Solomon's Lodge, Savannah
Solomon's Lodge, officially Solomon's Lodge, No. 1, Free and Accepted Masons (F. & A. M.), located in Freemasons' Hall, Savannah, Georgia, is a Masonic lodge established in 1734 by James Lacey and General James Oglethorpe. It is believed to be the oldest, continuously operating, English-constituted lodge in the Western Hemisphere, a title also claimed by St. John's Lodge, Portsmouth, established in 1734 or 1736.
History
Solomon's Lodge is the mother lodge of the Grand Lodge of Georgia, Free and Accepted Masons, and between 1734 and 1785 was the only lodge in Georgia. It was not called Solomon's Lodge until 1776, previously being known as "The Lodge at Savannah." It occupies the former Savannah Cotton Exchange building. The first person to be initiated into the lodge was the settler and plantation founder Noble Jones.
Notable members
Many members of Solomon's Lodge have held prestigious positions throughout history in the armed forces, government, and public service. Several prominent members of the Lodge are listed below.
References
- ^ Hirschfeld, Fritz (2005). George Washington and The Jews. University of Delaware Press. p. 26. ISBN 0-87413-927-9.
- ^ "St. John's Lodge No. 1 F.&A.M. Historic Information". St. John's Lodge #1. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
- ^ "Our History". Grand Lodge of Georgia. Archived from the original on September 15, 2008.
- ^ Tatsch, J. Hugo (1995). Solomon's Lodge and Freemasonry in Georgia, Freemasonry in the Thirteen Colonies. Kessinger Publishing. p. 75. ISBN 1-56459-595-1.
- ^ Berman, Richard. "The Early Years of Georgia Freemasonry". Academia.edu. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- ^ Denslow, William R. (1957). 10,000 Famous Freemasons. Columbia, Missouri: Missouri Lodge of Research.(digital document by phoenixmasonry: vol. 1, 2, 3, 4)