Waco in McLennan County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F & A.M.
Photographed By James Hulse, August 4, 2022
1. Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F & A.M. Marker
Five master Masons met in Brazoria in March 1835 and sent a petition to Grand Master John H. Holland of Louisiana asking for a charter to form a lodge in Texas. The charter was delivered to Anson Jones, who carried it during the Battle of San Jacinto, Holland Lodge was located in Houston and by 1837 was joined by Milam Lodge in Nacogdoches and McFarland Lodge in San Augustine. On December 20, 1837, the three lodges met in convention and created the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas. Sam Houston presided at the convention, and Anson Jones was elected first grand master. The Grand Lodge met in various locations before permanently locating in Waco in 1902.
Masons were at the forefront of Texas history. Twenty-two of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence were Masons. Members of the organization defended the Alamo and fought at the Battle of San Jacinto. All of the presidents and vice presidents of the Republic of Texas were Masons.
Erected 1987 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 2248.)
Topics.
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Location. 31° 33.397′ N, 97° 8.166′ W. Marker is in Waco, Texas, in McLennan County. Marker is at the intersection of Columbus Avenue and North 8th Street, on the right when traveling west on Columbus Avenue. The marker is located at the main entrance to the Grand Lodge. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 715 Columbus Avenue, Waco TX 76701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. McLennan County Courthouse (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Courthouses of McLennan County (approx. 0.2 miles away); Waco Theatre (approx. 0.2 miles away); Site of Waco Indian Village (approx. 0.2 miles away); Stratton Stricker Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); First Lutheran Church (approx. ¼ mile away); The C.C. McCulloch House (approx. ¼ mile away); Alico Building (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Waco.
Also see . . . Grand Lodge of Texas. Wikipedia
The Grand Lodge of Texas, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons is the largest of several governing bodies of Freemasonry in the State of Texas, being solely of the Ancients' tradition and descending from the Ancient Grand Lodge(Submitted on August 8, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)of England, founded on 17 June 1751 at the Turk's Head Tavern, Greek Street, Soho, London. According to historian James D. Carter, the "Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas, A.F. & A.M." was founded on 16 April 1838. However, its first Grand Master and other grand officers were installed by Sam Houston on 11 May 1838. The Grand Lodge of Texas is one of the largest in the world, reporting 69,099 members in 2019. The current Grand Lodge of Texas facilities were made possible by the fundraising efforts of Waco Masonic Lodge No. 92.Photographed By James Hulse, August 4, 20222. The entrance to the Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F & A.M. and Marker
Photographed By James Hulse, August 4, 2022
3. Closeup of the entrance to the Grand Lodge of Texas
Photographed By James Hulse, August 4, 2022
4. The view of the Grand Lodge of Texas from across the street
Credits. This page was last revised on August 8, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 8, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 229 times since then and 63 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 8, 2022, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
