dictate a cautious approach, even in the
prosperous 1920s; then came the Depression, and then World War II. Not
until November 12, 1953, was a new Building Committee formed, who
finally “got the ball rolling.” The original members were Bros. Carl B.
Richardson, chairman, George B. Wellman, Robert N. Alger, Herbert C.
Harting, Andrew D. Bradford, Richard Tuttle, W. W. Norcross III, and
Donald Ross.
Two year later, Bro. Richardson resigned from the
Committee because the illness of his wife obliged them to move to
Florida. He was given a rising vote of thanks for his services to the
Lodge. Others who served on the Committee were Bros. Ralph H. Hutchins,
Jr., Herbert O. Berry, Arthur L. Rockwell, and Wayne Eaton.
In accordance with a report of the Building
Committee, Pequossette Lodge voted on October 14, 1954 to purchase the
property at 32 Church Street. Four weeks later, November 11, the
committee reported that an agreement to purchase had been signed with
the Knights of Pythias Associates, owners of the property.
On February 10, 1955 the Lodge was informed that a
joint meeting on all Watertown Masonic Organizations and affiliated
bodies had taken place, and that a corporation had been formed under the
name of Watertown Masonic Associates, Inc. at the communication on March
10, the Lodge transferred the sum of $1,500 from the building fund to be
used for the preparation of plans and sketches. Bro. Edward Sears Read,
who had been engaged as architect, was at this time conducted to the
East and introduced to the Master and the Brethren. Bro. Read
subsequently transferred his membership to Pequossette.
The agreed price of the Church Street property was
$13,500 plus attorney’s fees and other costs necessary to effect the
conveyance, and it was paid out of the funds of Pequossette Lodge. The
estimated cost of the new Masonic Building was $100,000. On April 14,
1955, Pequossette Lodge voted that assurance be given to the Masonic
Associates, and other Masonic bodies involved, that the Building Fund of
Pequossette Lodge would be available to the joint Fund Raising Committee
to help with the expenses necessary to erect the new Temple as planned.
This fund had been considerably enhanced, comparatively recently, by a
$25,000 bequest from the late Bro. Harry W. Brigham.
The Watertown Masonic Associates, Inc., as
established, included twelve trustees; Six from Pequossette Lodge, two
from Victory Lodge, two from Eastern Star, one from the Watertown Royal
Arch Chapter, and one from Amaranth. Wor. Bro. Arthur L. Rockwell was
appointed Chairman of the Masonic Associates in 1956.
A Fund Raising Committee was established in June
1955, consisting of ten members, two from each body. Bro. Sam Goldberg
of Victory Lodge was elected chairman, Wor. Bro. William W. Norcross of
Pequossette Lodge vice-chairmen and treasurer, and Mrs. Betty Waite of
the Eastern Star, secretary. Bro. Winthrop G. Rockwell also represented
Pequossette Lodge on the committee. The kick-off meeting for the
fund-raising drive was held in the following October.
In his Report to the Lodge, dated September 8,
1955, Bro. Richardson extended thanks to all members of the Building
Committee “and in particular to Bro. Herb Berry who has been a tower of
strength in this undertaking.”
Bids for the construction of the new Temple were
opened on June12, 1959, and the work was stated on June 28, under the
direction of the general contractor, Bro. Stanley D. Porter. The
cornerstone was laid on September 27, A.L. 5959, a Sunday afternoon.
The Grand Lodge was opened at Unitarian Hall, and at 4:00 P.M. marched
in formal procession to the site of the new edifice. With the
assistance of the Grand Lodge Officers, the Grand Master laid the
cornerstone in accordance with ancient form and ceremony. Brief remarks
appropriate to the occasion were made by the Most Worshipful Andrew G.
Jenkins, Grand Master, by other Grand Lodge Officers and by the
Worshipful Masters of Pequossette and Victory Lodges.
From beginning to end, and in all respects, the
construction of the Watertown Masonic Temple exemplified devotion to the
principle of “who best can serve and best agree,” by all concerned, over
a total 131 working days.
The number of workmen employed, by trades, is as
follows: 30 carpenters, 15 masons and cement finishers, 27 laborers, 5
painters, 1 watchman, 4 heating men, 4 plumbers, 5 electricians, 3
ceiling men, 2 asphalt tile men, 2 ceramic tile men, 5 excavators, 6
roofers, 4 glazers, 4 paving men, 3 floor men, 2 toilet partition
installers, 2 light iron workmen, 2 steel erectors, 2 organ installers.
This makes a total of 128 workmen on the job, of whom 75 were employees
of the William H. Porter Company, and 53 were employees of the
subcontractors. A total of 15,490 man-hours of work was performed, of
which 12,282 were by Porter Company employees, and 3, 208 by workmen of
the sub-contractors.
On January 14, 1960 the first Communication in the
new hall was held by Pequossette Lodge. On that occasion the work was
the Entered Apprentice Degree, in the presence of 128 members and 76
visitors.
Approximately 500 persons attended the dedication
of the new temple on February 16, 1960. The ceremonies were conducted
by Most Worshipful Laurence E. Eaton, Grand Master, and the officers of
the Grand Lodge. A total of 398 were served at dinner in the new
banquet hall. The evening closed with refreshments and dancing.
A balance of $19,000 remained on the mortgage as of
September 1960. On June 13, 1968, the ceremony of burning the mortgage
was performed by the Grand Master, Most Worshipful Thomas Arnold Booth
and the officers of the Grand Lodge.
Since its One Hundredth Anniversary, Pequossette
Lodge has been honored by its Past Masters who have been distinguished
by the Grand Lodge, as follows:
R. W. Bro. Robert Neil
Alger: District Deputy Grand Master, 1962-1963; Grand Sword Bearer,
1964-1965; Grand Tyler, 1966; Deputy Grand Master, 1976; Henry Price
Medal.
Wor. Bro. Harrison Mallory
Blake: District Deputy Grand Marshal, 1962-1963; Senior Grand Deacon,
1966.
R. W. Bro. Robert Mallory
Blake: Grand Treasurer, 1977-1978; Grand Comptroller, 1978-.
R. W. Bro. Herbert
Millington Davis, Jr.: District Deputy Grand Master, 1974-1975.
Wor. Bro. Ralph Hiram
Hutchins, Jr.: District Deputy Grand Secretary, 1974-1975; Master, 34th
L.O.I., 1981
R. W. Bro. Arthur Leroy
Rockwell: District Deputy Grand Secretary, 1962-1963; Junior Grand
Deacon, 1967: Wor. Master, 34th L.O.I., 1968; Proxy to Grand
Lodge, 1967-1972; Grand Marshal, 1972-1975; Henry Price Medal, 1973;
Senior Grand Warden, 1975; Grand Lecturer, 1981.
Joseph Warren Medals were awarded to Wor. Bro.
Ralph H. Hutchins, Sr., Wor. Bro. William W. Norcross, Jr. and Wor. Bro.
Thomas W. Phipps.
In the one hundred and twenty-five years since it
was constituted, Pequossette Lodge has received many gifts from generous
donors. Some are of particular historical interest at this time. Among
them is a marble clock which for many years hung in the anterooms
outside previous lodge halls. It was given in 1870 by Bro. Leonard
Whitney, a leading Watertown industrialist and public benefactor.
Another is the Master’s chair, given 1870 by Wor. John B. Goodrich.
Equally significant are three donations, made at various times, by Bro.
Cornelius C. Hodges who served Pequossette Lodge as Chaplain for 32
years. First was the illuminated letter “G”, given at the 50th
Anniversary in 1907. The second was the ballot box, given in 1912; and
the third, given in 1914, consisted of the illuminated emblems over the
Master’s chair in the East.
In 1914, a silk American flag was given by Bro.
George N. Chamberlain on behalf of 26 of the brethren whose first names
were George, in honor of our Ancient Brother George Washington.
The Square and Compasses, together with a gift of
$50 in gold (used to purchase the officers’ regalia), were presented in
1907 on behalf of the Ladies of the Lodge members by Wor. Benjamin H.
Dow.
More recent, are already mentioned, was the bequest
of Bro. Harry W. Brigham which was a key event in the building of the
Watertown Masonic Temple. A bequest from Mary Ross, in memory of her
husband Bro. Adam Ross in the amount of $500.00, which was used to
purchase the present Line Officers’ Aprons. A bequest in the amount of
$1000.00, from R. Winson Towne, in memory of his father Bro. Selwyne
Towne.
In this, the twenty-fifth year of their second
century, the members of Pequossette Lodge face the future with
confidence that the work of building the house not made with hands,
according to the will of the Supreme Architect, will continue in
Watertown, as elsewhere, world without end.
Frank Lightbody |
