History
All brethren are invited to join us on our Stated Meetings held on the Third Thursday of every month at 7:00 P.M. Check our events page for exact dates!
Bethpage Masonic Lodge #521 was organized on December 20, 1884 with J.W. Albright serving as Worshipful Master. There were fifteen members present as charter members of this lodge. A picture of all fifteen men present at the charter meeting is presented below. Although many of these men are unidentified, we have been able to discern a few of them.
Worshipful Master J.W. Albright is seated in the front row, second from left. Z.T. Key, who would later serve several terms as Worshipful Master, is standing in the back row, second from left. To his left is W.M. Durham, who would also serve as Worshipful Master of the lodge on two occasions.
The charter officers of the lodge that met for the first time on February 16, 1884 were J.W Albright - W.M., J.G. Durham - S.W., J.F. Mansker - J.W., A.P. Butler - Treas., J.W. Black - Sec., J.W. Whitney - S.D., W.M. Durham - J.D., Z.T. Key - Tyler, and J.G. Ray - Chaplain. The lodge began meeting on the 3rd Saturday of every month at 9:00 A.M. The initial dues for the lodge were $1.
J.W. Albright was born in Simpson Co., KY. on September 19, 1843. He began his Masonic career by being initiated as an Entered Apprentice Mason into Fountain Head Lodge # 326 in August 1866. He was passed to the degree of Fellowcraft in September 1866 and was raised a Master Mason in October 1866.
The initial by-laws of Bethpage Lodge were written by a committee consisting of Andrew Hibbit, J.G. Ray, A.P. Butler, J.W. Whitney and W.M. Durham. They were approved by the lodge on March 15, 1884.
The current lodge building was constructed in 1938. Mr. Charlie Hinton owned the bottom part of the building and operated a small country store there. The lodge members owned and constructed the top portion of the building where the lodge room is located. The lodge formerly met just a little to the north of the present location but the building is no longer standing.
The lodge currently has a membership of 92 members with an average age of membership being 57.55 years.
