Learning About Freemasonry
Click
on a question to learn more.
All information on this page reprinted with permission
from the Grand Lodge
of Ohio Website.
What Is Freemasonry?
What are the origins of Freemasonry in the United States?
What are the origins of Freemasonry in Ohio?
What happens if I decide to become a Freemason?
Freemasonry is the oldest, largest and most widely
recognized fraternal organization in the World. Founded in London, England
in 1717, its current worldwide membership totals 3.6 million members,
1.6 million of which are in North America. With 125,000 Masons and 540
local Lodges, Ohio has one of the largest Masonic memberships of any state
in the country.
As a fraternal organization, Freemasonry unites men of good character
who, though of different religious, ethnic, or social backgrounds, share
a belief in the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of mankind.
The traditions of Freemasonry are founded upon the building of King Solomon's Temple, and its fraternal ceremonies use the working tools of the stonemasons to symbolize moral lessons and truths. For example, Masons are reminded at Lodge to "meet upon the level of equality, act by the plumb of uprightness, and part upon the square of virtue."
Like most organizations, one will get out of Freemasonry what he is able to put into it. However, membership in Freemasonry is not meant in any way to interfere with an individual's commitment to his faith, family, or occupation. Freemasonry is not and never can be a replacement for these important institutions, but rather it is a positive environment that reminds every Mason of his duty to God, his community, his family and himself.
Freemasonry provides opportunities for sincere, honest, forthright men who believe in God and desire to contribute to the improvement of their communities and themselves. Through our Masonic Fraternalism, we reaffirm our dedication and unity to become involved citizens who have a strong desire to preserve the values that have made and continue to make America great.
- return
to top -
What are the origins of Freemasonry in the United States?
It appears reasonable to assume that there were many Masons among the early settlers of this country. There is no reason to doubt that they did meet, hold meetings, and initiate candidates under the "prescriptive right" meaning that they formed Lodges without Warrants, acting upon their "right from time immemorial."
There is evidence that a deputation dated June 5, 1730, was granted to Daniel Coxe, of New Jersey, by the Duke of Norfolk, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England, appointing him Provincial Grand Master of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Moreover, there is evidence that Brethren meeting in Philadelphia applied to him in 1730 and received authority to continue to meet as a regular Lodge.
However, no records of such a Lodge are available to indicate that it continued or was even ever established.
The earliest authentic records of such a Lodge available to indicate that it continued on was from "The First Lodge of Boston" in 1733. This was warranted under a Provincial Grand Master.
On April 30, 1733, this Provincial Grand Master Henry Price, who had received his appointment a short time before from Viscount Montague, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England convened a number of Brethren into a Provincial Grand Lodge, and then form and constituted a subordinate Lodge on Boston. This Lodge, later consolidated with two others, still functions in that city.
On the following year Bro. Henry Price's commission was extended to cover all of North America.
Many of Patriots of the American Revolution were Masons including George Washington, Ben Franklin, James Hamilton, and even the Marquis de Lafayette to name just a few. There were enough Masons in the Continental Army to establish traveling military Lodges, which allowed them to continue to enjoy the warmth of fraternal fellowship. American Union was just such a Lodge and was attached to the Connecticut Line of the Army. The minute books of this Lodge show that General Washington attended meetings of the Lodge on several occasions.
By the year 1800 there were Lodges established in nearly all of the states east of the Mississippi except in Illinois and Wisconsin, and Grand Lodges had been formed in most of them. As an example, Kentucky formed her Grand Lodge in 1792 and was instrumental in forming Lodges in Indiana and the other states around her.
By 1892 there were fifty Grand Lodges in the United States, including one in the Indian Territory which later became the Grand Lodge of Oklahoma. There are now fifty one Grand Lodges in the United States. The Grand Lodge of Alaska even helped to establish the Grand Lodge of Russia after the fall of communism.
- return
to top -
What are the origins of Freemasonry in Ohio?
After the Revolutionary War was concluded there came the great westward surge of Americans in search of land and new opportunities. Several Masons settled at what is now Marietta, Ohio. Across the Muskingum River from Marietta was Fort Harmar, among whose officers was Capt. Jonathan Heart, Worshipful Master (president) of American Union Lodge. This had been chartered as a military Lodge under St. John's Grand Lodge of Massachusetts on February 15, 1776. When this Lodge moved to New York shortly after it was chartered, the Brethren obtained from Dr. Peter Middleton, Grand Master of the Province New York, permission to meet on April 23, 1776. In that same month he granted them a new Warrant under the name of Military Union Lodge No. 1. The Brethren, however, referred to the Lodge as American Union Lodge.
On June 28, 1790, Bro. Jonathan Heart and a number of Marietta Masons opened American Union Lodge in that community, and thus it was that Freemasonry formally appeared in what is now Ohio.
On January 4, 1808, American Union Lodge No. 1 met with representatives of Cincinnati Lodge No. 13, Eire Lodge No. 47, Scioto Lodge No. 2 and Amity Lodge No. 105 to establish a Grand Lodge in Ohio. After four days they adopted a resolution to form such a Grand Lodge, electing Rufus Putnam as Grand Master, and setting the first Monday in January, 1809 (January 2), as the date for the first Communication, which was to be in Chillicothe, the state capital. On January 5, 1809, they adopted the same Constitution as that of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky, and installed their officers.
Rufus Putnam having declined because of age and ill health to accept the position of Grand Master, they elected Bro. Samuel Huntington, governor of Ohio, Grand Master of Masons for 1809.
Thus it was that The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ohio came into being almost 200 years ago. Today, there are some 540 Lodges around the state with a combined membership of 125,000.
- return
to top -
What happens if I decide to become a Freemason?
The experience of becoming a member of a Masonic Lodge
is divided into three ceremonial stages that Masons call "degrees."
These three degrees are loosely based upon the journeyman system, which
was used to educate Medieval craftsmen. Symbolically the degrees represent
the three stages of human development: youth, manhood, and age.
The first degree of Freemasonry is the Entered Apprentice degree. It is
a candidate's first experience with the ceremonies of the fraternity and
like all Masonic ceremonies is a solemn and meaningful event. Though new
to Freemasonry, an Entered Apprentice enjoys the title of "Brother."
The Fellow Craft degree is the second ceremony and
exposes a Brother to more of the symbolism and philosophy of the fraternity.
For skilled craftsmen this degree would have marked one's progress from
an apprentice to a journeyman.
The Master Mason degree is the last of the Lodge ceremonies and with it
a candidate becomes a full member, enjoying both the rights and responsibilities
of membership.
During all three ceremonies, a candidate is treated with complete respect. At no time, is he ever made to feel uncomfortable or harassed in anyway. These ceremonies are always conferred in such a way as to bring pride to the candidate and the members of the Lodge.
- return
to top -