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28-533: The Grand Lodge of Missouri opened the first Masonic College in Philadelphia, Missouri , beginning in spring of 1844. The institution was initially operated using property and facilities previously used by Marion College . However, the facilities in Philadelphia were insufficient, so the school administration soon sought a new location. In 1847, the citizens of Lexington, Missouri subscribed $ 30,000 to relocate

56-710: A Prince Hall Affiliated grand lodge, that oversee Masonic lodges in the state of Missouri . It was established on April 21, 1821. It is located in Columbia, Missouri . The first Lodge in Missouri was created by residents of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri . The charter was issued on November 14, 1807 on a warrant from the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania for the Louisiana Lodge No. 109, to be held in St. Genevieve, Territory of Louisiana with

84-621: A United States senator from Missouri . The Grand Lodge would have its first annual meeting in Charlestown, and would alternate between several southern Indiana towns until its 1828 meeting at Indianapolis, where it has remained ever since. Indiana would not escape the anti-Masonry hysteria of the 1820s-1840 that was touched off by the unexplained disappearance of William Morgan in upstate New York in 1826. In 1828 there were 33 lodges in Indiana; twenty of them had closed by 1835. In 1834 there

112-519: A constitution and by-laws were adopted. The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Ancient Masons of the State of Missouri was incorporated by act of the General Assembly of Missouri February 17, 1843. An amendment to this act, repealing its requirement of operation of a college, was approved February 11, 1861. By act of the General Assembly approved February 13, 1864, certain named members of the"Grand Lodge of

140-752: A dispensation to create the Lodge from Louisville, Kentucky 's Abraham Lodge #8 in 1806. One was granted in 1807, but due to the distance, they were not able to constitute the lodge. After a second dispensation was sought in 1808, a lodge was formed on March 13, 1809, and the officers were initiated. Other lodges in the Indiana Territory founded by the Grand Lodge of Kentucky were Madison (1815), Charlestown (1816), Melchizedek in Salem (1817), Pisgah in Corydon , Lawrenceburg , Rising Sun , and Vevay (1817). On May 9, 1817,

168-621: A fire on August 20, 1932. It is now the site of College Park in Lexington where, in 1934, the Grand Lodge of Missouri, Freemasons, erected a one-quarter scale replica of the original Masonic College building. The replica is surrounded by four columns, which stand at the four corners of the original structure. The columns individually commemorate the Battle of Lexington, the Central College for Women,

196-636: A three-day siege, September 18–20, 1861. It was later abandoned by the Missouri State Guard , and the college was used by Federal troops for the remainder of the war. Soon after the conclusion of the war, the building and grounds were transferred to the state, and a military institute was opened, but that school failed as well. In 1871, the Masons transferred ownership to Central Female College , which later changed its name to Central College for Women . It operated from 1871 until 1925. The building burned in

224-440: Is on display at the Grand Lodge. The Father of Texas Stephen F. Austin was a member of Louisiana Lodge No. 109 in St. Genevieve, MO. Author Mark Twain was affiliated with Polar Star Lodge Number 79 in St. Louis Missouri. 39°1′7.4″N 92°18′31.34″W  /  39.018722°N 92.3087056°W  / 39.018722; -92.3087056 Grand Lodge of Indiana The Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Indiana

252-569: Is one of two statewide organizations that oversee Masonic lodges in the state of Indiana . It was established on January 13, 1818. In 2016 the number of Freemasons in the Grand Lodge of Indiana was 55,553 amongst its 394 separate lodges, currently making it the sixth largest Masonic jurisdiction in the U.S. The Grand Lodge of Indiana's offices and archives are located in the Indianapolis Masonic Temple . The historically black Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Indiana F&AM

280-607: Is the second regular Masonic grand lodge in the state, and it was originally established in 1856 as the Independent Union Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Indiana ( National Compact ). The two grand lodges agreed to mutual recognition in May 1998, and they jointly share sovereignty over the Masonic fraternity in Indiana. The first Lodge in Indiana was created by residents of Vincennes, Indiana . They sought

308-421: The Grand Lodge of Indiana . It was in existence when the Grand Lodge of Missouri was organized, and was rechartered by it as Unity Lodge No. 6. On February 22, 1821, representatives from Missouri Lodge No. 12, Joachim Lodge No. 25, and St. Charles Lodge No. 28, assembled in the hall of Missouri Lodge and resolved to organize a grand Lodge for the State of Missouri. The Grand Lodge was organized April 21, 1821, and

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336-524: The Grand Lodge of Ohio granted a dispensation for Brookville Harmony Lodge in Brookville, Indiana ; this lodge would remain under the Grand Lodge of Ohio for two years following the founding of Indiana's Grand Lodge. After Indiana attained statehood, it qualified for its own Grand Lodge . While attending the annual meeting of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky in September 1817, members of several lodges within

364-704: The Order of the Eastern Star . The Home still exists in Franklin, Indiana and changed its operating name to Compass Park in 2016. Similar to the post-Civil War expansion, the years straddling World War I saw Indiana's Masonic membership dramatically increase from 54,710 in 1910 to 129,380 by 1930. By 1957, there were more than 4 million Freemasons in the United States. The Grand Lodge of Indiana had its highest membership at that time with 546 lodges and 185,211 members, or 4% of

392-602: The Circuit Court of the City of Saint Louis entered November 18, 1933, the corporate names used in these legislative acts were replaced by "\The Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Missouri, which is now the correct corporate name of the Grand Lodge, and the powers of the corporation, especially with reference to the Masonic Home and to the holding of property, were greatly amplified. The present Constitution

420-399: The State of Missouri of Free and Accepted Ancient Masons were incorporated as "The Grand Lodge of the State of Missouri of Free and Accepted Ancient Masons." By act of the General Assembly approved March 22, 1870, the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Missouri was, among other things, "authorized to own property of any value not exceeding $ 300,000.00." By decree of

448-650: The college. On May 18, 1847, the Grand Lodge of Masons in Missouri laid the cornerstone of the Masonic College in Lexington. The solemn ceremony was conducted by Grand Master Joseph Foster. The building was erected and dedicated on July 11, 1848. The two-story brick building was 57 feet (17 m) wide by 80 feet (24 m) deep, with a basement of hewn stone. It was built in the Greek Revival style with four fluted Ionic columns. A 28 x 48-foot (15 m) chapel

476-563: The establishment of hundreds of new, similarly modeled fraternal organizations. The period from the late 1860s until the Great Depression of 1929 became known as the ' Golden Age of Fraternalism '. Between 1860 and 1870, Indiana's Masonic membership more than doubled, from 9,727 to 23,308. In 1916 the Grand Lodge opened the Indiana Masonic Home to support elderly Masons, the widows and orphans of Master Masons, and older members of

504-529: The following officers: Aaron Elliott, Master; Andrew Henry, Senior Warden; and George Bullitt, Junior Warden. On September 15, 1808, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania granted a warrant to Meriwether Lewis (leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and the first governor of the Territory of Louisiana), Master, Thomas Fiveash Riddick, Senior Warden, and Rufus Easton, Junior Warden, for Saint Louis Lodge No. 111. This Lodge

532-432: The initial collection was amassed for the 1968 sesquicentennial celebration of the Grand Lodge's founding, but that mission has continued and expanded. The MLMI is located today in the Indianapolis Masonic Temple , which is also the headquarters of the state's fraternity. It is open to the public. There are also 24 active predominantly African-American, Prince Hall Affiliated (PHA) Masonic lodges in Indiana administered by

560-459: The largest body of Shriners International . Beginning in the early 1960s, the Grand Lodge of Indiana began erecting historical markers at sites with great Masonic significance. By 2022, 28 of these plaques had been placed across the state. In 1987, the Masonic Library and Museum of Indiana was established to preserve and protect historical items and records of Indiana Freemasonry. Much of

588-471: The new state agreed to meet in Corydon with representative from all lodges and discuss the viability of forming a Grand Lodge with the State of Indiana. On December 3, 1817, discussion began as to whether a Grand Lodge for Indiana should be formed, 354 days after Indiana gained statehood. Eleven Freemasons from the various lodges in Indiana met in Corydon, and decided to initiate the new Grand Lodge. Amongst these

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616-443: The presidents of the college, and the students who attended the institution. The replica building, which still stands, was dedicated May 18, 1934, in a ceremony led by Grand Master Frank Clinton Barnhill. 39°11′24″N 93°52′34″W  /  39.189867°N 93.876183°W  / 39.189867; -93.876183 Grand Lodge of Missouri The Grand Lodge of Missouri is one of two statewide organizations, along with

644-652: The state's total population of 4.5 million. Indiana at that time was the fifth largest Masonic jurisdiction in the world. Indianapolis is also home to the two largest Masonic appendant body chapters in the U.S.: throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the Indianapolis Valley of the Scottish Rite at the Scottish Rite Cathedral has been the world's largest Scottish Rite Valley; and the Murat Shrine has been

672-463: Was adopted May 28, 1866, with a Code of By-Laws, which has been amended through the years. The By-Laws are subject to change by the action of the Grand Lodge members at the annual communication (meeting) of the Grand Lodge. The Grand Lodge operated Masonic College in Lexington, Missouri during the middle part of the 19th century. President Harry Truman was a prominent Missouri mason; his apron

700-515: Was constituted November 8, 1808, by Otho Shrader under dispensation dated September 16, 1808. Later, the Grand Lodge of Tennessee granted charters to three Lodges in Missouri Territory: Missouri Lodge No. 12, in St. Louis, October 8, 1816, Joachim Lodge No. 25, at Herculaneum, October 5, 1819, and St. Charles Lodge No. 28, at St. Charles, October 5, 1819. In 1820 Unity Lodge was established at Jackson under dispensation from

728-531: Was in the basement. The college was primarily for the benefit of the orphan children of deceased Masons, any children named Mason, and each member in the state was to pay a small per capita tax to support it. Facing severe financial shortfalls, the college closed in 1857. During the American Civil War Battle of Lexington I , the building and grounds served as Federal headquarters for the forces under Colonel James A. Mulligan , who surrendered after

756-532: Was talk of dissolving the Grand Lodge, and by 1837 there were only twelve lodges left in Indiana. In many of the years between 1828 and 1842, the Grand Master did not even attend the Grand Lodge meetings. But by 1842 the anti-Masonic panic had waned, and American grand lodges slowly began to grow again. Following the American Civil War , Freemasonry in the U.S. dramatically increased in popularity, along with

784-477: Was the first Lieutenant-governor of Indiana , Christopher Harrison . Thus, the Grand Lodge of Indiana was chartered on January 13, 1818, at the presently-named Schofield House , owned by Alexander Lanier, father of James Lanier and a Freemason as well, in Madison, Indiana. Only three Freemasons attended both meetings. The first Grand Master of Indiana was Alexander Buckner of Charlestown, who would later become

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