Our Story

The initial meeting of the lodge was on August 2, 1848. After it was chartered on May 10, 1849, Worshipful Brother John W. Crane was Worshipful Master; James McCoy, Senior Warden, and Ashton P. Johnson, Junior Warden. Worship Brother Crane served as Master during the formative stages of the lodge prior to its being chartered. He then served as Master from 1849 until 1858. It was certainly a unique record for a Master.

The original meeting place was at Third and Pine Streets (now the site of the Jefferson Memorial Expansion and Gateway Arch). The lodge then moved to Third and Chestnut (also, now the site of the Jefferson National Memorial Expansion and Gateway Arch) where meetings were held until fire destroyed this hall. From 1862 to 1863, the lodge met at Druids Hall located at Ninth and Market Streets until moving back to their former lodge hall at Third and Chestnut in 1863. It was recorded in the minutes that a vote of thanks was given to Brother Burgoyne for his strenuous and heroic efforts in saving the lodge records, jewels, property, and especially the Holy Bible, Square and Compasses.

In 1868, the lodge was moved to Seventh and Chestnut Streets. The first meeting after the move was held on October 13, 1868. From there, the lodge was moved to the Masonic Temple in the Odeon Building at Grand and Finney in 1900 and then to the New Masonic Temple at 3681 Lindell Boulevard. The cornerstone of this magnificent Temple was laid on October 21, 1924 and it was dedicated on October 26, 1926. George Washington Lodge was a major financial contributor to the New Masonic Temple. Thirty-Five Thousand Dollars ($35,000) was given from the lodges treasury with an additional Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000) contributed from the Brethren for a total of Seventy-Five Thousand ($75,000). In addition to the generosity toward the New Masonic Temple, George Washington Lodge has been a generous contributor to the George Washington Memorial Fund and to good works of every kind in and out of Freemasonry.

George Washington Lodge met in the New Masonic Temple for many years until in 1983 when it moved to Meridian Temple and remained there until 1985. It then moved to the Pomegranate Temple and in September of 1991, the lodge moved to America Temple now known as Craftsman Masonic Hall. In 2003, the lodge moved back to the New Masonic Temple on Lindell Boulevard. The layout of the New Masonic Temple made it difficult for many of the handicapped Brethren to attend meetings, so in 2004,. the lodge moved back to Craftsman Masonic Hall and remained there until 2016. In 2016, George Washington Lodge returned to Meridian Temple.

George Washington Lodge members and invited guests embarked on a pilgrimage to Washington D.C. and Alexandria, Virginia from November 22 to November 26, 1922. Accompanying the Brethren were Grand Master Most Worshipful Brother Bert S. Lee, District Deputy Grand Master, 33rd Masonic District Rite Worshipful Brother John P. Austin, and District Deputy Grand Lecturer, 33rd Masonic District Rite Worshipful Brother Fred B. Howarth. During this pilgrimage, the Brethren were treated to seeing all of the historic sites of our Nation’s Capital. Also notable was the conferring of the Master Mason Degree at a stated communication of Alexandria-Washington Lodge #22 on Arthur Collins Williamson, a Fellow Craft of George Washington Lodge by the officers of George Washington Lodge #9. On November 25, 1922 the Delegation from George Washington Lodge was received by the President of the United States, Warren G. Harding with each brother being introduced to the President by Worshipful Brother J. Gwynn Gough, Worshipful Master of George Washington Lodge #9. President Harding was a Master Mason, member of the Scottish Rite, Royal Arch, Knights Templar and a Shriner. He received his Fellow Craft and Master Mason degrees while serving as President as well as affiliating himself with the Appendant bodies.

The existence of George Washington Lodge #9 has been continuous with an occasional interruption because of epidemics, rendering public meetings inadvisable. In its humble beginnings, there have been some peculiar entries in the minutes of the Lodge regarding deferred installations of officers and conferring of degrees on Sunday's. Always, George Washington Lodge has fostered the civic spirit, always the true spirit of patriotism, and always stood ready to service and has most valuably served the nation. Throughout its history, George Washington Lodge has had in its membership Brethren who throughout the history of the Grand Lodge of Missouri helped shape Freemasonry in Missouri and the development of the St. Louis area. Additionally, George Washington Lodge has overcome the most difficult of times (fire, epidemics, Great Depression, etc.), and as a lodge has met the challenges and continued to be serviceable to the human family.

Honoring our Past Masters

JOHN W. CRANE 1848-1852
WARREN HOLISTER 1853
JOHN W. CRANE 1854-1861
EARL MATLACK 1862-1864
J.A.H. LAMPTON 1865
C.L. SPENCER 1866
J.A.H. LAMPTON 1867
JOHN BUCHANAN 1868
RICHARD F. GARRESTON 1869
JOHN WILLIAMSON 1870
J.A.H. LAMPTON 1871
GEORGE J. GOODWIN 1872
W.W. EHNIGER 1873
JESSE L. THOMSON 1874
RUFUS U. LEONORI 1875
RICHARD TREVOR 1876
WILLIAM J. FRITCH 1877
PHILLIP J. HEUER 1878
RICHARD TREVOR 1879
JAMES D. MALIN 1880
BENJAMIN V. CHASE 1881-1882
WILLIAM H. STONE 1883
FRANK R. EVERSOLE 1884
JOHN S. BEGGS 1885
GEORGE M. STEWART 1886
ALEXANDER DOUGLAS 1887
GEORGE R. MOORE 1888
CORTLAND D. KELLY 1889
PEMBROOK R. FLITCRAFT 1890
JOHN GREENOUGH 1891
WILLIAM H. LAMB 1892
CHARLES W. WAUGHOP 1893
HENRY LIHOU 1894
JULIUS B. PARKELL 1895
WILBERT F. PARKER 1896
DAVID C. GILCHRIST 1897
FRANKLIN P. JONES 1898
CHARLES LIHOU 1899
WILLIAM L. REYNOLDS 1900
WILLIAM L. LaBERGE 1901
ALBERT L. MARION 1902
ATHOL J. MICHENOR 1903
GEORGE WILLIAM JAMES 1904
JOHN KIPP 1905
JOHN NETTLESHIP 1906

WALTER G. WILDERMAN 1907
SAMUEL R. STEVENSON 1908
OTTO EMIL MUELLER 1909
ROBERT FISHER 1910
EUGENE McQUILLIN 1911
LEON WILLIS QUICK 1912
WILLIAM S. CAMPBELL 1913
WILLIAM M. KENNER 1914
DAN WALTER OVIATT 1915
WILLIAM A. SOMMERS 1916
WILLIAM J. KENNEDY 1917
WALTER H. NIESTRATH 1918
JOHN A. HUBBARD 1919
LEWIS MARTIN BENTZ 1920
ROBERT CLARK DUFFIN 1921
J. GWYNN GOUGH 1922
CHESTER A. KENNEDY 1923
EUGENE O. BACON 1924
JOHN L. BISHOP 1925
EWING R. DRYDEN 1926
CARL E. DUDLEY 1927
FRANCIS W. PALMER, JR. 1928
CLARENCE D. HENRY 1929
ROBERT CLARK DUFFIN 1930
EDGAR L. SEAGRAVE 1931
THEODORE S. KOCH 1932
GEORGE A. SCHWEBEL 1933
JOHN N. CRANDALL 1934
REINHOLD H. RODEGAST 1935
ROBERT C. BRINKMAN 1936
FRANCIS E. HOWARD 1937
ERNEST P. BRINKMAN 1938
ROBERT R. RUMBOLD 1939
FRANK A. BOBEL 1940
WILLIAM L. HAUSMAN 1941
WALTER H. SCHAEFER 1942
JAMES E. SHANNON 1943
CHARLES K. PENNINGTON 1944
JACK LEE BROWN 1945
MELVIN F. ESHING 1946
ERNEST G. ROSS 1947
THOMAS H. GROB 1948
HOMER H. MONTGOMERY 1949
L. RAYMOND PEPPER 1950
H. ALEXANDER SUTTON 1951
CHARLES J. SCHUSTER 1952
RAYMOND W. HOTTO 1953
RUSSELL ORVIN NASH 1954
HAROLD A. DARROW 1955
RAYMOND R. KESSLER 1956
WILLIAM R. GLAUS 1957
WILLIAM F. JOHNSON 1958
HOWARD ELLIOTT WARD 1959
ERNEST J. KIRKPATRICK 1960
CHARLES J. LUBIEWSKI 1961
MILTON C. ENGELHARDT 1962
ROBERT C. RUPP 1963
JOHN H. STROH 1964
JOSEPH P. HUDSON 1965
SELDON E. BROWN 1966
WILLIAM B. STEPHENSON, JR. 1967
ROBERT R. GRUBBS 1968
JOSEPH R. HUDSON 1969
ROBERT R. GRUBBS 1970
JOSEPH PAYTON HUDSON 1971
RONALD L. DOTSON 1972
WILLIAM B. STEPHENSON, JR. 1973
JAMES MARVIN ROLSTON 1974
ROBERT R. GRUBBS 1975
RICHARD G. NIEDENFUEHR 1976

DARWIN ZIMMERMAN, SR. 1977
HOWARD G. FINCHER, SR. 1978
LARRY W. SCHUMAKER 1979
NELSON G. MORGAN 1980
MILTON ENGELHARDT 1981
CLYDE P. DAVIS 1982
RONALD L. DOTSON 1983
LEON A. RICCARDI 1984
WILLIAM B. WHITE 1985
JAMES W. BARNETT 1986
NORMAN W.L. SMITH 1987
JAMES K. "KENT" BARNETT 1988
RICHARD K. "KELLY" BARNETT 1989
JOSEPH K. VAUGHN 1990
PETER HELLBERG 1991
HAROLD A. DARROW 1992
JOSEPH P. HUBENSCHMIDT 1993
KENNETH C. VAUGHN 1994
RICHARD W. SANDERS 1995
RONALD G. FULTS 1996
DENNIS P. FULLER 1997
JAMES E. REINER 1998
EUGENE REEHTEN 1999
TERRY F. THROM 2000
ARTHUR J. GOEDE 2001
ROBERT J. MAYER, SR. 2002
JOHN P. FOX, SR. 2003
H. GERARD SURKAMP 2004
NORMAN C. SCHULTHEIS 2005
CRAIG A. SKINNER 2006
MARION L. BRIGGS 2007
JOHN P. FOX, SR. 2008
ROBERT J. MAYER, SR. 2009
PETER G. CAUCHON 2010
JOSEPH E. SKINNER 2011
WILLIAM B. STEPHENSON, JR. 2012
JAMES R. CAUCHON 2013
JOHN B. ROTH 2014
MATTHEW CORIELL 2015
PAUL R. SKINNER 2016
EDWARD L. "LEROY" RAYFIELD 2017
BRIAN YOUNG 2018
MARK STOCKHAUSEN 2019
MATTHEW CORIELL 2020
T. MICHAEL ALLEN 2021
GREG SCHAEFER 2022
ANDREW SCHAEFER 2023
JOHN ANDERSON 2024
KEITH HASENFRATZ III 2025
JOSH SLAUGHTER 2026

Our Home

George Washington Lodge #9 meets at Meridian Masonic Temple on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month, with the execption of July and August.

Address

4500 Donovan Ave, St. Louis Mo 63109

Contact

Email

sec.gw9@gmail.com