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KING SOLOMON'S LODGE

Location: Charlestown; Somerville (1899)

Chartered By: John Warren

Charter Date: 09/05/1783 I-309

Precedence Date: 09/05/1783

Current Status: Active


NOTES

Chartered by the Massachusetts Grand Lodge. King Solomon's was closely associated in its early years with the memorial to the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Sagamore Lodge merged into this Lodge, 03/28/1986.

From New England Freemason, Vol. I, No. 3, March 1875, Page 141:

King Solomon's Lodge, of Charlestown, Mass., (now Boston.) was chartered by Massachusetts Grand Lodge, John Warren, Grand Master, Sept. 5, 1783. Its Records are complete, from the preliminary meeting with a view to its formation (Aug. 20, 1783) until the present lime. Its By-Laws were published in 1867; and, in connection with them, are given "Brief Extracts from the Records, compiled by W. Brothers George II. Marden and George P. Kettell." In looking over these Extracts, we have found many interesting items which we should be glad to transfer to our pages, but at present we have space for only the following:

R.W. Thomas Hooper was initiated in this Lodge in 1800, admitted a member in 1801, and Wor. Master in 1812-14. Ho visited the Lodge on Dec. 11th, 1860, (being 81 years old,) and delivered a very "interesting address, relating chiefly to the early history of the Lodge, with sketches of its founders, with all of whom he was personally acquainted." Of the first Senior Warden of the Lodge he gives the following account:

"Eliphalet Newell was initiated in St. Andrew's Lodge in Boston, Dec. 11, 1777, and was admitted to membership in the same Lodge in Dec., 1778. He wsis by trade a baker. His house, the front part of which still stands on Main Street, opposite the junction of Bow and Harvard Streets, was among the first erected after the conflagration. It was built for a tavern, and was called Warren Tavern. Its large sign, which swung from a high post, bore on either side a likeness of General Joseph Warren, in his Masonic insignia as Grand Master. Attached to the house was a large hall, called afterwards Warren Hall. Here our Lodge was formed, and for the first twenty years of its existence held its meetings. Brother Newell sustained the character of an experienced 'inn-holder;' he was a man of marked individuality of character ; was *a train band captain"; one of the selectmen of the town, and is said to have been one of the celebrated ' tea party' famed in the history of Boston.

"The selectmen held their meetings at his house; and it is said that, while they were in session, he would sit in an adjoining room, smoking his long pipe, until after what he considered a reasonable time had elapsed, when he would make his entrance, and, regardless of the town business, his usual address would be, 'Mr. Cheerman, did you say punch or flip?' Brother Newell died in 1813, and, in accordance with his request, was buried with Masonic honors."

Brother Hooper thus refers to another of the founders of the Lodge:

"Of David Goodwin I can speak with more freedom, perhaps with more feeling. He became the guardian and protector of the orphan boy of thirteen years. He led me with a father's care from youth to manhood. He made me a mechanic. During the nine years in which I dwelt under his roof, never did I witness aught that would derogate from his character for strict uprightness and integrity. David Goodwin was initiated into Masonry in St. Andrew's Lodge, Boston, on the 9th of March, 1775. I am unable to say where he received the second and third degrees. He was a man diligent in his calling, fervid in his piety, and honorable in his dealings with his fellow- men. Our town records bear honorable testimony to the important services he rendered in municipal affairs and as a representative of the town in the Legislature. One trifling incident in this connection will serve to illustrate his strict sense of honesty. At the close of one of the sessions, the members were called to the clerk's desk (according to the custom then) to give in the number of days of their attendance. When Mr. Goodwin was called, he reported twenty-seven days and a half. "We have no half-days here, Mr. Goodwin; I must call it twenty-eight days", said the clerk. "Not so," was the reply; I never yet made charge for a whole day's work when I had done but half of one. I have attended here twenty-seven days and one-half; for so much I require payment,—no more, no less." I need not say that the clerk yielded the point. Brother Goodwin was a housewright, and built and occupied several houses in town, one of which, the last, is still standing on the corner of Washington and Union Streets. Here, at a ripe old age, after acting well his part in the great drama of life, "he gave his honors to the world again, his blessed past to heaven, and slept in peace."


PAST MASTERS

  • Josiah Bartlett, 1783, 1784 1787, 1793, 1808
  • Joseph Cordis, 1785
  • Wiliam Calder, 1785, 1786, 1791, 1792
  • Isaac Snow, 1788
  • Samuel Swan, 1789, 1790
  • John Soley, 1794-1796
  • Oliver Holden, 1797-1800
  • Thomas O. Larkin, 1801, 1802
  • Melzer Holmes, 1803
  • Edward Goodwin, 1804
  • John Goodwin, 1805, 1806
  • Francis Hyde, 1807
  • Joseph Phipps, 1809
  • Joshua B. Phipps, 1810, 1811
  • Thomas Hooper, 1812-1814 Memorial
  • Benjamin Whipple, 1815, 1816
  • Benjamin Adams, 1817-1819
  • John Gregory, 1820, 1821
  • Benjamin Gleason, 1822, 1823, 1838; SN
  • Ezra Stone, 1824-1826
  • Dexter Bowman, 1827-1837
  • John Stevens, 1839-1841
  • Francis L. Raymon, 1842, 1843
  • Charles B. Rogers, 1844, 1845, 1851
  • James A.D. Worcester, 1846
  • George P. Kettell, 1847, 1848, 1852, 1853
  • Caleb Rand, 1854-1857
  • William H. Sanders, 1858, 1859
  • William Darton, 1860
  • William W. McKim, 1861
  • Edward S. Coombs, 1862, 1863
  • Samuel S. Wilson, 1864
  • Henry Moore, 1865
  • George W. Abbott, 1866
  • C. Prescott Goss, 1867
  • Edward P. Tourtellot, 1868, 1869
  • John E. Marden, 1870, 1871
  • Charles R. Whitney, 1872, 1873
  • William H. Crowell, 1874, 1875
  • John B. Whitney, 1876, 1877
  • Alfred C. Hall, 1878, 1879
  • Franklin W. Hopkins, 1880, 1881; SN
  • Galen M. Bowditch, 1882, 1884
  • Albert E. Dadley, 1883
  • William M. Townsend, 1885, 1886
  • Edgar E. Haines, 1887, 1888
  • Frank Vose, 1889, 1890; SN
  • Edwin D. Sibley, 1891, 1892
  • Ernest C. Marshall, 1893, 1894
  • Charles H. Tucker, 1895, 1896
  • Charles O. Shute, 1897, 1898
  • William J. Cogswell, 1899, 1900
  • Clifford M. Bean, 1901, 1902
  • Herbert E. Arnold, 1903, 1904
  • William W. White, 1905, 1906
  • Robert W. Oliver, 1907, 1908; N
  • William D. Bennett, 1909, 1910
  • Harry E. Saxton, 1911, 1912
  • DeMelle C. Garey, 1913, 1914
  • Edgar W. Evans, 1915, 1916
  • William Preble Jones, 1917
  • Arthur W. Vaughan, 1918, 1919
  • Roy M. Perkins, 1920, 1921
  • Lincoln P. Sibley, 1922, 1923
  • Warner R. Crowell, 1924, 1925; Mem
  • DeBert Wakelee, 1926, 1927
  • George H. Mowers, Jr., 1928, 1929
  • Frederick S. Emery, 1930, 1931
  • Frederick W. Hale, 1932, 1933; N
  • William M. Oliver, 1934, 1935
  • George L. Dolloff, 1936, 1937; N
  • John A. Daniels, 1938, 1939; N
  • John A. Carey, 1940, 1941; N
  • Albert L. Kelley, 1942, 1943
  • Stathern B. Chute, 1944, 1945
  • Lincoln C. Grush, 1946, 1947
  • George G. Walker, 1948, 1949
  • Malcolm E. Austin, 1950, 1951
  • Warren P. Eldridge, 1952, 1953; N
  • Daniel S. Josie, 1954, 1955
  • William J. Talbot, 1956
  • Elwood G. Bryan, Jr., 1957
  • William W. Ingalls, 1958
  • Richard D. Finlayson, 1959
  • E. Stuart Rumery, 1960
  • Norman S. Woodside, 1961
  • Irving E. Johansen, 1962, 1963; PDDGM
  • Robert E. Hunewill, 1964
  • Malcolm A. Austin, 1965
  • Alfred L. Soper, 1966
  • William M. Hedly, 1967
  • Roy H. Anderson, 1968
  • Ronald H. Slocum, 1969, 1972, 1973
  • Charles W. Saarela, 1970
  • David B. Lewis, Jr., 1971; N
  • Reginald S. Foster, 1974
  • Donald N. Lanchester, 1975
  • Paul I. Cleveland, 1976
  • Kenneth M. Riley, 1977
  • Frederick B. Parks, 1978
  • Norman S. Woodside, 1979
  • John Poth, Jr., 1980, 1981
  • Joseph A. Dube, 1982
  • David Belbin, 1983
  • Paul B. Hedly, 1984
  • Donald F. Norton, 1985, 1986
  • Donald B. Snow, 1987, 1988, 1995
  • Jonathan U. Bowers, 1989
  • Donald H. Chamberlain, Jr., 1990
  • Allan R. Webster, 1991
  • John D. Winters, 1992
  • Charles F. Gill, 1993, 1994
  • Wayne A. Forsyth, 1996, 1997
  • James A. Norton, 1998-2000
  • Maurice H. Haddad, 2001, 2002
  • Bruce E. Rollins, 2002-2004
  • Robert J. Campbell, 2005
  • William B. Tauro, 2006
  • Stephen M. Post, 2007
  • James A. Norton, 2008, 2009
  • Jose M. Jorge, 2010, 2011
  • Joey Lacy, 2012, 2013

AFFILIATE PAST MASTERS (LIVING)

  • Robert J. Cambell; PDDGM
  • Nicholas Cardoos Jr.; PDDGM
  • Donald H. Chamberlain, Jr.
  • Frank J. DeMattia
  • Jonathan P. Doran; PDDGM
  • Khalil C. Laham; PDDGM
  • Frank R. Ricardo; PDDGM
  • Bruce E. Rollins; PDDGM
  • R. Steven Shankle; PDDGM
  • Douglas B. Carriger
  • Charles G. Moulton; PDDGM
  • J. Steven Dalyrmple
  • Michael S. Podymaitis; PDDGM
  • Herbert W. Mower; PDDGM
  • Nicholas S. Papadinis; PDDGM
  • Scott M. Gamble; PDDGM
  • James "Jack” Giragosian
  • Robert “Skip” Trahey
  • Jerry A. Roach, Jr.; PDDGM
  • David B. Olsen; PDDGM
  • Donald A. Coutoumas; PDDGM

YEARS

1783 1784 1785 1786 1787 1788 1789 1790 1791


REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS

  • Petition for Charter: 1783

ANNIVERSARIES

  • 1858 (75th Anniversary; not in Proceedings; see in Events below)
  • 1883 (Centenary)
  • 1933 (150th Anniversary)
  • 1958 (175th Anniversary)
  • 1983 (200th Anniversary)
  • 2008 (225th Anniversary)

VISITS BY GRAND MASTER

BY-LAW CHANGES

1884 1896 1897 1898 1899 1901 1905 1906 1908 1911 1913 1919 1923 1924 1929 1937 1947 1952 1954 1959 1961 1969 1972 1974 1978 1979 1981 1987 1991 2007

HISTORY

  • 1811 (Address on Early History; see below)
  • 1883 (Centenary Address, 1883-82; see below)
  • 1958 (175th Anniversary History, 1958-158)

ADDRESS, JUNE 1811

JOHN LATHROP, JR. (1772-1820) MM St. John's, Boston, 1800; biographical sketch

From Freemason's Magazine and General Miscellany, Vol. I, No. 5, August 1811, Page 321ff:

ADDRESS PRONOUNCED BEFORE KING SOLOMON'S LODGE, JUNE 24, 5811. BY JOHN LATHROP, JUN. ESQ. A. M.

The description of distressing and calamitous events so frequently employs the historian's pen, and the orator's eloquence, that an occasion for expressing the joyous sympathies of the heart, and for interchanging the lively expressions of congratulation, is hailed -with eagerness and improved with delight. Too often is the keenest pang that can torture the bosom of sensibility, produced by the narrative of afflicting circumstances, marked with the melancholy characters of horror and despair. The merciless and indiscriminating ravage of war; the widely wasting progress of pestilence; the evils caused by the desolating rage of fire; party intolerance! have too long furnished subjects for individual regret, and for public commiseration. On this day we meet to celebrate the nativity of a friend and benefactor to the human race. Hence, ye profane passions that war against the soul, and lead the will in chains of disgraceful bondage! Sacred to benevolence be this anniversary. Let us all harmonize in those sentiments of mutual affection which induce a temporary oblivion of the troubles and anxieties o the world from which we have retired. Let us so spend the pleasing moments of seclusion, that when we return to the scenes of busy life, we may bear with us the testimonies of reason and truth, in favor of an institution, whose design is to make men good, by inculcating the principles of wisdom, and to illustrate the beauties of virtue, by the practice of her precepts.

In the character of John the Baptist, we contemplate the noblest qualities of our nature, refined and dignified by the divinity to which he was allied by consanguinity, and by his exalted office, as precursor of our Saviour. The great work of our redemption was commenced at his birth. A special messenger front heaven announced the event as a cause of ecstatic joy to the human race. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for a testimony to testify of the Light, so that all through him might believe. The venerable Zechariah, under the influence of divine inspiration, proclaimed him to be the prophet of the Most High, to go before the face of the Lord — to prepare his ways — to give the knowledge of salvation to the people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, by which, the dayspring hath visited us to enlighten those who sit in darkness, and in the region of the shadow of death; and to guide our feet in the path of peace. This faithful ambassador executed the purposes of his mission with unabated zeal, and unwearied constancy, to the end of his days. His deportment was characterized by the dignity of the prophet, the humility of the Christian, and the kindness of a brother towards his brethren of mankind. The whole tenor of his life was exemplary; and his discourses explained and enforced the most important doctrines of morality and religion. Having performed the duty of baptizing Christ, he continued to instruct his hearers in the sublime and glorious truths of the dispensation, which' he was commissioned . to promulgate. In the active discharge of his ministerial functions, he went about doing good, with the amiable and persevering solicitude of genuine philanthropy. To the publicans who questioned him, saying, "Teacher, what shall we do?" — He answered, "Exact no more than is appointed unto you." To the soldiers who asked him, "what shall we do?" he replied, "Take by violence from no man; accuse no one falsely, and be content with your pay." In these plain and simple exhortations, much of useful instruction is conveyed to the present generation; but if we advert to the history of the times, and the state of society when they were delivered, we shall find, that they were uttered in a spirit of manly courage, that fearlessly reproved the vices of the age, though they were perpetrated by the powerful, and patronized by the great. At length, his warfare was accomplished; and as he was the harbinger of his Divine Master on a stage of trial, of sufFering, and incessant labor, he finished his course before him, and triumphantly entered into his rest. Smiling serenely in the face of his executioner, he submitted to the sentence of death, that was his passport to immortal life: He exchanged the fetters, and the prison of Herod, for the crown of a martyr, and the perfect felicity of the eternal world.

Short was the earthly pilgrimage of St. John. But, my brethren, he has left us the record of his actions, of his doctrines, and virtues, as an inestimable legacy. Let us endeavor to resemble him in his piety to God; his fidelity to our Saviour; his temperance, that enjoyed the brook, the locust, and the honey of the wilderness, more than epicures relish their costly viands, and their "wines of various growth;" his modesty, that was content to instruct the simple tenants of the forest, or the unrefined rustics and fishermen of Judea, when his eloquence might have crowned him with the applauses of admiring multitudes in the temple and the forum. Let us imitate his humility, which was deaf to the suggestions of ambition, and blind to the allurements of power; his justice and fortitude which compelled the Roman governor who had imprisoned him to acknowledge with fear that " he was a just and holy man;" and finally, let us honor our tutelary saint by "following charity with all men."

The examination of our duties, as social beings, and of the connexion which exists between their performance, and happiness, is always a useful exercise of our intellectual faculties; but on the present anniversary, it is a peculiarly interesting subject of consideration. To avenge the injuries, and redress the wrongs of the oppressed; to carry the comforts of plenty into the dreary abode of the hungry, and of clothing to the shivering child of misfortune; to rear habitations for the houseless wanderer, whom 
the midnight conflagration has made naked and desolate; to pour
 instruction on the tender minds of indigent youth; to recall by the
 united efforts of philosophy and humanity the departing spirit; to 
relume the almost extinguished lamp of life, and to bid the con
solations of hope animate the heart that was fainting in despair;
 — these are the offices of Virtue, the holy, and the delightful employments of Benevolence. For these noble, these, heavenly pur
poses, associations are formed that not only reflect honor on our
country, but on our nature. The institutions of Charity are as nu
merous as the-wants and infirmities of mankind. (Note: See the catalogue of humane, scientific, and charitable societies, in the Massachusetts Register).

The virtues which the Masonic fraternity profess, are of uni
versal importance; and they are not circumscribed in their opera
tion, by the usual distinctions which prevail in civilized society.
 They produce the same effects in the palace and in the cottage;
they diffuse their blessings around the mansion of the opulent;
 and they cheer and charm, in the humble dwelling of laborious
 industry. Although Masonry disclaims the spirit of political ani
mosity, and of religious controversy, owns no fellowship with
 faction, no brotherhood with illiberality, the statesman and the
divine cherish its principles, and adopt its manners, with obvious
advantage to themselves and their country. Whenever the inter
course of man with man is necessary, whether for the enjoyment
of social pleasures, the explanation of ambiguous circumstances,
the conciliation of mistaken opinions or unfriendly interests, or
for restoring harmony that passion or accident bad disturbed, the
feelings, the utterance, and the deportment of Benevolence, are
the happiest means to produce the desired effects. Nor is their
importance or efficacy lessened by enlarging their sphere of ac
tion. The candid and inquisitive traveller, the diplomatic repre
sentative of a sovereign, the ruler of a commercial nation, the
commander of a fleet or an army, will acknowledge their influ
ence in multiplying sources of useful knowledge, in affording fa
cilities for fair and honorable negotiation, in securing the recipro
cities of advantage in free trade, in preventing the effusion of hu
man blood, and, in the dreadful event of battle, in softening the
 rigors of war, and "destroying half its terrors, by depriving it of
 all its ferocity." For the insidious spy, the artful traitor, the fraudulent schemer, the hypocrite that smiles to betray, and the assassin who covers his dagger with the cloak of friendship, Masonry has no language but the exclamation of abhorrence; no look, but the petrifying glance of indignation; no sign, but the finger that beckons to justice, and points the guilty wretch to his merited punishment. This discriminating benevolence of Masonry is one of its most important characteristics. Though Good will to man be engraved on the entablature of its portico, Glory to God is the sublime inscription on the tympanum of the pediment — for no act of man can be acceptable to the Almighty, which, by concealing vice, would expose innocence to the artifices of the base and malignant, or enable the rapaciotte and cruel to set at defiance the wholesome regulations of lawful authority.

The best illustrations of the principles of Masonry are the lives and conduct of good Masons, of such as may claim preeminence in society, by exhibiting in their actions and behavior the cairn intrepidity of fortitude; the cool and deliberate decision of justice; the serene and regulated disposition of temperance; the steady wisdom and sagacious foresight of prudence, with the open, undisguised, and generous soul of charity.

On yonder eminence, the brethren of King Solomon's Lodge have reared a monument, with a laudable zeal, to consecrate the spot where Warren fell, and to evince their affection and respect for his memory as a Mason, a hero, and a patriot. In this act of public spirit and liberality, they have identified their own honor, with that of the subject of their commemoration; and while posterity survey the columns that is dedicated to one of the earliest and most eminent founders of our republic, they will pay the tribute of gratitude and veneration to the fraternity by whom it was erected.

The handsome monument which graces the heights of Charlestown was publicly dedicated by the society of Freemasons, Dec. 2, 5794, in commemoration of the events of June 17, 1775. It is a Tuscan pillar, 18 feet high, placed on a brick foundation 10 feet from the ground, 8 feet square, inclosed with posts. On the top of the pillar is a gilt urn, with the letters "J. W. aged 35," intwined in masonic emblems. On the south side of the pedestal is the following inscription.

"Erected
by King Solomon's lodge of Freemasons,
Constituted in Charlestown, 1783,
In Memory of
MAJOR GENERAL JOSEPH WARREN,
and his Associates,
who were slain on this memorable spot,
June 17, 1775.

None but those who set a just value upon the blessings of Liberty, are worthy to enjoy her. In vain we toiled; in vain we fought; we bled in vain; if you, our offspring, want valor to repel the assaults of her invaders.
Charlestown settled 1628.
Burnt 1775. Rebuilt 1776.
The inclosed land was given by the honorable James Russell, esq.

The procession on this occasion was formed at Warren Hall, consisting of the members of the lodge and other brethren, the magistrates, selectmen, minister and deacons, the town officers, officers of the artillery company, militia officers, and citizens who had borne military commissions, with the trustees, masters, and scholars of the public schools. Preceded by a band of music they walked to the hill, where a circle was formed round the pillar, and a spirited dedicatory address was delivered by the R. W. John Soley, Jun., master of the lodge. After this minute guns were discharged by a detachment of Captain Smith's artillery company, with the flag displayed half staff high. The procession then returned to the hall, where, after a solemn dirge, an eulogy on General Warren, pronounced by a member of the lodge, concluded the ceremony.

The eloquence and wisdom of General WARREN were pow
erful agents in effecting our revolution. They roused the torpid
 from lethargy to action, and generated confidence, while they ex
cited enthusiasm in the bosoms of his audience. In the correct
 language of a contemporary biographer (Rev. Dr. Eliot), we conclude our humble
 tribute to this illustrious character.

"It is true, that at all times 
he discovered the greatest fortitude and bravery; and, as he lived
 an ornament to his country, his death reflected a lustre upon him
self, and the cause he so warmly espoused. No person's fall was 
ever more regretted, and yet no one could help feeling the senti
ment, who repeated the line, .

Dulce et decorum est, pro patria mori.

With honest pride, every American boasts that Warren was his countryman. With what feelings of love and exultation does every Mason exclaim Warren was my brother!

But has Envy a calumny to utter against our Institution? Has Ignorance borrowed an arrow from the quiver of Falsehood to bury in the breast of the Genius of Masonry? — Unveil the statue of the godlike Washington! — His divinely awful countenance will petrify their arms, and stiffen their tongues in eternal silence. Alas! — where is the statue? where the mausoleum of his country's father? Private gratitude and veneration may have reared the stately column, and inscribed the monumental tablet with his immortal name. Associated patriots may have combined to erect memorials of his unparalleled services and sacrifices. The stranger may congratulate himself that the pencil has preserved the form and features of the best and greatest of men. The liberal arts, faithful to their protector, have devoted their various powers and talents to imbody his fame, and give it a permanent and visible existence in the earth from which his spirit has departed. But—where is the cenotaph which a grateful people has erected to cover his sacred relics, and to shelter the turf that hides them from the rude visiting of the wintry tempest? At least, his unconscious remains are suffered to moulder in undisturbed repose.—No! The impious hand of Avarice* has already invaded his tomb to plunder it of his bones! Americans! can ye hear it? A felon has attempted to bear his relics to a foreign land, as a show to gratify the curiosity of strangers.

Extract of a letter from Mr. Latrobe, architect, of the city of Washington, to the editor of the Philadelphia Democratic Press.

"Congress, by a solemn act, asked the body of Washington of his widow. I can conceive of nothing more affecting than of a powerful nation approaching the widow of their chief, and asking her to surrender all that was left her of her husband; for the purpose of honoring by public sepulture, all that was left them of him that conducted them to independence. Having obtained this national request, we should suppose that the nation, which had thought it important to ask the privilege, would at least have used it when obtained. But Mrs. Washington had in her lifetime the mortification to see the national gratitude evaporate in the embassy to Mount Vernon; and the body of Washington, at this moment, may, for aught that has been, or can be done to prevent it, be fallen from its coffin. So insecure is the family vault, that a few years ago a gardener broke into it, and stole several bones from it, supposing them to be those of General Washington. He was detected, and being examined as to his motive, he said he intended to carry them to London, and make money by their exhibition. Nothing indeed would have been more easy than to have carried off the real body."

Yet it is some consolation to know, that a "caitiff wretch" could so highly appreciate his intended plunder, that he regarded it as a treasure which would be dear to men who considered Washington no longer an enemy to a particular nation, but an ornament to the human race. This is, however, an uncommon mode of canonizing a great and good man. May it have its proper effect, and stimulate the indifferent, and shame the perverse, to an immediate and magnificent discharge of a duty that they have so long owed to the memory and the remains of the political saviour of our country. In this wish, party has no influence — The delay of execution in the statesmen, who at the time of his decease, voted the erection of a Mausoleum to Washington, was as unjust, as the pertinacity in wrong, that is new the subject of reprehension.

Masons! Washington was your brother; and the imperishable page that bears the record of his life and actions, is the bright testimonial of the purity of your principles, and of the excellence of your objects.

That man should never suffer his happiness to depend upon external circumstances, is one of the cheap precepts of the stoical philosophy; a precept indeed, which that haughty sect extended beyond the condition of human life, and in which, some of them seemed to have comprised an utter exclusion of corporeal pain from a wise man's regard and attention. Such extravagance of philosophy can want neither argument nor authority for its confutation; the powers of nature rise up against it; and it is overthrown by the experience of every hour. (Johnson.) To the pride of stoicism, then, we are indebted for none of the springs of happiness.

"Virtue," says an eminent ethical writer (Paley), "is the doing good to mankind in obedience to the will of God"; and a slight examination of the subject will convince us of the intimate connexion that subsists between the practice of this duty, and the enjoyment of felicity. Paradoxical as it may appear, nothing is more true, than that the wants and weaknesses of men; the feebleness and imperfection which render individuals mutually dependent for support, assistance, and sympathy, are the efficient causes of their most valuable powers, and of their noblest moral and intellectual attainments. Hence, the division of virtues into classes: some of which command awe and reverence; while others, although they are approached with sentiments of profound respect, receive the homage of animated devotion, mingled with the warm and pleasing feelings of affection and gratitude. With veneration and fear, and at an humble distance, do we bow before the tribunal of inflexible, justice. With sensations of terror that constitute the sublime of feeling, and of wonder, which silence the exclamation that would give them utterance, do we contemplate the stern countenances of the Roman magistrates, whose tongues, without a faltering accent, could pronounce the sentence of death on their gallant sons –

Ultoris Bruti fascesque videre receptos?

Consulis imperium hie primus, sævasque secures,
Accipiet; natosque pater, nova bella moventes

Ad poenam pulchra pro libertate vocabit

Infelix, &c. Æ. 6: 818 1. & seq.

Lucius Junius Brutus. In his consular office, he made the people swear they would never again submit to kingly authority! but the first who .violated the oath were in his own family. His sons conspired with the Tuscan ambassador to restore the Tarquins: and when discovered, they were tried and condemned before their father, who not only ordered them to be put to death, but looked on, and saw the sentence put into execution.

Manlius Torquatus, a celebrated Roman dictator. He had the courage and heart to put his son to death, because he bad engaged one of the enemy, and gained an honorable victory, without his previous permission. This uncommon rigor displeased many of the Romans; and though Torquatus was honored with a triumph, and commended by the senate for his services, yet the Roman youth showed their disapprobation of his severity, by refusing him at his return the homage which every other conqueror received.

Decius, a Roman consul, his son.and grandson, devoted. themselves to death for the safety of their country.

Codrus, king of Athens. When the Heraclids made war against Athens, the oracle declared that the victory should be granted to that nation whose king should fall in battle. The Heraclidae gave Strict orders to spare the life of Codrus; but the patriotic king disguised himself, and attacked one of the enemy, by whom he was slain. The Athenians, gained the victory; and Codrus was deservedly called the father of his country.

- whose bosoms could remain unmoved by the pleadings of a pitying multitude for their pardon; whose eyes could behold their dying agonies without a tear. Thanks to the milder principles of heroism which are adopted by modern warriors; to the maxims of equity which mitigate the severity of law, and govern the patient process of juridical investigation; thanks, especially to the Divine Author of our holy religion, whose influence has produced all the wonderful superiority in wisdom and beneficence which the christian world can boast over the brightest institutions of pagan antiquity; no longer is the test of patriotism, a desperate exertion of valor in a death-devoted individual — no longer is the sacrifice of the best and bravest citizen required to determine the contest of armies, or to decide the fate of an empire. The kindly affections of the parent, the brother, or the friend, are not deemed inconsistent with the integrity and firmness of the judge. With the march of Religion and Learning, Humanity and Refinement have made an equal progress; and the wreaths of conquerors derive their highest honor and decoration from the roses of benevolence which are interwoven with their laurels. The heart of sensibility is never delighted with grandeur destitute of beauty, with passion unallied to tenderness. The eye strained and wearied, by the prospect of a dizzy and abrupt precipice, is relieved by the calm and verdant scenery of the lowly vale; and the mind agitated and fatigued, by the powerful energies of ambition, the toils of the forum, or the litigations of the bar, gladly reposes on the tranquil bosom of friendship, or retires for solace and joy into the sacred recesses of confidence and love.

The virtues, which are immediately connected with our wants and weaknesses, are those which are the most amiable in our estimation; and they are honored with the most fervent worship of the soul. Were we perfect, there would be no occasion for the mediation of mercy, for the consolation of pity, for the support of faith, for the assurance of hope, and the innumerable offices of charity. But of these virtues we stand in hourly need; and we are enamored of them, because their effects are the continual objects of perception, and are indispensably necessary to our comfort and enjoyment.

To enter into a metaphysical disquisition concerning the mind of man, and the motives of his actions, would, in this place, be a task more curious than useful. We will content ourselves with referring the source of all our deeds to self, provided the truth be always acknowledged,

"That God and Nature link'd the general frame,
And bade self love and social be the same.
Self love but serves the virtuous mind to wake,
As the small pebble stirs the peaceful lake:
The centre mov'd, a circle straight succeeds,
Another still, and still another spreads—
Friend, parent, neighbor, first it will embrace,
Our country next, and next—all human race.
Wide and more wide, th' o'erflowings of the mind
Take every creature in, and every kind.
Earth smiles around in boundless beauty blest,
And heaven beholds its image in his breast."

The ingenious author of the inquiry into the nature and origin of moral evil observes that the production of happiness seems to be the only motive that could induce infinite goodness to exert infinite power to create all things; for to say the truth, happiness is the only thing of real value in existence; neither riches, nor power, nor wisdom, nor learning, nor strength, nor beauty, nor virtue, nor religion, nor even life itself, being of any importance, but as they contribute to its production. To an inquisitive and inexperienced spectator placed in the centre of a number of vistas, radiating from the point he occupies, a survey of human beings pressing forward through different courses in quest of happiness, would afford numerous and interesting objects of instruction and surprise. He would see many following the ever-varying flight of filmy gossamer; and many watching with upturned eyes, the plaything bubbles of sophistical theorists, gazing at them with vacant stare, as they glitter their moment in the sunbeam that dissolves them into the viewless air; Others, musing, and deep in thought, slowly bend their way toward the academic grove; while in a different direction the raptured poet, "meditating song" in heroic measure, stalks along the rising grounds, in fancied ascent to the temple of happiness, on the top of Parnassus! In another, but obscure part of the scene, might be discovered the lean and slippered pantaloon, who, just before the evening of his life, at the very dusk of bis day, has stolen a moment from Mammon, and begun to wonder why he has so long delved to no useful purpose, and drudged to no honorable end; that he has been a slave to the vilest habits, mortified his desires, risen early and moiled late, lived a beggar in the midst of plenty, been a hermit in the bosom of society, desolate and wretched where all was gay and smiling around him, to obtain a hoard of silver and gold, which, after all, he finds to be an exhaustless fund of care and vexation. Behold how anxiously he ponders on these things, until he is roused from his reverie by the hollow laugh of the equally sordid disciple of Epicurus. Now see the professed man of pleasure — his eyes wanton over a "land of fatness;" his wines are the nectar of fabled gods—such "liquid rubies" never sparkled in the glass of the fanciful Hafiz; such delicious flavors never exhilarated the senses of the voluptuous Anacreon. The piquancy of his viands stimulates the appetite; and the four quarters of the world contribute their luxuries to load and decorate his festive board. Officious friendship surrounds him with gay and amusing companions; and the stranger exclaims, behold the most favored of mortals, the happiest of mankind! Alas! the trembling hand, the palsied step, the crazy debilitated frame, the faltering tongue that babbles its own disgrace, the ridiculous affectation of powers long since decayed, the boast of passions existing only in feverish recollection, prove, emphatically prove, that happiness has no connexion with the most splendid fortune, when prostituted to the vile and detestable purposes of sensual indulgence.

But we turn from these disgusting views of bloated luxury and doting impotence, to the allurements of youth, health, and beauty. Now we enter regions of unmingled delight: vows fondly interchanged, hearts eternally united; "thought meeting thought, and will preventing will;" this is the abode of felicity. The blooming novices have nothing more to wish; the phantom no longer eludes their pursuit: they have caught the reality, and found it to be Love.

Short is the Elysian dream. Soon is the season of the singing of birds over and gone. The year, that youth imagined would be "all May" will not retard the succeeding months at the prayer of lovers; nor can the growth of the soul be stinted by the incantations or witcheries of Beauty. The rose, pressed with too familiar a grasp, has betrayed the thorn which its delicate foliage had concealed from the eye. The music of the grove, the scent of the dewy flowers have lost their charms, and the languor of satiety has followed the ardor of passion. Hark! at the sound of the trumpet the young hero starts from his disgraceful repose. The wreath of myrtle is indignantly thrown away; and in its stead, the crested helm, glitters on his brow. His heart-beats high. Glory is now bis mistress; the idol that engrosses all his affections. He-bursts en the field of Mars like a vertical sun from behind a noontide cloud. Imbattled armies are dazzled with his radiance; opportunity favors his enterprise; success crowns his valor; like an auspicious deity he determines the fortune of the fight; his country is saved; immortality is achieved. Alas, rival merit, the secret workings of jealousy, the poisoned darts of ambushed malice, the basilisk eyeballs of lean and haggard envy; are all directed against his fame; and having conquered for the public, he finds his most dangerous warfare but just commenced. Now he must confound impudent calumny; confute insidious sophistry; countermine the intrigues and plots of unseen enemies; and meet, and vanquish the open and the bold. He remembers with regret the peaceful scenes of unenvied leisure, and of undisturbed repose, which he rashly quitted for the turbulence of a camp, and for the conflicts of interest and ambition. He returns to the cottage; but contentment is no longer its tenant: he is a stranger on the fields where he was so lately at home. "He has bartered solid strength for feeble splendor;" and in the heaviness of his bitter experience, he confesses that the most frivolous caprice of rustic love, was stability when compared to the fickleness of glory.

But whence this strange perversity of human desire; this baffling interference of disappointment between the end of our pursuit, and its means of attainment? If happiness consists not in wealth, in luxury, in love, nor in glory, whither must we direct our search? Perhaps she may have chosen to abide in the cell of the hermit, pleased with the gloom of the wilderness, and charmed with the pensive musings of solitude: or, we may find her the companion of the student, pale with his midnight vigils. She may console him while he pores over ponderous tomes of ancient learning, and promise him an abundance of an author's food—a harvest of applause. Or, 'tis she, perhaps who enlivens the dreams of the poet, and presents celestial visions to the religious enthusiast. Ah, how mortifying the mistake! We have dignified the illusive vagaries of hope, with the name of happiness. Let us then endeavor, briefly to ascertain, and to examine, the causes of our vexations and disappointments.

The causes of our disappointments are as numerous as our errors and mistakes in selecting the course which we imagine will lead to the attainment of happiness. They may all be attributed to the misapplication of qualities, talents, or possessions, which if properly directed and improved, would gratify our rational wishes and give us all the felicity which is consistent with the nature of man, in his present imperfect state of existence. Forming a false estimate of the value, and an indistinct idea of the blessings,' or evils of life as they affect our condition, or influence our circumstances, we mistake shadows for realities', and instead of pressing forward with steadiness in the paths of wisdom and virtue, follow a deceptive phantom, the airy creature of whim, or imagination. After toiling in vain, and discovering the error when too late to be corrected, we abandon the search, exclaiming there is no good thing under the sun; and thus our labor ends in vanity and vexation of spirit. From so impious and absurd a conclusion, let us turn with the disgust and horror which it ought to occasion in a reflecting mind. If a single object be selected and undeviatingly pursued, as our best good, with a total disregard of every thing else with which it is necessarily connected, it is not surprising that the possession of it should disappoint our expectations. Honor, wealth, power, love, genius, learning, and most of the passions of our bosoms, are in themselves sources of felicity and capable of producing the blessings; but they cannot individually constitute that state or condition of the heart which is distinguished by the name of happiness. The destitute beggar is as happy as the miser who broods over his buried treasures.

As well can the moon give light without the rays of the sun, or the fields yield a plentiful harvest unfertilized by the genial influences of the clouds, as wealth produce contentment, or honor afford bliss, without the aids of religion and benevolence. Our intellectual possessions become valuable only by a proper use and improvement; and our good dispositions and passions are elevated into virtues by their active operation for the benefit of our species. When the gifts of Providence are sordidly devoted to the sole and narrow purposes of self, they are vain and unprofitable to their possessor, because they are beneficial to no other creature in existence. When wealth is employed to purchase food for the hungry, or clothing for the naked; to rear seminaries for the instruction of the ignorant; and to convert even the gratification of personal employment into funds for encouraging the liberal arts, and refining the taste of society; when ambition, not contented with the laurels which it has gathered on the field of danger, aspires to the fame that rewards exploits and services consecrated by patriotism to the public advantage and glory; when Genius, the friend and servant of Truth, devotes her various talents to enlighten the mind without inflaming its vicious passions, and aids the cause of virtue, by her eloquence and example; when Love softens and expands the heart, and communicates to all animated nature a pleasing appearance, a lively interest, and derives the sweetest of joys from contemplating the beauty and harmony of surrounding objects; when, in fine, we can make our physical or moral properties, powers, or possessions, t the means of communicating happiness to others; we shall find them sources of happiness to ourselves.

"See the sole bliss heaven could on all bestow,
Which who but feels can taste, but thinks, can know.
Yet poor with fortune, and with learning blind,
The bad must miss—the good, untaught will find.
Slave to no sect, who takes no private road,
But looks through Nature, up to Nature's God—
Pursues that chain which links th' immense design,
Joins heaven to earth—and mortal to divine—
Sees that no being any bliss can know,
But touches some above, or some below—
Learns from this union of the rising whole,
The first—last purpose of the human soul,
And knows, where faith, law, morals, all began,
All end—in love of God and love of Man!"

CENTENNIAL ADDRESS, SEPTEMBER 1883


OTHER

  • 1803 (Committee to report on communications, II-219)
  • 1804 (Remittance for Bunker Hill expenses, II-235)
  • 1806 (Resolution prohibiting a blind initiate, II-308)
  • 1808 (Installation of officers at Feast of St. John, II-408)
  • 1844 (Invitation to attend dedication of Bunker Hill Monument, II-742)
  • 1845 (Report on Bunker Hill dedication order of ceremonies, V-5)
  • 1849 (Complaint on Maine sojourners, V-233)
  • 1851 (Communication regarding the death of Past Grand Master Soley, V-329)
  • 1867 (Memorial regarding increase of dues, VII-163)
  • 1868 (Complaint on jurisdiction, VII-233)
  • 1870 (Complaint on jurisdiction, 1870-13)
  • 1893 (Petition to celebrate Bunker Hill monument centennial, 1893-147)
  • 1895 (Proposal for a joint meeting with Grand Lodge, 1895-42)
  • 1899 (Petition to remove to Somerville granted, 1899-86)

EVENTS

75TH ANNIVERSARY, SEPTEMBER 1858

From Moore's Freemasons' Monthly, Vol. XVII, No. 12, October 1858, Page 369:

This fine old Lodge (located at Charlestown,) celebrated its 75th anniversary, on Monday evening, the 6th of September last, — the Chatter having been granted by the "Massachusetts Grand Lodge," on the 5th September, 1783. It bears the names of Dr. John Warren, brother to Gen. Joseph Warren, as Grand Master; Col. Joseph Webb, as Past Grand Master; Col. Paul Revere, as Senior Grand Warden, and Thos. Uran, Esq., Junior Grand Warden. The Consecration of the Lodge and the Installation of the officers took place on the 7th of January following, — in reference to which the records say —

"At 11 o'clock in the forenoon, the Grand Lodge, agreeable to their appointment, attended in ample form, King Solomon's Lodge having previously assembled. The M. W. G. Master, John Warren, Esq., gave a concise history of Masonry, from the creation to the present period. The officers of the Lodge were then installed, and invested with their Jewels and instruments of office. After which, dinner was attended, and the afternoon agreeably spent. At sunset the Grand Lodge walked in procession to the Ferry, attended by the new Lodge, the M. W. Grand Master giving authority to Bro. Bartlett to close the Grand Lodge according to order, which was accordingly done at the return of King Solomon's Lodge to the Hall, where many of the Brethren concluded the evening of a day spent with the most unfeigned satisfaction."

The first Master was Dr. Josiah Bartlett; the Wardens, Eliphalet Newell and Benjamin Frothingham; Joseph Cordis, Treasurer, and Caleb Swan, Secretary. Among the Past Masters of the Lodge are the well-remembered names of John Soley, Oliver Holden, Thomas Larkin, Francis Hyde, Joseph Phipps, Benjamin Whipple, Benj. Adams, John Gregory, Benj. Gleason, and others.

The services on Monday evening, (Sept. 6th,) says the Bunker Hill Aurora, were held at the Universalist Church. The address by Rev. Dr. Flint, of Greenfield, (D. G. Master,) was highly interesting and appropriate to the occasion^ The audience was small on account of the many absences from the city, and. the supposition of others that the church was not to be opened to the public. The singing by the choir was excellent.

After the services at the church, the Brethren and members and their families partook of a supper, provided in the City Hall, by the well-known caterer, J. B. Smith. Brother Caleb Rand, Master of the Lodge, presided at the tables, and performed the duties in a prompt and excellent manner. Speeches were made by the M. W. Grand Master in reply to a toast complimentary to the Grand Lodge, and by Brothers Marden, Rogers, Flint, Warren, and others. The Aurora says — "It was altogether a very satisfactory and memorable occasion for King Solomon's Lodge and for the fraternity in this city. There were a number of visiting Brethren present who expressed their high gratification with the events of the evening."

INSTALLATION, OCTOBER 1858

From Moore's Freemasons' Monthly, Vol. XVIII, No. 1, November 1858, Page 32:

The following Officers of King Solomon's Lodge, Charlestown, were elected and installed on the 12th of October last:—

  • William H Sanders, W. M.
  • William Darton, S. W.
  • Edward S. Coombs, J. W.
  • Noah Butts, Treas.
  • Geo. H. Marden, Sec.
  • Daniel Grant, Jr., S. D.
  • C. Prescott Goss, J. D.
  • John P. Prichard, Marshal
  • Lyman B. Goss, S. S.
  • Franklin N. Carter, J. S.
  • Jas. F. Anderson, I. S.
  • Rowland Hill, Tyler.

GRAND LODGE OFFICERS

DISTRICTS

1803: District 1 (Boston)

1821: District 9

1835: District 3

1849: District 1

1857: District 11

1867: District 2 (Charlestown)

1883: District 2 (Cambridge)

1901: District 6 (Somerville)

1911: District 6 (Somerville)

1927: District 6 (Somerville)

2003: District 3


LINKS

Lodge Web Site

Massachusetts Lodges