NOTA BENE
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ABOUT US
Our stated communication is held the 3rd Monday of every month. Too see other events that might be scheduled take a look at our calendar page
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The Masonic Temple, 312 E. College St.
Southeast corner of the Lodge room
The Waterbury Regulator
View of the East from the balcony
The altar with the Steinway in the background
The
Stoner Memorial Library
Lodge History Sketch
by Robert G. Hibbs, Lodge Historian
January 1996
(Amended February 7, 2010)
Masons first met in Iowa City January 13, 1842, at Dr. William Reynolds' School Room along Iowa Avenue two blocks east of Old Capitol.
They received dispensation October 10, 1842, from the Masonic Grand Lodge of Missouri to confer degrees, received Missouri charter #63 in October 1843, hosted formation of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Iowa and received the #4 charter from it after its officers were installed January 8, 1844. The lodge in Burlington receive charter #1, Muscatine #2 and Dubuque #4, in the same order they had received Missouri charters ahead of Iowa City.
Iowa City Masonic Lodge first met under its current Number 4 charter January 9, 1844, with Dr. Reynolds sitting as Master. Other officers included William B. Snyder, territorial superintendent of Old Capitol; Chauncey Swan, an inn keeper; James R. Hartsock, post master and subsequent Grand Master; and Charles Nagle, a businessman.
Gov. Robert Lucas became a member of Iowa City Lodge June 24, 1844, by demit from Muscatine and remained active, principally as chaplain, until his death in 1853.
Since 1914 Iowa City Lodge has met in the current Temple at 312 College Street. Built for about $40,000 during 1913 and 1914, the lot and building were paid for in large part with earnings from land speculation in downtown Iowa City. During the late 1970s more than $100,000 was spent to add an elevator, and during 1993 nearly $50,000 was spent to remodel the Lodge Rooom. The Temple property currently is valued at $1.5 million.
A 1910 Grand Lodge of Iowa History calls Iowa City Lodge "that mother of Grand Masters." The Lodge can claim six, James R. Hartsock in 1858 and 1859, Thomas Hart Benton Jr. in 1860, 1861 and 1862, Zephaniah C. Luse in 1877, George W. Ball in 1895 and 1896, Lars A. Larson in 1933 and Woodrow W. Morris in 1971. Capitol Lodge in Des Moines has five, but none more.
The phone number was 664R in 1903, with the R probably verbalized as "red." In 1935 it was 6181, and is now 319-338-8181. Time does change all things.