We
can trace the origin of Prince Hall back to Boston,
Mass. When Prince Hall and 14 other Freemen of Color
had been made Masons in a Military Lodge associated
with the Army of General Gage during the Revolutionary
War in 1775-1776. It was only after their prayer
with proper avouchment would not be heard by no less
a Masonic Body than the Lodge of St. Andrew in Boston,
it should be noted that when they sought this privilege,
the Declaration of Independence had not been written.
They
tried many times unsuccessfully to get permission to
organize a lodge of Black Masons from the White Masons
of the Colony of Massachusetts; undaunted, however,
by the repeated refusals, Prince Hall petitioned the
Grand Lodge of England for a warrant to establish a
Lodge of Free Negroes.
His
prayer was granted and on May 6, 1787, African Lodge
#459 was established under a charter issued by the Grand
Lodge of England. Four years later on June 24,
1791, the African Grand Lodge was established and duly
constituted with Prince Hall deputized as Most Worshipful
Grand Master. Following Prince Hall’s death
on December 7, 1807, the name was changed to the Most
Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge in memory of its
eminent benefactor.
From
this nucleus, Prince Hall Masonry has radiated its influence
throughout the world culminating in the establishment
of Grand Orients in Europe, Asia, British West Indies,
and Africa and throughout the United States.
DISTRICT
OF COLUMBIA MASONIC HISTORY
It
is the life and legacy of Prince Hall, and the examples
of dedication and service of his followers, that prompted
men to from Masonic Lodges throughout the United States.
Such was the case in Washington, D.C., in 1825, when
the first Masonic Lodge was formed in the nation’s
capital for black Americans, Social Lodge. This union
of black Americans caused the founding and chartering
of a Prince Hall Grand Lodge in Washington, D.C. in
1848. The actual establishment of the origin of
our Grand Lodge dates back over a century and a half
ago to the establishment of Social Lodge No.7.
On
November 22, 1822, John W. Prout called a meeting at
his home for the purpose of organizing a Masonic Lodge.
Most of the members presence were already Masons and
were primarily interested in organizing a Lodge in Washington,
D.C., so that they might regularly carry on their Masonic
duties. Various brothers had been made Masons
in England and in Philadelphia.
On
January 1, 1823, William G. Costin, Francis Datcher,
Sr., William Jackson and William Wormley were initiated,
passed and raised in Laurel Lodge No. 23 of Philadelphia.
Several years later, they petitioned the African Grand
Lodge of North America for a warrant to establish a
Master’s Lodge in the District of Columbia.
Their prayer was granted and, on June 6, 1825, Social
Lodge No. 7 was established under a charter issued by
the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and duly constituted
by MW Grand Master Peter Richmond, assisted by RW Deputy
Grand Master Richard Fiskes and RW Senior and Junior
Grand Wardens Thomas Dupree and Prius Clover with the
following principal officers deputized and duly installed:
John W. Prout, Worshipful Master, Frances Datcher, Sr.
Senior Warden, William Jackson, Junior Warden; Mose
Liverpool, Treasurer; and William C. Costin, Secretary.
Commissioned to serve as Senior and Junior Deacons were
William Wormley and Lloyd Nichols.
A
year later, in 1846, John T. Costin, William Dudley,
Benjamin Crier, Daniel Smith, John Thomas and William
Bruce, all residents of Alexandria, Virginia, petitioned
Hiram Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania for a warrant to establish
a Master Mason’s Lodge. Their petition was
granted and thus, a third Lodge – Felix Lodge No.
17 – was duly constituted under a warrant issued
by that Grand Lodge.
Early
in the year, 1848, John E. Thomas, then Worshipful Master
of Social Lodge No. 7 issued a summons to Universal
No. 10 and Felix No. 17 to meet in a convention for
the purpose of organizing a Grand Lodge for the District
of Columbia. The meeting was accordingly on Sunday,
March 17, 1848, held in the Fleet School located on
M Street between 23rd and 24th Streets, in Georgetown,
D.C., and presided over by the District Deputy Grand
Master David P. Jones of the African Grand Lodge of
North America in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Attending
that meeting were five representatives from the existing
Lodges.
As
a result of their deliberations the organization and
constitution of the Union Grand Lodge of the District
of Columbia was consummated with the following principal
Grand Officers deputized and duly installed: Charles
Datcher of Social Lodge No.7-Most Worshipful Grand Master;
Daniel H. Smith of Universal Lodge No. 10 – Right
Worshipful Deputy Grand Master; Richard Phiske of Felix
Lodge No. 17 – Right Worshipful Senior Grand Warden;
Francis Datcher, Jr. of Social Lodge No. 7 –
Right Worshipful Junior Grand Warden; Joseph Frazier
of Universal Lodge No. 10 – Right Worshipful Grand
Treasurer; and John T. Costin of Felix Lodge no. 17
– Right Worshipful Grand Secretary. Following
the establishment and constitution of the newly organized
Grand Lodge the three Lodges surrendered their original
charters for charters issued by the Union Grand Lodge
of the District of Columbia on March 27,1848, and became
designated as Social Lodge No. 1, Universal Lodge No.
2 and Felix Lodge No. 3.
NOTE:
In
1865, certain members of Social Lodge, who lived in
Alex., VA applied for a charter to establish a Lodge
in Alex., VA. This request was granted and the new lodge
was named Universal Lodge No 1 of the State of Virginia.
The Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia was called
– Union GL from 1848 – 1868 Most Worshipful
Acacia GL from 1868-1945. On June 11, 1945, the
Grand Lodge voted to change the Acacia Grand Lodge to
the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and
Accepted Masons to conform with most of other Grand
Lodges.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In
1948, under the leadership of the late Grand Master
Melvin J. Key (L-19), the craft reclaimed the Masonic
Temple, which was lost to them in 1934, at a cost of
$400,000, which was paid off in less than ten years,
and the mortgage was burned.
The
Temple was renovated at a cost of nearly $600,000, it
was planned during the administration of Past Grand
Master W.F. Lawton, Sr., and the work done during the
administration of Past Grand Master, David P. Crosby.
In
1997, then Most Worshipful Grand Master Warren R. Whitley
initiated a program to raise money to re-do the exterior
of the Temple. This program continued with Most
Past Grand Master Willie H. Griffin (1999-2000), was
completed under then Grand Master John Ellington, Jr.
(2001-2002), at a final cost over just over $1 million.
In
1998, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge Jurisdiction
of the District of Columbia under the leadership of
then Most Worshipful Grand Master Warren R. Whitley
(5), celebrated its Sesquicentennial (1948 –1998),
one hundred and fifty years (150) of Prince Hall Masonry
in the District of Columbia.
As
we look at this great, outstanding jurisdiction we are
blessed. Washington, D.C. is the fifth oldest
Grand Lodge in America:
