Chronology of Masonry, Burlington, New Jersey
1685
John Skene,
Deputy governor of West Jersey, moves to
Burlington, the capital of the Province. As far as can be determined,
Skene has the distinction of being the first Freemason in the American
Colonies. Brother Skene was a member of Aberdeen Lodge No. 1, Aberdeen,
Scotland
.
1701
Colonel
Daniel Coxe, son of Dr. Daniel Coxe, the last of the Proprietor
Governors, takes up residence in the city. Colonel Coxe is held
in high esteem in the colonies. He served in numerous official
capacities. For many years he was President of the West Jersey
Proprietors. Towards the end of his life he was appointed Associate
Justice of the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Brother Coxe was a
member of Lodge No. 8 of London.
1730
Colonel
Daniel Coxe appointed Provincial Grand Master of New York, New Jersey
and Pennsylvania. The first authority for assembling of Freemasons
in
America
was issued by
the Duke of Norfolk, Grand Master of Free and Accepted Masons in
England
. There is no record
that Coxe ever issued a deputation for the formation of a Lodge
in this country.
1781
An Emergent
Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania was held at Burlington on March 30.
On this date a new Lodge, to be known as Burlington Lodge No. 32
was invested with a warrant from the R.W.G.L. of Pennsylvania.
The members of this Lodge now known as "Old No. 32," were mostly
of the military, the Rebellion against
England
still being in progress.
1786
Lodge No.
32 now apparently defunct. There are no further records of minutes.
Lodge No. 32 was not officially represented at the first session
of the Grand Lodge of New Jersey meeting at New Brunswick. However,
the agreement was signed "in behalf of No. 32"
by four of the brothers.
1787
The Pennsylvania
Warrant of No. 32 was surrendered in April of this year.
1854
Institution
of Burlington Lodge No. 32 A.Y.M.
At two o'clock
on Wednesday, June 21, 1854, twenty-six Master Masons met in the
upper chambers of the I.O.O.F. Hall on East Union Street for the
purpose of forming a new Lodge. This hall was destined to be the meeting place of Burlington Masons for most of
the next half century. The following were charter members: Brothers
Elias E. Boudinot, John W. Kelly, Thomas Neal, William R. Allen,
Lewis Gotta, Ellwood Conners, Richard B. Westbrook, Aaron E. Ballard,
Jr., and John Rodgers. Brother Rodgers served as our first Master.
1855
Burlington
Lodge No. 32 received its warrant from the M.W.G.L. of New Jersey
on January 10. During this, the first complete year, fifteen members
were initiated and two accepted by affiliation.
1857
First
official visit from Grand Lodge. At the February 3 meeting,
the Lodge was honored by a visitation from the M.W.G.M. Joseph Trimble
of the M.W.G.L. P.M. John Rodgers introduced the Grand Master who
was then received by the Lodge with the honors due the dignity of
the office.
1865
First Committee
appointed by W.M. to "take incipient steps for erection of a Lodge
building" of our own.
1868
First building
fund for new lodge building created.
1897
Masonic
Hall Association created on April 13. The Association acquires
the C.G. Ridgway property on West Union Street.
1955
January
10 - Anniversary date of the first hundred years of Lodge No. 32.
1957
A New Masonic
Temple Building Committee was formed to draft building plans for
a new building. Brother Leonard Baker served as General Chairman.
May 14.
Permission to lease ground at Masonic Home on Jacksonville Road
as site for new Temple was received from Grand Lodge. Pledges secured
from brethren.
1959
January
13. Mrs. Irma S. Phillips presents gift of land on Mt. Holly Road
as a memorial to our late brother, Harold Del. Phillips. New
Temple to be constructed on this ground. Gift was enthusiastically
accepted and plans for the building on Jacksonville Road were given
up.
October
1. Mr. and Mrs. George Smith of Mt. Holly present gift of land
50' x 66', for use as driveway to new Temple.
1960
April 8.
Tract of land, 25' x 325', fronting proposed site, purchased from
Public Service Electric & Gas Company.
October
13. Ground broken for new Temple.
1961
January
10. First communication in new Temple.
January
21. Cornerstone laying ceremony. M.W.G.M. Samuel B. Brosius and
Grand Lodge Staff participated.
1972
A dining room
was added, to complete the original plans. This finalized the unique
design of the building which is in the shape of a Square, one of
the working tools of a Master Mason.
1980
125th anniversary celebration of Burlington Lodge No. 32, F. & A.M.
We trust
that Brother Lodges will not consider it presumptuous of us to embrace
the story of all Freemasonry here in Burlington. We do not claim
the story as our own, but gladly share it with all Freemasons.
That a lodge did not flourish here continuously is regretful, but
there is always life in the small acorn.
The first
tree apparently did not find fertile ground here, but scattered
its seed widely, as lodges sprang up throughout the Colonies. The
second, although it became only a small sapling, was able to leave
behind a seed that eventually germinated in 1855. Today this tree
is less than 150 years old, veritably young for Masonry, but within
itself it holds remembrance of its past and faith in its future.
Each year
its leaves will fall gently to the ground, as all our brothers must,
but yearly the tree will gain in girth and stature and should continue
well into the future.
Many thanks
to our Historian, Richard J. Abdill, Jr., PM, for his efforts in
compiling this page.
