Lebainon #98 History


		*HISTORY PAGE*









		One of the earlier meeting places of the Freemasons in Lebanon was on the second floor of a building located in the southeast corner of the public Square. This location was only one of several meeting places for the Masons before the current meeting hall on North College Street was constructed in 1947.

Since 1827, Lebanon Tennessee has had, with the exception of the years 1838 to 1842, an active Lodge of Freemasons. However, Freemasonry in Wilson County may even extend back as far 1805 when Philanthropic Lodge #12 at Cloverbottom was chartered on the petition of Masons who lived east of Nashville.

Lebanon Lodge #98, Free and Accepted Masons, was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Tennessee on October 1, 1842. Earlier than this the present day lodge was the old Lebanon Lodge #66.

Lebanon Lodge #66 was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Tennessee on October 5, 1827. During the period 1827 to 1838, Lebanon Lodge #66 found itself to be caught up at a time of upheaval.

A strong anti-Masonic movement by certain religious groups was started in 1826. The old lodge succumbed to these pressures and surrendered its charter in 1838. However, good men still had a desire to reconstruct the Masonic Order in Lebanon and submitted a new petition to the Grand Lodge in 1842. The petition was granted, and on October 1, 1842, Lebanon Lodge #98, Free and Accepted Masons became a reality.

As early as 1831, Masons in Lebanon had a strong connection to organized
religious bodies. In that year, Lebanon Lodge #66, in cooperation with
Rev. George Donnell and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, joined
together for the erection of a church building on the West Side on North
Cumberland Street. The church used the bottom of this handsome two-story
brick building for religious services and the Masons used the upstairs portion
for a lodge hall.
This arrangement continued from 1831 until 1838 when Lodge #66 ceased
to exist. However, with the establishment of Lebanon Lodge #98 in 1842,
Masons once again had a home above the Presbyterian congregation. This
association continued until 1955, when the Presbyterian Church moved to
a new building. Lodge # 98 remained in this building until 1883. In 1883, the
trustees of Lebanon Lodge #98 sold this building and moved across the street
to the building that became known as the ABBE INSTITUTE, later known as the

Lebanon College for Young Ladies, or "L.C.Y.L." This property was sold to the

The Cumberland Presbyterian Church joined with local Masons in 1831 to construct this building located on North Cumberland Street. The building no longer stands today.

ABBE INSTITUTE in 1885.

With the sale, Lebanon Lodge #98 moved downtown and rented the lodge hall that belonged to the Odd Fellows Society (formerly Capitol Theater).

Before the Lebanon Lodge #98 could hold its first meeting in these new quarters, a tragic and costly fire struck this building. All records of the order were burned, along with furniture and robes. More than 50 years of the history of the lodge burned at this time. The trustees of the Lodge immediately sought out and received permission to meet in the Wilson County Courthouse. Lodge #98 met at the Courthouse until another lodge hall could be constructed above the business establishment known as McClain Brothers in the Southeast corner of the public Square.

The lodge enjoyed this location until yet another fire consumed this and other buildings on the square on January 31, 1909. Again, all was lost but the good brothers of the day, undaunted, looked to their friends, the Odd Fellows. The Odd Fellows, along with the Knights of Pythias were at the time quartered upstairs on East Main Street in the building owned by C.L. Johns. In 1909, the Lodge began to think again of a permanent home. However, funds were short, as the lodge fire in 1909 caught the organization with very little insurance coverage. Enough money was raised to make it possible for the Lodge to purchase from Johns a lot on the west side of North College Street.

In 1917, the lodge moved back to the public square in the building known as the arcade, and here remained until February 1, 1927. By this time, Claude Segraves owned and operated a Funeral Parlor on East Main Street next door to Johns' building. The Masons signed a lease with Segraves to be located above the funeral home for the sum of $25.00 per month. In 1947, finances seemed to be in order enough for the trustees of the lodge to sign and start construction of a new and permanent home on the property acquired 38 years prior from C.L. Johns on North College Street.

This spacious building, two stories in height, was something of pride for the lodge. Looking to the future and remembering too well the tragedies of the past, plans were made to build a home for the lodge upstairs. Downstairs, this building was build to allow for the construction of two separate business spaces. Rent received from this space would offset the cost of fire and hazard insurance, taxes and utility services.

On May 3, 1948, the cornerstone was placed and a new home for Lebanon Lodge #98 was dedicated. Officers of the lodge were:

H.M. Byars - Worshipful Master

Grayson Allen - Senior Warden

Ray Hunt - Junior Warden

Albert Williams - Secretary

A.H. Kirkpatrick - Treasurer

E.L. Carson - Senior Decon

W.M. Freeman - Junior Decon

Charles Wilkinson - Junior Steward

H.S. Carr - Tiler

The first person made a Master Mason in this new lodge hall was Brother William Lee Suddarth on May 31, 1948.

Members of Lebanon Lodge #98 meet in that very same building today. The lodge building presently consist of a long banquet room, fully equipped kitchen, two restrooms, and a beautiful spacious lodge hall, where seating can be arranged to accommodate well over 200 persons. The lodge has installed under the guidance of Past Worshipful Master Robert Ewell Lee an automatic chair lift to help all members or visitors that might have trouble climbing the stairway to attend meetings.

We invite all brethren from near and afar to come visit our lodge. Our door is always open.