Stony Creek Village in Rochester Hills in Oakland County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Stony Creek Masonic Lodge No. 5/Mount Moriah

Photographed by Joel Seewald, June 16, 2018

1. Stony Creek Masonic Lodge No. 5/Mount Moriah Marker

Inscription.
Stony Creek Masonic Lodge No. 5 Around 1825 William A. Burt led members of the Stony Creek Masonic Lodge in petitioning the Grand Lodge of Michigan for a charter. The grand master, Governor Lewis Cass, approved the charter in June 1827. In response to anti-Masonic fervor sweeping the nation, however, the Grand Lodge suspended operations from 1829 to 1841, delaying the granting of Stony Creek's charter. Due to the efforts of tavern keeper Daniel B. Taylor, Stony Creek Lodge continued to meet during that time. It was the only Michigan lodge to do so. The group had originally held meetings in a log schoolhouse, and later in people's homes. In 1844 the lodge was reconstituted, and in 1849 members dedicated the first Masonic temple in the state. In 1853 the lodge relocated in Rochester.

Mount Moriah This site, once the summit of Stony Creek Village, was named Mount Moriah by Stony Creek Masons. In 1849 they dedicated a temple here - - the first in Michigan built solely for Masonic purposes. In 1844 the Grand Lodge of Michigan had recognized the Stony Creek Lodge, organized around 1825, as the oldest continuously operating

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lodge in Michigan. The fraternity built the temple in honor of this distinction, laying the cornerstone in 1847. The building, a red octagonal wooden structure set on a high stone foundation, had a discrete entrance into the cellar; members took a ladder up to the meeting room. In 1853 the lodge was transferred to Rochester. Eventually, the temple was dismantled and the materials were used to build a barn. In 1929 the cornerstone was incorporated into a Masonic monument erected at Stony Creek Cemetery.

Erected 1996 by Michigan Historical Center, Michigan Department of State. (Marker Number S651.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Fraternal or Sororal Organizations • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1827.

Location. 42° 41.73′ N, 83° 6.957′ W. Marker is in Rochester Hills, Michigan, in Oakland County. It is in Stony Creek Village. It is on Van Hoosen Road south of Runyon Road. Marker is near the end of Van Hoosen Road on the Old Romeo Road Trail. Touch for map. Marker is at or

Photographed by Joel Seewald, June 16, 2018

2. Stony Creek Masonic Lodge No. 5/Mount Moriah Marker

near this postal address: 1005 Van Hoosen Road, Rochester MI 48307, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Michigan

and in Greater Detroit.

It is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Winkler's Mill (within shouting distance of this marker); Stoney Creek Village (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); 1927 Van Hoosen Calf Barn/1927 Van Hoosen Bull Barn (about 300 feet away); 1840 Van Hoosen Farmhouse (about 300 feet away); 1927 Van Hoosen Dairy Barn (about 300 feet away); Before lawn mowers... (about 600 feet away); 1850 Red House (about 600 feet away); Stoney Creek School (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rochester Hills.

Also see . . .
1. Stony Creek No. 5 F. & A.M. History. (Submitted on May 22, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
2. Mount Moriah: The First Building Built Exclusively For Masonic Purposes in Michigan.

Photographed by Joel Seewald, June 16, 2018

3. Stony Creek Masonic Lodge No. 5/Mount Moriah Marker

View looking southwest from the Van Hoosen Farm along the Old Romeo Road Trail.

(Submitted on May 22, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)

Credits. This page was last revised on August 8, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 22, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 1,108 times since then and 86 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 22, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.