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.[1] 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.[2]
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.[3] It was not called Solomon's Lodge until 1776, previously being known as "The Lodge at Savannah."[4] 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.[4]
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.
| Name
|
Notability
|
References
|
| Archibald Bulloch
|
1st Governor of Georgia (1776–1777), delegate from Georgia to the Continental Congress (1775)
|
[5][6]
|
| William Bellinger Bulloch
|
U.S. Senator from Georgia (1813–1813), 12th Mayor of Savannah, Georgia (1809–1811, 1811–1812), president of the State Bank of Georgia (1816–1843)
|
[6]
|
| Samuel Elbert
|
18th Governor of Georgia (1785–1786), brigadier general in the Continental Army
|
[5][6]
|
| Thomas Gibbons
|
2nd Mayor of Savannah, Georgia (1791–1792, 1794–1795, 1799–1801), plaintiff in Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
|
[5]
|
| James Gunn
|
U.S. Senator from Georgia (1789–1801), brigadier general in the Georgia Militia
|
[6]
|
| James Habersham
|
Acting governor of the Province of Georgia (1769–1772), credited with opening the first direct trade between Savannah, Georgia and London
|
[5][6]
|
| John Habersham
|
Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation (1785)
|
[5][6]
|
| Joseph Habersham
|
3rd United States Postmaster General (1795–1801), 3rd Mayor of Savannah, Georgia (1792–1793)
|
[5]
|
| Lyman Hall
|
17th Governor of Georgia (1783–1784), delegate from Georgia to the Continental Congress (1775–1777)
|
[6]
|
| George Handley
|
21st Governor of Georgia (1788–1789)
|
[5][6]
|
| John Houstoun
|
10th Governor of Georgia (1778–1779, 1784–1785), 1st Mayor of Savannah, Georgia (1790–1791), delegate for Georgia in the Second Continental Congress (1775)
|
[5][6]
|
| William Houstoun
|
Delegate representing Georgia at the Constitutional Convention (1787)
|
[5][6]
|
| James Jackson
|
23rd Governor of Georgia (1798–1801), U.S. Senator from Georgia (1793–1795, 1801–1806), member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1789–1791)
|
[6]
|
| George Jones
|
U.S. Senator from Georgia (1807–1807), 14th Mayor of Savannah, Georgia (1812–1814)
|
[6]
|
| Noble Jones
|
One of the first settlers of the Province of Georgia
|
[5]
|
| Noble Wimberly Jones
|
Delegate to the Continental Congress in 1781 and 1782
|
[5][6]
|
| John Martin
|
16th Governor of Georgia (1782–1783)
|
[5][6]
|
| Matthew McAllister
|
1st U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia (1789–1797), 7th Mayor of Savannah, Georgia (1798–1799)
|
[5]
|
| Henry Osborne
|
Georgia Chief Justice (1787–1789), member of the Georgia General Assembly (1786–1788)
|
[5]
|
| Nathaniel Pendleton
|
U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Georgia (1789–1796), Attorney General of Georgia (1785–1786)
|
[5][6]
|
| William Pierce
|
Delegate representing Georgia at the Constitutional Convention (1787)
|
[5][6]
|
| William Stephens
|
U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Georgia (1801–1818), 4th Mayor of Savannah, Georgia (1793–1794, 1795–1796)
|
[5]
|
| Samuel Stirk
|
Attorney General of Georgia (1782)
|
[5]
|
| Josiah Tattnall
|
25th Governor of Georgia (1801–1802), U.S. Senator from Georgia (1796–1799), member of the Georgia House of Representatives (1795–1796)
|
[5][6]
|
| John A. Treutlen
|
9th Governor of Georgia (1777–1778)
|
[5]
|
| George Walton
|
U.S. Senator from Georgia (1795–1796), Acting Governor of Georgia (1789–1790), delegate representing Georgia at the Constitutional Convention (1787)
|
[5][6]
|
|
|
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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Berman, Richard. "The Early Years of Georgia Freemasonry". Academia.edu. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Denslow, William R. (1957). 10,000 Famous Freemasons. Columbia, Missouri: Missouri Lodge of Research.(digital document by phoenixmasonry: vol. 1, 2, 3, 4)
External links