WILMINGTON — Wilmington Masonic Lodge celebrated its 175th anniversary on Saturday, March 18 at the Wilmington Masonic Temple. The historic 175th Re-consecration Ceremony was conducted by Ohio Grand Master Douglas N. Kaylor accompanied by Ohio Grand Lodge Officers and Wilmington Past Masters.
The event was made especially memorable by the participation of Wilmington Master Van Hewitt and Wilmington residents Keith Newton (Junior Grand Warden) and Lodge Brother Jack Price (who became a Mason in 1943).
Freemasonry is the oldest, largest and most widely known fraternal organization in the world. The fraternity began when the Grand Lodge of England was founded in 1717.
Freemasonry was exported to the British Colonies in North America by the 1730s and after the American Revolution independent U.S. Grand Lodges formed within each state. Worldwide membership has grown to 3.6 million with 1.6 million in North America.
Wilmington Lodge, first named Aurora, was founded in 1817 with Arnold Truesdell as Master; however, in 1842 the name was changed to Wilmington Lodge with Bebee Truesdell (Arnold’s brother) as Master.
Today Ohio has one of the largest Masonic memberships in the United States with 120,000 Brothers in 530 local Lodges.
