Petersburg, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Prince Hall Masons in Virginia
Photographed By Bernard Fisher, May 28, 2017
1. Prince Hall Masons in Virginia Marker
Inscription.
Prince Hall Masons in Virginia. . In March 1775, a Masonic lodge attached to the British army initiated Prince Hall and 14 other free black men as Freemasons in Massachusetts. Meeting provisionally as African Lodge No. 1, the black Freemasons gained full privileges in 1787 when they organized African Lodge No. 459 under a charter from the Grand Lodge of England. The first affiliated lodge in Virginia was established in Alexandria in Feb. 1845. After the Civil War, two rival Grand Lodges operated in Virginia. On 15 Dec. 1875, these two Grand Lodges met at First Baptist Church-Harrison Street in Petersburg and united to form the present-day Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Virginia, Free and Accepted Masons, Inc.
In March 1775, a Masonic lodge attached to the British army initiated Prince Hall and 14 other free black men as Freemasons in Massachusetts. Meeting provisionally as African Lodge No. 1, the black Freemasons gained full privileges in 1787 when they organized African Lodge No. 459 under a charter from the Grand Lodge of England. The first affiliated lodge in Virginia was established in Alexandria in Feb. 1845. After the Civil War, two rival Grand Lodges operated in Virginia. On 15 Dec. 1875, these two Grand Lodges met at First Baptist Church-Harrison Street in Petersburg and united to form the present-day Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Virginia, Free and Accepted Masons, Inc.
Erected 2016 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number QA-37.)
Location. 37° 13.424′ N, 77° 24.226′ W. Marker is in Petersburg, Virginia. Marker is on Harrison Street south of College Place, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map.
Click or scan to see this page online
Marker is at or near this postal address: 236 Harrison St, Petersburg VA 23803, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 5, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 29, 2017, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 726 times since then and 73 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on May 29, 2017, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.