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A History of Wayne Lodge |
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Researched by Brother Rick Pridgen, PM Wayne Lodge #112 and Brother Paul W. Brown III, PM Goldsboro Lodge #634 |
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Used with Permission |
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Wayne Lodge #112 On Dec. 14, 1846, a charter was granted to Wayne Lodge #112 A.F.& A.M. by the Grand Lodge of North Carolina, and the charter specified that the lodge would be located in the village of Everettsville. Everettsville was situated near the present day Genoa Crossroads and was about three miles south of Goldsboro. Everettsville at one time had about 150 residents, two churches, a private school, a masonic lodge, a railroad depot and a post office. Some of the most influential people of the county resided there. About the time that Goldsboro began to develop and with the advent of the Civil War many of the residents moved to Goldsboro and by the mid-1860’s, Everettsville ceased to exist. Wayne Lodge moved to Goldsboro after Sherman’s Troops destroyed the original lodge building and all of it’s contents, where it has continued to function and thrive. It has survived numerous wars and the great depression. It is regrettable that the early minutes and records were lost to fire due to the Civil War. During the terrible years of warfare, it is surmised that all the minutes, records, and the charter of the lodge were destroyed by fire. Wayne Lodge’s first officers were: Worshipful Master, James Griswald; Senior Warden, John Wright; Junior Warden, John W.S. West; Treasurer, Uzzell G. Harrolds and Secretary, James J. Baker. The records of the Grand Lodge show that Wayne Lodge has always been active and progressive and that Wayne Lodge always had representatives as delegates to The Grand Lodge’s annual communications which were held in Raleigh. In 1866 Wayne Lodge had a membership of 74. At the communication of the Grand Lodge that year Wayne Lodge was issued a charter to replace the first one that was issued and later destroyed at Everettsville. It specified that the lodge would be located in Goldsboro. . Wayne Lodge when it first moved to Goldsboro held its meetings on the second floor of the Odd Fellows Hall at the corner of Center and Walnut streets. In 1866 plans were made to secure a new site and the lodge leased the second floor of the Wayne Men’s Academy. It’s members were assessed 50 cents to purchase lamps and oil for the new location. At the time all of their special ceremonies and installations were held at The First Baptist Church. After the war, Confederate monies and bank notes were no longer of any value. The lodge was holding $82 in old Confederate Bank notes which took them over a year to convert to $6.03. The lodge averaged collecting about $350 per year in dues, fees, and donations. At that time it cost an individual $5.00 to join the lodge with quarterly dues of $1.50. Most of it’s members did not trust the banks after the war and therefore would loan monies for their businesses back and forth to one another. The masonic fraternity has always furnished funeral rites for it’s members when requested to do so by a members family. In those days Wayne Lodge traveled to Smithfield, Wilson and Kinston to conduct such services for lodges out of town. The lodge had a contract with the North Carolina Railroad to transport them to these towns for $25 per trip when they had to travel. It was not unusual for the lodge to pay the entire funeral expenses for it’s deceased members during this time. Wayne Lodge for the first 20 years held it’s meetings every Monday evening at 7 1/2 o’clock (as written in the minutes), and on the 3rd Saturday of every month at 10 a.m. until 1868 when the lodge voted to change its meetings to the first and third Mondays of every month, which has been it’s regular meeting times since. In late September of 1867 the lodge was forced to find another location to meet. Privettes Hall was then located on the west side block of Mulberry and Center streets and was rented by the lodge for $150 per year with a three year contract. The lodge decided to write to lodges north of Virginia in an appeal for financial help in rebuilding and on Oct. 14, 1867, mailed 100 letters at a cost of $3.50 to find that one week later on Oct. 21, 1867, it had received a donation of $100 from Dibble Worth & Co. of New York. This was a remarkable turnaround of mail and timing on behalf of the postal service considering there were only trains and horses at the time. In December of 1867, all masons in North Carolina were sponsoring a college called St. John’s College and were assessed $1 to retire the debt of the school. Masonry has always had a need to support it’s widow’s and orphan’s and during the 1860s and ’70s the lodge paid for several of it’s deceased members children to attend college. Two of which attended Goldsboro Female College. During the 1860s and ’70s lodge anniversary celebrations were held at the Griswald Hotel in Goldsboro. Banquets were usually held at a cost of 70 cents per person. During the lodges stay at Privettes Hall the lodge continuously leased space to the Goldsboro Friends of Temperance Committee and the First Baptist Church for meetings. One of the most interesting facts about the lodge is that on June 14, 1869, the lodge voted to celebrate St. Johns day in a very unique way. The lodge voted to charter a train from the Atlantic and North Carolina Railroad to convey it’s members and guests to Morehead and Beaufort for an overnight beach retreat. The cost of the train would be $200. The cost per member would be $2, $1 for wives and $1 for children. This price would include the train ride, meals, lodging and entertainment. Ten days later they departed on June 24th and returned on June 25th. The minutes of the lodge do not reflect how many people went on the trip, however they do reflect that after the railroad, hotels and restaurants were paid, the lodge had a profit of $145.80 which it voted to spend buying new chairs for the east in the lodge. These chairs are still being used today and are on loan to Harmony Lodge #340 in Pikeville. St. John’s Day still continues to be one of the most celebrated days in a masonic year. In September of 1869 Privette’s Hall was destroyed by fire and Wayne Lodge moved it’s meeting place back to the Odd Fellows Hall. At some time between 1869 and 1891 the lodge moved to the Neuse Lodge Odd Fellows Hall located on John Street where it still exists today. Since it’s inception the Oxford Orphanage Asylum would change it’s name to the Oxford Orphanage and today it is known as the North Carolina Masonic Home for Children and has always and continually been supported by the masonic lodges of North Carolina. Lodges in Goldsboro have frequently sponsored children to the orphanage and given their time and financial support to the home. It remains Masonry's main charity along with the Masonic and Eastern Star Home in Greensboro. At the turn of the century it was not uncommon for the lodge to contribute $130.00, 2 sacks of flour, and 1/2 dozen Jersey Cows or whatever provisions could be sent in support. The lodge still continues today to support approximately 200 children in Oxford, North Carolina. During the first 50 years of Masonry in Goldsboro, the
lodge would adopt and draft a resolution to be published in the
Goldsboro Argus and to be sent to a family in regards to the
loss of a deceased brother. This was done for every member that
died. The lodge members would then dress in mourning clothes for a
period of 30 days following the funeral. The following was a
resolution written by one of it’s most noted members of that day in
regards to the death of then Grand Secretary Donald W. Bain.
Less than a decade later Brother Aycock would become Governor of North Carolina and would become known as North Carolina’s Educational Governor by opening a school for every day that he held office. His belief was that every child regardless of race, color, or creed deserved an education. After the turn of the century Wayne Lodge met at Pythian Hall where plans were made to possibly charter a new lodge in Goldsboro. Goldsboro Lodge #634 A.F.&A.M. was organized on Feb.27, 1917 and held it’s first meeting on March 19, 1917. Sixteen of it’s founding members were originally members of Wayne Lodge #112. The Grand Lodge of North Carolina issued a charter to Goldsboro Lodge on Jan.16, 1918. Charter officers were Ezra E. Griffin, worshipful master, Charles O. Baird, Senior Warden, John E.F. Hicks, Junior Warden, Abraham M. Shrago, Treasurer and Ross I. Giddens, Secretary. Wayne and Goldsboro Lodge met in the Pythean Hall on the second floor of the Davis Building, located at the northwest corner of John and Mulberry Streets until late 1917 when they along with the Goldsboro York Rite Bodies moved to the second floor of the Peoples Bank located at the southwest corner of Walnut and Center Streets. It is interesting to note that smoking has been banned in the lodge hall since a motion was unanimously carried on August 13, 1917. Desiring to have a permanent home for masonry in Goldsboro, Wayne Lodge, Goldsboro Lodge, and the York Rite formed the Goldsboro Masonic Holding Corporation in early 1924 to secure a structure suitable for a Masonic Temple. The corporation purchased The John M. Grantham home located at the northeast corner of William and Mulberry Streets. This property was known as “The Old Grantham Homeplace” and had been built prior to the Civil War. By 1954, masonry had grown in Goldsboro to the point that several Masonic bodies began to consider options for a new structure. The last Meeting of Wayne and Goldsboro Lodges at the old temple were on March 9, 1959 and March 16, 1959 respectively. Until a new Temple could be erected. The Masonic Bodies of Goldsboro again met in the Davis Building. Wayne Lodge decided on Aug. 2, 1965 to erect a Temple at the Northwest corner of Highway 70 East and Norwood Avenue and the cornerstone coming from the United States Capital Building was laid on June 11, 1966. The first meeting of Wayne Lodge in it’s new Temple was held on April 3, 1967 and is currently being used today by the lodge. Goldsboro Lodge elected on August 23, 1965 to purchase an existing structure on Hwy 13 North that was previously The Roaming Steer Restaurant. After renovating it for lodge use, the first meeting of Goldsboro Lodge was held on Jan. 10, 1966 and is currently used today by the lodge. There are five lodges active in Wayne County today, each contributing to it’s philanthropies along with it’s appendant organizations, which include The Order of the Eastern Star, The Goldsboro York Rite Bodies, The Scottish Rite, The Wayne Shrine Club of The Sudan Shriners, The Allied Masonic Degrees, The Order of The Rainbow for Girls and The Order of Demolay for Boys. Each of these organizations has its own charities and continues to be active. Freemasonry continues to be the oldest and largest fraternal organization in the world, consisting through the years of fine community leaders. To become affiliated with the organization a person must ask to become a member. Not only are we pleased to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Freemasonry in Goldsboro but are equally pleased to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the City of Goldsboro. Many of our members have been Goldsboro’s leaders through the years. The Lodges of Wayne County The following is a historical table of lodges in Wayne County chartered by the Grand Lodge of North Carolina. Name, location, chartered, disposition Columbian #28 Wayne Co. Dec. 9, 1796 Dec. 3, 1806 Extinct Union #62 Waynesboro Nov. 21, 1812 moved to spring bank in 1827, to Waynesboro in 1830, extinct 1837 Wayne #112 Goldsboro Dec. 10, 1846 at Everettsville, moved 1960 Active today Mount Olive #208 Mount Olive Dec. 6, 1859 Active today Nahunta #239 Fremont Dec. 5, 1865 Extinct in 1879 Falling Creek #325 Goldsboro Dec. 5, 1877, Surrendered 1887, Restored 1888, Charter Arrested 1927 Goldsboro #332 Goldsboro Dec. 8, 1874 Extinct in 1884 Harmony #340 Pikeville Dec. 8, 1874 Unbroken Record Home #613 Fremont Jan. 20, 1915 Unbroken Record Seven Springs #631 Seven Sprngs Jan. 17, 1917 Surrendered Charter April 17, 1923 Goldsboro #634 Goldsboro Jan. 16, 1918 Unbroken Record
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