MASONIC HISTORY
Granville Lodge No. 55 F & AM
Meeting Locations for 225 Years
In 1796, members of Kingsbury’s Livingston Lodge No. 28 who resided in Granville, were distressed by the distance required to travel to attend lodge and, petitioned the Grand Lodge of the State of New York to establish a new lodge in Granville. With the support of their brothers in Kingsbury, the Grand Lodge chartered Liberty Lodge #55 on December 7, 1796 in the Town of Granville.
The charter was signed by:
Robert R. Livingston ,Grand Master
Jacob Morton, Deputy Grand Master
James Scott, Senior Grand Warden
DeWitt Clinton, Junior Grand Warden
Robert R. Livingston had been a member of the Continental Congress in 1776; he served with Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Roger Sherman and Benjamin Franklin on the Declaration of Independence Committee. He administered the oath of office to George Washington, served as US minister to France and negotiated the Louisiana purchase.
Dewitt Clinton served as a US Congressman and Senator; he was the Mayor of New York and then Governor of New York. He was instrumental in establishing the public education system in New York State and carried through on opening the Erie Canal.
In addition to his offices as High Priest of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch of New York, Grand Master of the Grand Encampment of New York; Grand Master Knights Templar of the United States and the highest office in the Cerneau Scottish Rite, he served as Grand Master of Masons in New York for 14 consecutive years.
The first officers elected to Liberty Lodge No. 55 were:
Zebulon R. Shipherd, Master
Caleb West, Senior Warden
Daniel Earl, Junior Warden
Jeremiah Burroughs, Treasurer
Luther Newcomb, Secretary
David Richardson, Senior Deacon
John C. Marvin, Junior Deacon
Jonathan Safford, Steward
Elijah Sacket, Steward
William Higgins, Tiler
The new lodge was met with great interest and many new brothers were raised, but their heavy reliance on notes of promise to pay dues contributed to escalating the financial problems and their inability to pay Grand Lodge. By 1806, they were in danger of losing their charter and there was much contention within the lodge on how to manage the situation.
Eventually, Bro. Salem Town was appointed chairman of the finance committee. He didn’t mince words to those brothers who were delinquent in their dues. By 1806, the situation was dire. Town was sent to Grand Lodge to offer to pay a portion of the money that was due, turn in their existing charter and request a new one called Granville Lodge No. 55. With a new charter, they would then be able to remove the unworthy members in the old lodge. The new charter was granted on May 17, 1806.
The first meetings of Liberty Lodge 55 took place in North Granville in the home of Elijah White in “Masons Hall”, which was a room in the inn he built on the corner of present-day Rt. 22 and Lower Turnpike Rd.
In 1816, Dr. Ira Hall, a Dartmouth graduate and a physician in Middle Granville, left one acre of land on the edge of his property to Granville Lodge No. 55 and De LaFayette Chapter No. 9 RAM in his will. The building site was to be used for a temple or, should that not be feasible, a Masonic burial ground. Ultimately, a cemetery surrounded by a slate wall was constructed on Middle Granville Rd, (Cty. Rt. 24). is surrounded by a slate wall. Among those buried there are members of Dr. Hall’s family.
Masons Cemetery, Middle Granville
Joe Green Clothing Building on the corner of Main & Church St. Masons met on the 3rd floor from 1898 until 1907. They shared and sublet the meeting room to the Knights of Columbus for $10 per year.
Needing more room, the Masons met in the new Grange Hall on North St. from 1907 until 1917.
In 1922, the Masons purchased their own building from E. R. Norton. They owned it until 1945, but the costs became too high and they fell behind on the mortgage. Tatko Bros. purchased the building and leased the upper floors to the Masons. They used this space until 1960.
The Masons met in the George MacDonald Dry Goods Building on North St. from 1917 to 1922.
Then in 1960 the Masons received a donation from the serving granddaughters of E. R. Norton which became the Norton – Hewitt Memorial Masonic Temple.
The current building on 97 North St. was constructed and dedicated on August 14, 2004.
Written by Wor. Bro. Stewart B. Dittmeier, DSA
Past Master of Granville No. 55 F. & A.M.
Companion of Sandy Hill-Granville No. 189 RAM
Killington Commandery No. 6, Knights Templar
Cairo Temple Shriners
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