Van Alstyne in Grayson County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Mantua Masonic Lodge No. 209. A.F. & A.M.

Photographed by James Hulse, March 29, 2022

1. Mantua Masonic Lodge No. 209. A.F. & A.M. Marker

Inscription. The organizational meeting for this Masonic Lodge was held on Feb.7, 1857, on the second story of H.N. Walcott's store building in the village of Mantua (2 mi. SW). With District Deputy Grand Master J.J. Harrison officiating, the first meeting was attended by J.M. Enloe, W.A. Portman, J.L. Leslie, W.M. Akens, A.J. McDonough, A.C. White, H.N. Walcott, J.L. Lovejoy, G.W. Strother, and J.S. Stewart. Other charter members of the lodge included younger Scott McKinney, who had laid out the townsite several years earlier, and James W. Throckmorton, who later served as Governor of Texas. A two-story lodge building was completed in 1859. The Masons met on the upper floor, while the first story housed a private school, the Mantua Seminary.

After Van Alstyne was established on the Houston and Texas Central Railroad in 1872, most of the businesses and other establishments in Mantua, including the Masonic Lodge, moved to the new town. The lodge members held meetings in various locations until 1898, when they purchased the Carter building on the Town Square. In 1976 the lodge moved to its current location.

Mantua Masonic Lodge No. 209 has provided valuable service to schools, churches, and needy persons, and remains an important part of the history of this area.

Erected 1983 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 7403.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Fraternal or Sororal Organizations. A significant historical date for this entry is February 7, 1857.

Location. 33° 25.366′ N, 96° 34.652′ W. Marker is in Van Alstyne, Texas, in Grayson County. It is at the intersection of East Cooper Street and South Waco Street (State Highway 5), on the right when traveling west on East Cooper Street. The marker is located on the left side of the entrance to the Mantua Lodge. Touch for map. Marker is

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at or near this postal address: 101 East Cooper Street, Van Alstyne TX 75495, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region.

It is also in the American South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Republic of Texas,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Howe Lodge No. 430, A.F.& A.M. (a few steps from this marker); Veterans Memorial (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Van Alstyne (about 600 feet away); Interurban Rail (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Christian Church of Van Alstyne (approx. 0.2 miles away); First United Methodist Church of Van Alstyne (approx. 0.2 miles away); Site of Campus of Old Columbia College (approx. ¼ mile away); Boy Scout Troop 1 (Troop 44) (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Van Alstyne.

The Mantua Masonic Lodge No. 209. A.F. & A.M. Marker along the Masonic Lodge building image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, March 29, 2022

2. The Mantua Masonic Lodge No. 209. A.F. & A.M. Marker along the Masonic Lodge building

The Mantua Masonic Lodge No. 209. A.F. & A.M. Marker is the marker on the left of the two markers image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, March 29, 2022

3. The Mantua Masonic Lodge No. 209. A.F. & A.M. Marker is the marker on the left of the two markers

Credits. This page was last revised on April 1, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 1, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 561 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 1, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.