Dickson in Dickson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Masonic/Pythian Building
202 North Main Street
| | Built 1909 | |
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, June 27, 2026
1. Masonic/Pythian Building Marker
June 4, 1909 - W. E. Cullum and wife, Katie, sold a 25'x125' vacant lot to the W. A Hopkins Lodge #117 of the Knights of Pythias (K. of P.). The K. of P. then added four feet (taken from the adjacent property to the north) to the width of the lot. The K. of P. sold a one-half undivided interest in this 29x125" lot to the Dickson Lodge 8468 Free & Accepted Masons. The two groups planned a joint venture of a three-story brick building with the first floor consisting of business space, the second floor to serve as an opera house/theater, and the third floor to be jointly used by the Masons and Pythians as a Lodge Hall.
July 24, 1909 - 4 o'clock Sunday afternoon - A ceremony was held for the laying of the cornerstone at 202 North Main Street. It was a joint Masonic and Pythian ceremony. The cornerstone was made of Tennessee marble and was made locally in Dickson. The cornerstone remains today.
Dickson's first radio and television shop was once located on the ground floor. The first loudspeaker demonstration of a radio in Dickson was held here as the baseball World Series was being broadcast and a man fell dead at the
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February 21, 1914 - The second floor housed Dickson's first theater and was the location of the first public demonstration of the latest talking picture machine (Kinetophone) in Dickson County. It took place by the Thomas A. Edison Company at the Elite Theater.
July 10, 1929 - The first talking picture show using the "Vitaphone" came to Dickson. The show was The Trial of Mary Dugan. The soundtrack was not printed on the film itself, but issued separately on phonograph records. The theater was on the second floor of the Masonic Building and was at that time was called the Gaiety Theatre.
December 10, 1925 - When the Dickson Courthouse was condemned by the state, the December term of the circuit court was held on the second floor of the Masonic Building. The first jury case to be heard resulted in a local man and his father-in-law being found "not guilty of manufacturing and possessing illegal alcohol.
September 29, 1934 - After the local charter of the Knights of Pythias had been revoked, the K. of P. of Tennessee sold their one-half undivided interest in 202 North Main Street to the local chapter
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, June 27, 2026
2. Masonic/Pythian Building Marker
March 16, 1935 - E. C. Reeder and Company opened a Chevrolet Dealership and Texaco Service Center in the Masonic Building. The company sold Hester batteries and U. S. Royal tires and tubes. In later years, Adcock Auto Parts occupied the first floor of the building, having purchased the business from Willard Coleman (Coleman Auto Parts).
February 15, 1966 - The Masons sold the Masonic Building to Henry V. Ragan and wife, Nancy. Because of its poor condition, Ragan completely removed the third floor. It was also necessary to remove the brick faηade of the second floor.
April 20, 1969 - Henry V. Ragan and a crew of men started moving furniture and appliances into the newly remodeled Masonic Building as he relocated his furniture and appliance store, the Friendly Neighbor Store, to 202 North Main Street. Two weeks later, Ragan purchased 200 North Main Street and remodeled that building as well while combining 200 and 202 buildings to be used for his furniture and appliance business that began in 1962. In 1989, the entire exterior of both buildings were covered in vinyl siding.
March 1, 1991 - Henry V. Ragan and wife, Nancy, conveyed to H. Dale Ragan and wife, Mavis, the two properties at 200 and 202 North Main Street. This conveyance was a property exchange with Dale and Mavis conveying to Henry and Nancy the old Coca Cola building at 211 North Main Street which had been used as the Friendly Neighbor Store warehouse and service center.
June 26, 2023 - Construction work began to remodel the facade of 202 North Main Street. Since 1909, the building has been owned by only the Masons/Pythians and then the Ragan Family.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical date for this entry is February 21, 1914.
Location. 36° 4.617′ N, 87° 23.264′ W. Marker is in Dickson, Tennessee, in Dickson County. It is on North Main Street north of West College Street (U.S. 70E), on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 202 N Main St, Dickson TN 37055, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee, in the Highland Rim, and in Greater Nashville. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, 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: Dickson Theater Building (here, next to this marker); Gossett/Ragan Building (a few steps from this marker); First National Bank (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Civil War Railroad (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named Mile Post 42 (about 700 feet away); Craig Morgan (about 700 feet away); Frank Goad Clement (about 700 feet away); Francis Craig (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dickson.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Mile Post 42 (was about 600 feet away but has been reported to have been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on August 17, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 29, 2026, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 13 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 15, 2026, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
