The History of Orange County New York

by Unknown

Olive Branch Lodge, No. 102. At the communication of grand lodge, held on the 7th of December, 1803, we find this minute: "A similar petition from sundry brethren residing in the town of Minisink, Orange County, praying a warrant for a lodge to be held in said town, to be known by the name of Olive Branch Lodge, was read and referred to the grand officers." The lodge was located in the village of West Town, and its meetings were held on the upper floor of the academy building. On December 4th, 1811, "Olive Branch Lodge, No. 102, prayed that the payment of their dues (to grand lodge) might be postponed until the next year on account of several losses sustained by the lodge the present year, which was granted." The lodge was reported as being in arrears for dues for two years and upwards in 1822. The charter was declared forfeited, June 8, 1832.

Hiram Lodge, No. 131. At the communication of grand lodge, held on the 19th of February, 1806, "A petition from sundry brethren to establish a lodge at Newburgh, by the name of Hiram Lodge, was read and the prayer thereof granted." The first officers of the lodge named in the charter were Jonathan Fisk, master; Charles Baker, senior warden; John R. Drake, junior warden.

General Lafayette was the guest of Hiram Lodge on the occasion of his visit to Newburgh on the 14th of September, 1824.

The charter was surrendered to grand lodge in 1835.

The anti-masonic furor having subsided, the brethren sought to reopen the lodge, and to that end presented a petition to grand lodge that the charter might be restored to them, which was granted in June, 1842, but the number of the lodge was changed to 92. The first officers under the revived charter were Peter F. Hunn, master; Minard Harris, senior warden; James Belknap, junior warden. The last record of the lodge is dated June 16. 1845, and we infer that the charter was soon thereafter surrendered to grand lodge. The charter of Hiram Lodge is now in the keeping of Hudson River Lodge, No. 607, as custodian.

Mount Moriah Lodge, No. 180. A petition was presented to grand lodge to establish: "A lodge in the town of Wallkill, its meetings to be holden at the house of Thomas Everson or others in the said town of Wallkill." A charter was granted under date of December 9th, 1809. Doubtless the lodge was held for some years in private dwellings as on the 2nd of December, 1812, at the communication of grand lodge: "A petition from Mount Moriah Lodge, No. 189, held at Wallkill, Orange County, praying for a remission of dues in consideration of its having built a commodious lodge room, for the expenses of which it was still in arrears, was presented and read, and the prayer of the petitioner refused." Doubtless the lodge at that time was held in the upper room of the school building in the village of Mount Hope, as at a later date masonic emblems, carved in wood, were to be seen in the room then used for school purposes.

Returns were made to grand lodge as from Wallkill, and also, "Return of Mount Moriah Lodge, No. 189, held at Mount Hope, Wallkill, county of Orange, and State of New York." The charter of this lodge was declared forfeited on the 4th of June, 1835.

Corner-Stone Lodge, No. 231. At the communication of grand lodge, held on the 2d of March, 1812, "A petition for a warrant to hold a lodge in the town of Monroe, in the county of Orange, to be called Cornerstone Lodge; recommended by Washington Lodge, No. 220, was read and granted." The warrant was dated May 26, 1814. This lodge is among the number in arrears for dues for two years and upwards on the 24th of June, 1822. The charter was declared forfeited on the 24th of June, 1832.

Jerusalem Temple Lodge, No. 247. At the communication of grand lodge, held on the 6th of September, 1815: "A petition from a number of the brethren to hold a lodge in the town of Cornwall, in the county of Orange, to be called Jerusalem Temple Lodge; recommended by Hiram Lodge, No. 131, was read and granted."

The lodge was constituted at the house of Ebenezer Crissey, in the village of Canterbury on the 5th of October of the same year; James B. Reynolds, master of Hiram Lodge, No. 131, performed the ceremony. The first officers named in the charter were Wyatt Carr, master; Abraham Mead, senior warden; Southerland Moore, junior warden. The charter was declared forfeited June 8th, 1832.