MayFlower

MAY FLOWER LODGE

Location: Middleboro

Chartered By: William Parkman

Charter Date: 03/09/1865 VII-2

Precedence Date: 03/04/1864

Current Status: Active

PAST MASTERS

John Shaw, Jr., 1864, 1865
Benjamin F. Tripp, 1866, 1867
Andrew B. Bosworth, 1868-1871
Charles H. Carpenter, 1872
Reland F. Barrows, 1873, 1885
Francis R. Eaton, 1874, 1875
Warren H. Southworth, 1876, 1877
James M. Coombs, Jr., 1878, 1879
Charles L. Starkey, 1880, 1903
Charles W. Drake, 1881, 1882
Otis L. Barden, 1883, 1884
James H. Weston, 1886, 1887
Arlon R. Dustin, 1888, 1889; N
George W. Lovell, 1890, 1891
Homer R. Caswell, 1892, 1893
George A. Cox, 1894, 1895; Mem
Josiah H. Cushing, 1896, 1897
William R. Mitchell, 1898, 1999
Wilkes H. F. Pettee, 1900
Ichabod B. Thomas, 1901, 1902
George E. White, 1904
Winsor F. Fryer, 1905, 1906
Sylvanus L. Brett, 1907, 1908
George F. Cox, 1909, 1910
Charles N. Warren, 1911, 1912
Harold S. Thomas, 1913, 1914
Theodore N. Wood, 1915, 1916; N
William W. Brackett, 1917, 1918
John G. Paun, 1919-1920
Clarington H. Berry, 1921, 1922
Albert A. Thomas, 1923, 1924
Arthur W. Cunningham, 1925, 1926
Fred F. Churbuck, 1927, 1928
Mryon L. Hinckley, 1929, 1930
Ichabod B. Thomas, Jr., 1931, 1932
Frederick S. Weston, 1933, 1934; N
Ernest S. Pratt, 1935, 1936
Dalton L. Penniman, 1937; N
N. Merill Sampson, 1938
Robert A. Clark, 1939, 1940
Frank J. Dow, 1941, 1942
Clyde S. Thomas, 1943, 1944
Norman W. Lindsay, 1945, 1946
Willard A. Dunham, 1947
Walter R. Norris, 1948
Roderick G. Matheson, 1949
Frederic J. Carey, 1950
G. Ward Stetson, 1951; N
Lloyd E. Banks, 1952
Walter J. D. Mcneil, 1953
Paul Weaver, 1954
Winthrop K. Winberg, 1955
Charles R. Carey, 1956
Adnah H. Harlow, 1957
Donland A. Martin, 1958
Arthur A. Hanson, 1959; N
Edwin O. Wilson, 1960
Robert L. Cushing, 1961
Crawford Wright, 1962
Arthur P. Craig, 1963
J. Warren Tufts, 1964
Bruce G. Atwood, 1965
William R. Holmes, 1966
Stanley E. Barnicoat, 1967
H. Alden Sinnott, Jr., 1968
Norman F. Franz, 1969
Robert F. Mizaras, 1970
Preston H. Richmond, 1971
Oliver Harju, 1972-1973
Maurice K. Richmond, 1974
Herbert E. Day, 1975
William C. Allison, 1976, 1992; PDDGM
Joseph W. Macallister, 1977
Herbert E. Thompson, Jr., 1978-1979
Herbert E. Day, 1980
Albert J. Hardy, 1981
Raymond L. Patton, 1982
Raymond W. Hertz, 1983
Clifford W. Holman, 1984
Paul W. Bain, 1985
Joseph Russo, Jr., 1986; PDDGM
Richard A. Franz, 1987
Norman F. Franz, 1988
James E. Manchester, 1989
Donald H. Plant, 1990
Edward J. Broussard, 1991
Paul M. Whalen, 1993
Richard S. Nantais, 1994
Mark C. Donegan, 1995
Michael A. Fruzzetti, 1996
Kenneth H. Nantais, 1997
Michael J. Douglas, 1998; PDDGM
Louis M. DeMelo, 1999
Henry E. Goodnow, Jr., 2000
Benjamin Barker, 2001
Walter A. Bradford, 2002
David W. Romer, 2003
James A. Coffin, Jr., 2004-2005
C. Steven Blanchard, 2007-2008
Barry E. Standish, 2006; PDDGM
David G. Goodfellow, 2009
Robert C. Asbury, 2010
Robert A. Hughes, 2011, 2012

REFERENCES IN GRAND LODGE PROCEEDINGS

Petition for Dispensation: 1864
Petition for Charter: 1865

ANNIVERSARIES

1914 (50th Anniversary)
1939 (75th Anniversary)
1964 (Centenary)

VISITS BY GRAND MASTER

1865 (Parkman; Constitution of Lodge and installation; see below)
1882 (Lawrence)
1901 (Gallagher; corner stone laying; Special Communication)
1914 (M. Johnson; 50th Anniversary; Special Communication)
'1939 (Hon. Past Grand Master Frederick Hamilton; 75th Anniversary; Special Communication)
1944 (A. Coolidge; "Ryder Night")
1964 (Osgood; Centenary; Special Communication)
1979 (Melanson; Hall dedication; Special Communication)
1984 (Richardson; Dedication if new dining hall)
1990 (Darling)
1999 (Bauer; table lodge)

BY-LAW CHANGES

1882 1884 1885 1892 1898 1907 1916 1920 1930 1956 1968 1977 1982 1989 2006 2007

HISTORY

1914 (* Account of the "early days of the Lodge", 1914-24)
1939 (75th Anniversary History, 1939-149)
1964 (Centenary History, 1964-95)
1979 (Meeting Places of May Flower Lodge, 1979-91; see below)

MEETING PLACES OF MAY FLOWER LODGE, MAY 1979

From Proceedings, Page 1979-71:

May Flower Lodge came into existence on March 4, 1864 when twelve Masons of the Middleborough area petitioned Grand Lodge for a charter. The first meetings were held at the Doane & Shaw Block on South Main Street during the period between April, 1864 to August, 1864. The Lodge took up temporary residence in the Tripp Confectionery store in rooms suitably furnished while new quarters were being prepared. The Lodge moved into its newly furnished quarters on the second floor of the Doane & Shaw Block in April, 1868.

These quarters were occupied until October, 1879, when the third floor of the same building was completed, it having been planned and constructed with special reference to Lodge purposes.

These rooms were used until June 7, 1901, when the Lodge moved to the corner of North Main and Centre Streets in the Peirce Building. The building, and in particular the third floor, was designed with May Flower Lodge in mind as the occupants.

This brings us to our present quarters that were occupied for the first time on September 6, 1977. These quarters are being dedicated today, with Most Worshipful Arthur H. Melanson, Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts, officiating.

The origin of this Temple was through a gift of the Barrows family. Fletcher Lawton Barrows willed his home and property to May Flower Lodge through his son, F. Lawton Barrows, Jr., who still resides here with his wife, Betty. Only a few members of the Lodge knew of this, but no action was taken until September 1976 when the Lodge was trying to decide whether or not to refurbish its present (at that time) quarters or build a new Temple.

Under the then presiding Master, Worshipful Joseph W. MacAllister, plans were laid for our new Temple. The Lodge voted to accept the proposal as set forth at the business meeting of October 5, 1977 and the work began.

Hours of labor were necessary before construction of the new Lodge rooms could begin. A section of the house measuring 15' x 32' had to be removed. The Barrows' kitchen, which was on the first floor in the rear section, had to be relocated on the second floor of their newrliving area, and a complete stairway from the basement to the attic had to be constructed.

Construction of the lodge facilities consisted of adding a onestory wood frame building with an 'A'-frame roof, containing a lodge room measuring 35' x 50', and a ramped corridor 70' long leading to the Men's and Ladies' restrooms, kitchen and banquet hall in the rear. This whole structure was connected to the front portion of the Barrows house, and to the garage in the rear, which was converted into a banquet hall measuring 30' x 50'.

The construction of the building was made as close as possible to the existing building in architecture. Doors and windows taken from the section of the house that was removed, were used as much as possible. The lodge room is fitted with the same furniture, rug and ornamental woodwork that was in the old quarters.

This article would not be complete unless some mention was made of the labors that were put into building our new Temple.Many manhours were donated by the brethren of the Lodge, and without their efforts we would not be meeting here today. The building of the Temple gave the members of May Flower Lodge a unity which has not been enjoyed for many years.

This article does not allow room to name all those who either donated time or money, but two names should be mentioned. First, Brother F. Lawton Barrows, Jr., who make it possible for us to have his home at this time for our new Lodge quarters, and Worshipful Joseph W. MacAllister, without whose leadership, persistence, time and devotion, this building would not have been started nor completed.

We are proud to be present today to witness the dedication of this new Masonic Temple in Middleborough. During the 115 years of May Flower Lodge's existence, this is the first Temple that we have owned; may it and the Lodge prosper in years to come.

OTHER

1927 (Participation in corner stone laying, 1927-187)
1929 (Participation in corner stone laying, 1929-181)

EVENTS

From Moore's Freemason's Monthly Magazine, Vol. XXIV, No. 5, April 1865, p. 190:

MAY FLOWER LODGE. This is the very pretty name of a new Lodge just established at Middleboro in the county of Plymouth. The Charter was granted at the last communication of the Grand Lodge, and the Lodge was constituted by the M. W. Grand Master on the 21st ultimo. It has done a very prosperous business the past year, and being located in a pleasant and thriving village, its prospects for the future are highly encouraging. It has a good roll of able and active officers and members, who are fully competent to manage its affairs in a proper manner, and to insure its success. The officers for the year are as follows:-