New York AGE, July 28, 1934. Masonic Notes by Bertram L. Baker.
A CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF PRINCE HALL MASONRY, 1784 – 1932
by
Harry A. Williamson.
VIRGINIA
On the 16th of August, 1866, a club of seventy-two men received the degrees of Freemasonry at Petersburg the authority of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.
The fourteenth Grand Lodge of Prince Hall Freemasons in date of Original establishment.
The correct title of this body is “Grand Lodge A.F.&A.M., of Virginia” (now Prince Hall Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Virginia)and it was originally established October 29th, 1865. Its annual sessions are movable.
The correct history of the Grand Lodge of Virginia (51) states that the first Lodge erected in the state was Universal No. 10, now No. 1, on the Virginia register, and situated at Alexandra, under the date of February 5, 184r by Hiram Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania (52). In the chapter under the title of “District of Columbia,” the reader will note the date of the formation of this lodge as of August 26, 1845. Universal Lodge participated in the formation of the Grand Lodge for the District of Columbia and withdrew from that body at the time of the organization of the Virginia jurisdiction. The second lodge in the state was Rising Sun, now No. 2, at Norfolk, date of the formation is unknown and it was not warranted until the early part of the year 1865. The exact identity of the third lodge is unknown because two came in existence at about the same time. These were Morning Star, now No. 3, at Portsmouth and Eastern Light, now No. 4, at Norfolk, the latter having been established as the result of a friendly withdrawal of a group of brethren from Rising Sun.
The first state organization known as the “Union Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M.” was under the jurisdiction of the National Grand Lodge. One of the lodges formed by it was Hamilton, at Portsmouth. (53).
In later years a number of teachers, missionaries, etc., who had been members of various State’s Rights jurisdictions, settled within this territory, consequently spreading the doctrine of independent Masonic grand jurisdictional control. As the immediate result of such propaganda, Lincoln Lodge No. 5, at Alexandra, was formed in 1865, by the African Grand Lodge of Maryland. On the 16th of August, 1866, a club of seventy-two men received the degrees of Freemasonry at Petersburg the authority of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. This was accomplished through the activity of a Rev. J. B. Trusty. This group of Brethren divided themselves into three lodges, namely J. B. Trusty; Virginia, and Abraham. Of this group, the latter now No. 10 , is the only one remaining. The second grand jurisdiction formed in the state, and formed by the three Petersburg lodges, was established through the consent of the Pennsylvania jurisdiction on October 14th, 1867, under the title of “Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Ancient York Masons of Virginia.” Lincoln No. 5, at Alexandra, did not join with the new Grand Lodge until June 23, 1868.
Unlike those in most of the other states, the members of the rival Grand Lodges in Virginia remained upon very friendly terms, both personal and fraternal. This consequent close association was the basis for a rapidly growing sentiment for a unified Craft which began to assert itself at an early period. As the result of a series of conferences covering a period of about three years, the two grand bodies met in the city of Petersburg on December 15th, 1875, and consolidated into the “United Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Virginia.” The change to the present title was made at some later date.
Some years ago the Grand Lodge owned a building at Richmond; it was planning to erect a Masonic home and at the time possessed $100,000 in stock, bonds and real estate. The organization maintains an Endowment Department through which all charity is dispensed. This particular feature was the cause of a disagreement in Grand Lodge during the year 1924, when about nine lodges, claiming a total membership of some six hundred odd member, withdrew from the parent body and established another sovereign body under the title of “Grand Lodge, A.F. & A.M. (colored), State of Virginia.” So far as this author is aware, this group is still in operation.
At various times the author of this volume has suggested to each grand jurisdiction which has not done so, that it ought to change its title to read “Prince Hall Grand Lodge, F & A.M. or A.F & M., of the State of …….” The wisdom of this idea will become apparent because this territory, like that in Florida, contains an origination of Negroes (African-Americans) not recognized by the Prince Hall groups but incorporated under the laws of the state and operating under the title of “Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, A.F. & A. Masons of Virginia.” The adoption of this idea will prevent misleading impressions now existing among some of the Caucasian bodies that all those containing some reference to “Prince Hall Descent” and “Prince Hall Affiliation” to be regular in origin.
Items pertaining to Freemasonry in Virginia in the author’s collection are: (a) Harrison L. Harrison’s Masonic Text Book, 280, p. Petersburg, VA, 1902; (b) Earliest copy of proceedings is for the year 1892; (c) Proceedings of the Masonic Congress held at Norfolk in 1907.
FROM WALKES:
Grand Master remember this was written in 1934. Much water has gone under the bridge since then. As I remember, Virginia was one of the last Grand Lodges to accept the title of Most Worshipful Prince Hall, as apart of its official title. The paper shows a clear role of the National Grand Lodge or Compact in the history of the Grand Lodge of Virginia.
If we had a Chapter of the Phylaxis Society in Virginia, perhaps, we could put them to work on the documentations of the history of the jurisdiction. This is why we set up Chapters in various Jurisdictions across the country. One of the projects we ask them to do is to locate the grave of the first Grand Master, to photograph it, and see if there is a Masonic symbol on it. There are of course many other goals that we have our Chapters doing. It is no small measure to belong to one of our Chapters as the work is very demanding. Our Chapters are not for everyone, because of the demands that we place on them, only those interested in Masonic history and Masonic education need apply. I am in hope that you will reconsider your position, and allow us to set up a Chapter in Virginia, there is much work to be done, to the benefit of the entire jurisdiction.
I hope that this paper will answer some of the questions that you raised to me at the Conference of Grand Masters in Winston-Salem.
Fraternally yours,
JOSEPH A. WALKES, JR FPS
President, Phylaxis Society