LODGE HISTORY
The early origins of Freemasonry are shrouded in mystery. We believe early masonic history originates from ancient stonemasons that helped build many of our temples, castles and cathedrals.
Freemasonry as we know it today originated in 1717 in York, England. Before establishing large permanent lodges, early English Masons would secretly meet at taverns sust as the Goose & Gridion Tavern in London. Some prominent early American colonists belonged to the fraternity and petitioned the Grand Lodge in York for a warrant to establish Masonic Lodges in the new American colonies across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1764, the Grand Lodge of England granted a warrant, which established the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. This permitted the establishment of local Masonic Lodges throughout the province.
After America won the Revolutionary War, which lasted from 1775 to 1783, American Masonic Lodges began to act independently from England. Early Pennsylvania masonic lodges had no buildings of their own so in the meantime the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania would rent rooms at local taverns - similar to their early English brothers - such as the old Tun Tavern in Philadelphia, which no longer stands today, however a foundation is in the works to reconstruct the Tun Tavern in Philadelphia.
Early Freemasons in Bucks County, Pennsylvania were granted a warrant in August 1768, to establish Lodge No. 11 in Newtown. Once, again these early masons didn't have the funds to build their own lodge, so they would rent rooms instead. One of the members had ties to the Brick Hotel on State Street, and Lodge No. 11 may have met there, but this can not be confirmed. Newtown No. 11 only lasted for 13 years due to low membership - mostly because of the ongoing revolutionary war - before it shut down and surrendered the charter in 1781.
Following the revolutionary war, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania severed its connection to the Grand Lodge of England in 1786, and in 1793, a second Newtown Lodge was formed - Lodge No. 57 - and received a new warrant No. 57 from the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. The Lodge is believed to have met at 114 South. State Street in Newtown at the time, until it surrendered its warrant in 1806 and ceased to meet (went dark) following the same fate as Lodge No. 11. From that time, until a third Lodge in Newtown was reestablished some years later, Masons in the Newtown area met at Doylestown, Bristol, or other Philadelphia area Lodges.
Like they say, third times the charm and in 1868, a third and present, Newtown Lodge was established with a new charter from the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. On Wednesday July 1st 1868, 14 fellow Freemasons from six other lodges held a meeting at The Odd Fellows Hall in Newtown; Known as the Historic Thomas Ross house on 119 State Street. Which is used today by The Pro Shop. The Odd Fellows of Newtown, known as Siloam Lodge #265 has long left the property due to a decline in membership. However their logo is still visible, etched in stone, below the third floor window. The International Order of Odd Fellows - I.O.O.F - share similar characteristics and common ground with Freemasonry, however I.O.O.F is a separate organization that was formed much later in the 18th century; nor are they a apendant body. Freemasonry still stands today as the worlds most oldest and recognizable fraternity. Several charter meetings would take place at the IOOF hall the summer of 1868 before an official stated meeting would commence later that Autumn.
One charter member came from Bristol Lodge No. 25
One came from Lancaster Lodge No. 43.
Nine Charter members came from Doylestown Lodge No. 245.
Two came from Columbia Lodge No. 91 & Richmond No.230, both met at the old Masoni Hall in Phila, PA.
One came from Frankford Lodge No. 292
Most of the charter members were from Doylestown Lodge No. 245; and one each from Bristol No. 25; Lancaster No. 43; Columbia No. 91; Richmond No. 230; and Frankford No. 292. During this meeting at IOOF Hall on South State Street, our 14 charter members discussed creating a third Newtown Lodge, one they hoped will survive this time. No one agreed to resurrect number 11 or number 51, perhaps believing they were bad luck as they both, coincidentally, only lasted 13 years each. Instead the number 427 was chosen by the Grand Lodge of PA as our new lodge designation. The name was also in consideration. The charter members put three names to a vote. Enterprise Lodge, Neshaminy Lodge or Newtown Lodge; the latter winning out. Officers were then voted on. George A. Jenks from Columbia Lodge was elected as our first Worshipful Master. Eugene Smith from Doylestown Lodge was elected as our first Senior Warden and J. Miles Jamison from Lancaster Lodge as our first Junior Warden. Three Trustees were also elected to care for the property: Thomas B Scott and Amos W. Buckman both from Doylestown Lodge; and John Tomlinson from Frankford Lodge.
Once everything was established, a new Masonic charter was created and warranted on September 10th, 1868 for Newtown Lodge No. 427. Having now received the charter, Newtown Lodge held their first official Lodge meeting two months later on November 26th, 1868. Originally a Moon Lodge, where the Lodge would meet on the Thursday on or before a full moon. Although Newtown is no longer a Moon Lodge, Bristol No. 25 is still one to this day. The first stated meeting was held at the newly built Worstall and Dalton building, 106 South State Street, (The Burns Newtown Hardware House) on the 3rd floor. This building is also referred to as the Hillborn store. Owned by B.J. Smith, rent was originally set at $120 per year, with members’ dues at $5 per year. Eventually rent would rise to $300 per year, and so, dues rose as well. Newtown Royal Arch Chapter No. 229 also began to utilize the Lodge room. The establishment of a local network of electric trolleys in the 1880-1900 period allowed Brethren outside the immediate Newtown area easier transportation to and from meetings. The Lodge would continue to meet there uninterrupted for the next 31 years.
In the late night of March 1, 1899, around 2 A.M, the building, which housed the Lodge, a dry goods store and Worstall’s Hardware store burned to the ground, destroying most of the Lodge records, past master pictures, furniture and most importantly, the charter. We still have the chard remains of our Lodge Bible in a glass display case. The fire is believed to have started in the hardware store by burglars.
Our Lodge was now without a home. Luckily the building next door known then as the Wynkoop building - today known as The Godwin Building on 110 South State Street - had space available for rent on the top third floor. There our Lodge would settle in for the time being until the Hardware building was rebuilt, which took just under a year to complete. We aslo were granted a special dispensation from the Grand Lodge of PA to hold meetings until a duplicate charter was created.
The building was quickly soon rebuilt, and our Lodge continued to meet on the 3rd and 2nd floor until the 1950s. The only sign was the number 427 painted on a small orb light fixture above the wooden door in the front center of the building. The room was refurbished with new lodge chairs, desks, furniture and masonic decorations which we still have to this day!
In 1955, the estate, which owned the building gave the Lodge notice to vacate, which started a search for new premises. By 1958 the Lodge had bought the present 5-acre property at Woodside for $10,600. The Penn Morris Lodge No. 778 was invited to join Newtown in constructing a new building. By this time (1964) the Newtown Lodge had 457 members.
An architect was hired to sketch what will become the next home of Newtown Lodge. The shell of the brick building is complete and revels its beauty and size. Featuring a Lodge Room 74 x 46 feet, a social hall 56 x 40 feet, a large lounge room with a fireplace, a front lobby, office, walk in coat closet, kitchen and plenty of storage space. Other features include ample parking, American Flag pole, and air conditioning.
Newtown approached Bristol Lodge No. 25 and Fairless Hills Lodge No. 776 and invited them to join the new venture, called the Lower Bucks Masonic Hall Association (LBMHA), but the two declined. Levittown Lodge No. 788 did join the project, and construction began in October 1964. The architect, and many of the craftsmen involved were Brethren of the fraternity.
Four years later, in June 1968, the building was dedicated by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, and the three Lodges - Newtown Lodge No. 427, Penn Morris Lodge 778, and Levittown Lodge No. 788 - have moved out of their old meeting places and began meeting at the new Masonic Temple in Woodside.
The Rainbow Girls also started meeting at the new Temple. and were allowed first dibs - because of the ladies first rule - They held their first meeting in the new banquet hall on January 13th 1968. Penn-Morris was up next. They held their first meeting in the new Lodge room on March 4th 1968. Edward Peterson, Jr. was the Penn-Morris Worshipful Master for that year.
Elmer G. Albright, W.M.
Newtown Lodge 1968
Edward Peterson, Jr. W.M. Penn-Morris 1968
E.P. Werner, Jr. W.M.
Levittown Lodge 1968
Newtown Lodge held their first meeting in the new building - a Stated Meeting - on March 13th, 1968. Elmer G. Albright was the current Worshipful Master of Newtown, and the first to be Master in the new Lodge room. Levittown held their first meeting in the building on April 3rd 1968; E.P Werner, Jr. was Master that year. A Royal Arch Chapter also would later utilize the lodge, before merging with another Chapter. Others were soon to follow, such as The Order of the Eastern Star and Order of the Amaranth, which still meet on the LBMH Building to this day!
The brand new lodge room was much bigger than the previous lodge and was polished with fresh paint, carpeting, plenty of cushioned seating and lightning. We said goodbye to the Newtown hardware store and settled into our new home in Woodside. All of our furniture was taken out from the old lodge room and put in its proper place in the new building.
It has now been 58 years since the completion of our current Lodge building in Woodside, and 158 years since the formation of our Lodge. Since then we have acquired three other lodges who have merged into Newtown Lodge - Penn Morris, Fairless Hills and Levittown - to create a more unified Newtown Lodge No. 427. Because of the mergers we are now stronger than ever before. several years ago the building removed the word Temple from the front of the building, since many argued that it was too religious of a word. The lodge agreed to change the name to the Lower Bucks Masonic Hall, better to reflect the name of the Lower Bucks Masonic Hall Association, whom in turn helps keep the building in tip top shape. In addition we are always busy with renovations to keep our Lodge clean and up to date so that we can withstand another 158 years of Masonic Fellowship.
