Tag Archives: Georgia Fraternal Lodges

Prince Hall Masonic Temple, 1953, Columbus

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Prince Hall Free and Accepted Masons sign in Columbus, Georgia.

The Prince Hall Masons were first organized in Columbus as the Bradwell Lodge No. 4, in 1871. Bradwell later became Lewis Hayden Lodge No. 6, which still meets today. Since 1871, seven lodges have been established in Columbus, and some, including Mt. Pisgah Lodge No. 53, as well as several Eastern Star chapters, meet in the Prince Hall Masonic Temple, which was built in 1953, and is a center of Black civic and social life in Columbus.

Prince Hall Masonic Temple in Columbus, Georgia, where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., addressed a crowd of over 1,000, on 1 July 1958.

Of historical importance, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke to a gathering of over 1000 people here on 1 July 1958, imploring the audience to meet “physical force with soul force“, in response to increasing racial violence. He was in Columbus following the murder by white store owner Luico Flowers of Dr. Thomas Brewer (1894-1956). Dr. Flowers, a local physician and Civil Rights leader, was an advocate of King v. Chapman, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended the white primary system in Georgia. This decision led to heightened KKK activity in the area, including a threat to bomb the Prince Hall Masonic Temple during Dr. King’s visit. Armed Prince Hall Masons kept vigil on the roof. Unable to harm Dr. King, the KKK bombed the home of Essie Mae Ellison, who had recently moved into a white neighborhood.

Tole’s Undertaking, Circa 1910, Columbus

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A brick building featuring arched doorways and multiple windows, originally constructed as Tole's Undertaking. It has decorative elements such as white diamonds and a shaped top.

An architectural survey notes that this building was “constructed by Alex Tole as Tole’s Undertaking. The business was founded in 1892 and Alex Tole was one of the few who could afford to buy a stained glass picture of himself in his church, the First African Baptist Church. It is uncertain if he ever saw the finished window prior to his death in 1915. Mr. Henry Tole (Alex Tole’s brother) took over the business after his brother’s death. The “837 Club” would meet on the second floor of the building and consisted of men who would get together and play cards, etc. They rented the space from the Funeral Home.”

Courthouse Annex, 1939, Richmond Hill

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Historic wood-frame structure known as 'the Courthouse' with white exterior, prominent columns, and parking area in Richmond Hill, Georgia.

This structure has never been an annex as best I can tell, but it was known as “the Courthouse” for generations, likely due to the fact it was a polling place. Rural precincts are still known as “court houses” in many Georgia communities. Richmond Hill is a rapidly growing suburb of Savannah today, but its population didn’t surpass 1000 until the 1970s.

A vintage car parked in front of a historic white wood-frame building with a triangular roof and columns, known as 'the Courthouse' in Richmond Hill, Georgia.
1931 Ford Model A Tudor, one of several pristine automobiles parked in front of buildings associated with Henry Ford, along Ford Avenue in downtown Richmond Hill

A historic marker placed by the Coastal Bryan Heritage Trail in 2012 reads: “This wood-frame structure, situated on a site known since the creation of Bryan County in 1793 as “the Crossroads”, was built in 1939 with funding provided by Henry Ford. The building came to be familiarly called “the Courthouse” by local citizens. For many years it was used for civic meetings and as the official Richmond Hill voting site. The local Masonic Lodge and Order of the Eastern Star organizations held their meetings in this facility. Later, city and county governmental offices were housed here.”

Holt Chapel + Holt School & Sunlight Brothers and Sisters Society Lodge, 1930s, Jones County

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Holt Chapel was an historic Black congregation located north of Haddock. Its establishment dates to the late 19th century. Though no longer active, a foundation maintains the property to some extent.

The church building, which replaced an earlier wood frame structure, is typical of second generation structures for rural Black congregations.

Of much greater architectural significance is the Holt School building, adjacent to the church. It is of a common style once found throughout this section of Middle Georgia of which few survive. [I have personally documented examples in Hancock, Baldwin, and Jones Counties]. Upon its construction in the 1930s it served a dual purpose. The first floor was an elementary school for children of the church and surrounding community while the second floor was home to the Sunlight Brothers and Sisters Society, a church-based benevolent society.

Thanks to the Holt School Foundation and Jones County History and Heritage, Inc., it was saved about 20 years ago and appears to be well-maintained.

Ellis Chapel Baptist Church + Lodge & Schoolhouse, Circa 1900, Jones County

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Ellis Chapel Baptist Church was established by freedmen in 1883. It is variously identified as being in both Ethridge and Haddock, so I’ll just say it’s in Jones County for simplicity’s sake. I don’t have a date for the present brick-clad structure, but would guess 1930s-1950s for the building and a bit later for the commercial brick siding.

Front

Of particular interest and concern is the collapsing structure across the road. It has been identified in resource surveys as a lodge and former schoolhouse, and was still in good condition as recently as 1988.

Side

The cornerstone of the church notes a Prince Hall affiliation. While most Prince Hall lodges I’ve documented have been in towns and cities, it’s not unusual to find them in rural locales, as well. It’s also possible that the Prince Hall affiliation is more recent and the lodge was a church benevolent society lodge.

Beulah Lodge #37, 1958, Eastman

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Beulah Lodge #37, Prince Hall Masons, is typical of Black Masonic lodges found throughout Georgia and is still active. It is also home to the Rose of Beulah Chapter #251, Order of the Eastern Star. According to tax records, it was built in 1958. Historically, the Prince Hall Masons and the Order of the Eastern Star have been anchors of Black communities, and are often found in central locations in their neighborhoods. Beulah is no exception, with both Shorter’s Chapel and Bethel Christian Church in view of the property.

Woodmen of the World Lodge + Post Office, 1910, Shiloh

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The two-story building at right originally served as the Woodmen of the World Lodge, identified by a marble cartouche above the middle window on the second floor, but it is best known as the old post office. Typically, fraternal lodges in commercial settings served a dual purpose, housing a lodge upstairs and various retail tenants downstairs. Woodmen of the World as an organization has always been focused on insurance and financial assistance for its members and in its early years maintained thousands of local chapters.

The altered building adjacent to the Woodmen of the World Lodge was a grocery store at one time, indicated by the fading words “Gro. Dry Goods Hardware” at the top.

Waycross YMCA + City Hall, 1908

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Waycross has one of the oldest active YMCAs in Georgia, founded and chartered in 1896. They met in a hotel until constructing this delightful building in 1908. A second YMCA building was completed in collaboration with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1911 at another location for the purpose of housing railroad men. My father recalls staying in that building during his railroad years and notes that it was quite run down by that time. By 1971, all YMCA operations were relocated to a new facility on Plant Avenue. This building, on Pendleton Street, was sold to the city in 1916 and has served as the Waycross City Hall ever since.

A plaque near the front doors notes: The Georgia National Guard for the City of Waycross was housed in the basement of this building prior to World War II. On Sept 16, 1940 the members of Co. F 121st Inf. Regiment passed through these portals for their first day of active duty in World War II thereby becoming the first unit from Waycross to ever serve our nation. Men from this company served with honor and distinction in every major engagement in Europe against Germany. In honor and memory of their devotion to freedom this marker is respectfully dedicated.

Downtown Waycross Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Elk’s Lodge, Circa 1907, Waycross

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When built in 1907, this downtown Waycross landmark at the corner of Mary and Tebeau Streets was originally the lodge of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elk (B.P.O.E). After the Elks relocated to another facility on Plant Avenue in 1962, it served several tenants but most notably has been home to several popular restaurants over the past 50 years or so. To me, the most memorable was the Carter House, where my family would occasionally eat when we visited my father when he was in town overnight with the railroad. It was just down the street from the railroad men’s home at the time, the then-derelict Ware Hotel, and featured homestyle Southern cooking. Besides the old Green Frog, the Carter House was perhaps the most beloved Waycross restaurant of its day. Whitfield’s and the Crab Trap have also been located here.

Downtown Waycross Historic District, National Register of Historic Places

Midland, Georgia

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Midland Lodge No. 144, F. &. A. M.

Midland is an historic community, located northeast of Columbus. Like other rural settlements of Muscogee County, absorbed by the creation of Fort Moore [formerly Fort Benning] and city-county consolidation in 1971, it has often been overlooked. A post office opened in Midland in 1887. The area is growing today, but seems rural in comparison to most of Muscogee County.

The Midland Lodge No. 144, F. & A. M. was established in 1851 and it’s still active. The building dates to sometime around the turn of the century. It’s the only public landmark I could locate here. A sign across the road advertised an all-you-can-eat breakfast being sponsored by the lodge.