Lamberton Lodge No. 476 F&AM GL of PA
Lamberton Lodge No. 476 F&AM GL of PA
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Lamberton Lodge No. 476 F&AM GL of PA
Meets 1st Tuesday 7:30 PM. Masonic Center of Lancaster County, 213 West Chestnut St., Lancaster, PA 17603
History of Lamberton Lodge
Freemasonry is almost as old in the city of Lancaster as in Philadelphia, "the Mother City of Freemasonry in America." There is no record of a warrant having been granted for a lodge in Lancaster prior to 1767 or 1768, though there is evidence of Masonic activity documented as early as 1739.
The oldest Minute Book of the Grand Lodge begins in the year 1779 and mentions that the warrant for Lodge No. 9, Lancaster was surrendered December 18th, 1779 but doesn't state when the warrant was granted.
One of the members of Lodge No. 9 in Lancaster was Captain Stephen Chambers, an attorney. After the war, Bro. Chambers moved to Sunbury where he secured a warrant for Lodge No. 22 in that town. After a year in Sunbury, he returned to Lancaster, and in 1785 became a charter member of Lodge No. 43. He was elected its first Worshipful Master, serving in the East from September 14, 1785 to June 24, 1787. Other charter members of Lodge No. 43 included Major John Doyle, gunsmith and innkeeper, and active member of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church; Solomon Etting, Indian trader and merchant; Henry Dering, burgess, legislator, innkeeper; Lt. Col. Adam Hubley, Jr., legislator; and Lt. William Feltman, innkeeper. *
Lodge No. 43 met in local public houses (hotels) during the 18th century. In 1798 the Lodge arranged with the borough of Lancaster to erect a lodge hall over the public market the borough planned to build along West King Street adjacent to Market Square. While construction was taking place, the Pennsylvania state government moved to Lancaster, and took over the new county office building ("Old City Hall"), the County Courthouse in the center of Penn Square, and leased space in the intended Lodge Hall, During the 1790s the Lodge membership grew rapidly. They were able to occupy the new Lodge Hall in 1808, and meetings were held in that structure until 1973 when Lodge No. 43 moved to greatly expanded facilities in the Masonic Center, 213 West Chestnut Street. The original Lodge building was expanded during the 19th century by acquiring adjacent buildings. The original Lodge now houses the Heritage Center Museum. *
Lamberton Lodge No. 476 is a direct descendant of Lodge No. 43. By 1870 Lodge No. 43 had grown to the point that it warranted a second lodge in Lancaster. A petition presented to Lodge No. 43 on January 10, 1870, asking the approval of the lodge and a recommendation to the Grand Lodge for a new lodge in Lancaster met with opposition. On May 11, 1870, a favorable recommendation was obtained and Brothers Henry Baumgardner, William A. Morton, Samuel F. Rathvon, Edward Welchans, J. Frerick Sener, William Z. Sener, Henry R. Fahnestock and John A. Shultz resigned from Lodge 43. These brethren petitioned the Right Worshipful Grand Lodge for a warrant.
At the Quarterly Comunication held on June 1, 1870, the warrant was granted and Lamberton Lodge No. 476 was constituted on June 23, 1870.
The Charter Members were: William A. Morton, Samuel F. Rathvon, Edward Welchans, Henry Baumgardner, Henry R. Fahnestock, Henry E. Leman, Gilliard Dock, Mattew M. Strickler, J. Frederick Sener, William Z. Sener, John A. Shultz and B. Frank Saylor.
The Lodge was constituted by Right Worshipful Grand Master, Bro. Robert A. Lamberton and the following officers were installed: Worshipful Master, Bro. William A. Morton; Senior warden, Bro. Samuel F. Rathvon; Junior Warden, Bro. Edward Welchans.
* These paragraphs are taken from Lodge No. 43's website www.lodge43.org and were prepared by Bro. John W. W. Loose, Lodge No. 43, and Editor, Historian, and President Emeritus of the Lancaster County Historical Society.
The oldest Minute Book of the Grand Lodge begins in the year 1779 and mentions that the warrant for Lodge No. 9, Lancaster was surrendered December 18th, 1779 but doesn't state when the warrant was granted.
One of the members of Lodge No. 9 in Lancaster was Captain Stephen Chambers, an attorney. After the war, Bro. Chambers moved to Sunbury where he secured a warrant for Lodge No. 22 in that town. After a year in Sunbury, he returned to Lancaster, and in 1785 became a charter member of Lodge No. 43. He was elected its first Worshipful Master, serving in the East from September 14, 1785 to June 24, 1787. Other charter members of Lodge No. 43 included Major John Doyle, gunsmith and innkeeper, and active member of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church; Solomon Etting, Indian trader and merchant; Henry Dering, burgess, legislator, innkeeper; Lt. Col. Adam Hubley, Jr., legislator; and Lt. William Feltman, innkeeper. *
Lodge No. 43 met in local public houses (hotels) during the 18th century. In 1798 the Lodge arranged with the borough of Lancaster to erect a lodge hall over the public market the borough planned to build along West King Street adjacent to Market Square. While construction was taking place, the Pennsylvania state government moved to Lancaster, and took over the new county office building ("Old City Hall"), the County Courthouse in the center of Penn Square, and leased space in the intended Lodge Hall, During the 1790s the Lodge membership grew rapidly. They were able to occupy the new Lodge Hall in 1808, and meetings were held in that structure until 1973 when Lodge No. 43 moved to greatly expanded facilities in the Masonic Center, 213 West Chestnut Street. The original Lodge building was expanded during the 19th century by acquiring adjacent buildings. The original Lodge now houses the Heritage Center Museum. *
Lamberton Lodge No. 476 is a direct descendant of Lodge No. 43. By 1870 Lodge No. 43 had grown to the point that it warranted a second lodge in Lancaster. A petition presented to Lodge No. 43 on January 10, 1870, asking the approval of the lodge and a recommendation to the Grand Lodge for a new lodge in Lancaster met with opposition. On May 11, 1870, a favorable recommendation was obtained and Brothers Henry Baumgardner, William A. Morton, Samuel F. Rathvon, Edward Welchans, J. Frerick Sener, William Z. Sener, Henry R. Fahnestock and John A. Shultz resigned from Lodge 43. These brethren petitioned the Right Worshipful Grand Lodge for a warrant.
At the Quarterly Comunication held on June 1, 1870, the warrant was granted and Lamberton Lodge No. 476 was constituted on June 23, 1870.
The Charter Members were: William A. Morton, Samuel F. Rathvon, Edward Welchans, Henry Baumgardner, Henry R. Fahnestock, Henry E. Leman, Gilliard Dock, Mattew M. Strickler, J. Frederick Sener, William Z. Sener, John A. Shultz and B. Frank Saylor.
The Lodge was constituted by Right Worshipful Grand Master, Bro. Robert A. Lamberton and the following officers were installed: Worshipful Master, Bro. William A. Morton; Senior warden, Bro. Samuel F. Rathvon; Junior Warden, Bro. Edward Welchans.
* These paragraphs are taken from Lodge No. 43's website www.lodge43.org and were prepared by Bro. John W. W. Loose, Lodge No. 43, and Editor, Historian, and President Emeritus of the Lancaster County Historical Society.
Message from the East
Please have a safe and enjoyable summer.
John F. Farrell, WM