Helion Lodge 1

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Helion Lodge Building (2006) HelionLodgePhoto1.jpg
Helion Lodge Building (2006)

Helion Lodge #1 F.&A.M. is a Masonic lodge in Huntsville, Alabama. It is the oldest operating lodge of Freemasons in the state. According to Grand Historian Joseph Abram Jackson's Masonry in Alabama [1] , it is "the birthplace of Freemasonry in Alabama." Helion Lodge is also the common name for the building (actually named Eunomia Hall for Eunomia Chapter #5 Royal Arch Masons who financed its construction), built in 1911, where the lodge meets.

Contents

History

[2] In 1805, a Revolutionary War veteran named John Hunt built a log cabin at the Big Spring and began what would grow to become the modern city of Huntsville, Alabama. Just six years later, on August 21, 1811, Madison Lodge #21 received its dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Kentucky. In 1812, it received its official charter from the Grand Lodge of Kentucky. John Hunt was among the first members, as was LeRoy Pope, who had given the city its original name of Twickenham. On April 6, 1818, a second Lodge was formed in the county, Bethesda Lodge #2. In 1824 the two Lodges combined as Helion Lodge #1 under the Grand Lodge of Alabama. [3]

Helion Lodge survived the dark years of the American Civil War, when Huntsville was often occupied by the invading Union Army. The quiet little town grew rapidly after World War II, when the area became host to both Redstone Arsenal and the Marshall Spaceflight Center. Notable members involved in the growth of Huntsville's defense and space industry are Senator John Sparkman and Mayor Joe W. Davis. Helion Lodge soon came to have the largest membership in the state. As a result, in 1962 a new Lodge was formed in Huntsville, Solar Lodge #914. Most of the members came from Helion Lodge. Five years later, in 1967, a third Huntsville Lodge was formed, Apollo Lodge 921. Both younger Lodges consider Helion as their mother Lodge and dual membership is common.

On Wednesday night, August 30, 1922, Helion was the location of the formation of Twickenham Chapter of The Order of DeMolay; the first chapter of The Order of DeMolay in the state of Alabama.

On January 6th 2018, Historical books were destroyed in a fire. [4]

Past Masters

NumberNo. (Years)Past MasterRef.
1811 Marmaduke Williams Madison Lodge 21, Grand Lodge of Kentucky Dispensation
11812 Louis Winston Madison Lodge 21, Grand Lodge of Kentucky Charter
1813-1817David R. MooreMadison Lodge 21
1-21818-1820William AtwoodAlabama Lodge 21, Grand Lodge of Tennessee Charter
1821Alexander Erskin Grand Lodge of Alabama Formed
1822W. Thomas WooldridgeMadison Lodge 1
1823W. J. GrimesMadison Lodge 1
1822-1823W. A. HutchinsonBethesda Lodge 2
1824W. J. GrimesMadison Lodge 1
1824Issac WilliamsBethesda Lodge 2
11824Issac WilliamsConsolidation of Madison Lodge #1 and Bethesda Lodge #2
2-31825-1826William Feeny
4-51827-1828John J. Fackler
61829William Feeny
71830John Acklen
8-131831-1836W. A. Hutchinson
14-191837-1842James Penn
201843Ellison Smith
21-221844-1845James Penn ,MWGM
23-241846-1847J. M. Davidson
251848Arch E. Mills
261849J. M. Davidson
271850Fred Gate
28-291851-1852J. J. Sample
301853J. F. Steele
31-391854-1862William Gormley
40-411863-1864J. E. Young
421865E. B. Clapp
43-461866-1869J. J. Dement
47-481870-1871S. J. Mayhew
491872M. C. BaldridgeDr. Milton Columbus Baldridge,

[5]

501873W. S. Reddick
51-521874-1875Bernard F. Ludwig
53-541876-1877M. C. BaldridgeDr. Milton Columbus Baldridge,

[6]

55-571878-1880John L. Rison
58-641881-1887M. C. BaldridgeDr. Milton Columbus Baldridge,

[7]

651888W. C. Weaver
66-681889-1891M. C. BaldridgeDr. Milton Columbus Baldridge,

[8]

69-701892-1893Amos B. Jones
711894Thomas Taylor
721895Joseph Skinner
731896Alred Moore
74-761897-1899W. C. Wheeler
771900L. R. Wellman
781901W. C. Wheeler
79-801902-1903H. C. Pollard
811904Augustus F. Evans
821905Frank Ford
831906Frank Pugh Culver
84-851907-1908Leroy Suggs
861909Robert Coman Brickell
87-881910-1911James Hamilton Ballentine
891912H. C. Pollard
901913J. W. Battle
91-931914-1916J. L. Kendall
941917A. F. Kendall
951918G. H. Heymann
96-971919-1920Alexander M. P. Dunn
981921J. B. McCord
991922W. R. Laxson
100-1011923-1924Samuel C. Alexander
102-1031925-1926Sam S. Rice
1041927Charles. O. Rolfe
1051928Robert Collyer Chase Jr.
1061929F. J. Shick
1071930James D. Rice, Jr.
108-1091931-1932John S. McLure
110-1111933-1934William B. Allen
1121935P. S. McCormick
1131936Joe B. Hill
1141937Cowan Y. Wilson
1151938Thomas Pickens Gates
1161939F. Floyd Broyles
1171940John S. McLure
118-1191941-1942Henry R. Martin
120-1211943-1944Clyde Martz
1221945Abe Pizitz
1231946Clyde Martz
1241947Jasan A. Williams
1251948John W. Walker
1261949William B. Allen
1271950John H. McGaha
1281951Louie L. Baucom
1291952William B. Jones
1301953Estelle Hugh Hall
1311954William Hiram Ealy
1321955D. Shelby Vaughn
1331956Doyle Wallace Ealy
1341957William Andrew Cobb Sr.
1351958Dan L. Warden
1361959J. D. Harris
1371960Willie Lee Guthrie
1381961John Clark Beeler
1391962Wendell McKinney
1401963Carl Pickens
1411964Randolph Rush
1421965Robert F. Jean
1431966James Walter Bass
1441967James G. Williams
1451968William W. Byrd
1461969Charles D. Rozell
1471970Charles Keathley
1481971Emory J. Ferguson
1491972Marlin Hinkle
1501973Hubert Lemaster
1511974Hollis L. Sharp
1521975R. M. Slaughter
1531976Robert J. Cannon
1541977Fred Allen Beddingfield
1551978Clarence W. Landrum
1561979Robert Kachelhofer
1571980Ronald W. Thomas
1581981B. J. Nelson
1591982Alvie Lee Berry
1601983David Allen
1611984Lee D. Parker
1621985Johnie Wilbanks
1631986James Garry Smith
1641987James Wesley Reach
1651988Wayne Dee Jordan
1661989Clarence Morrison Albright
1671990Donald Douglas Beal
1681991David K. Hall
1691992Charles R. Kirch
1701993James Shelby Aston
1711994John W. Herron
1721995Danny B. Lamont
1731996E. J. Wadsworth
1741997Theo Starkey
1751998Raymond Charles Dunn
1761999James S. Blanteno
1772000George Hall
1782001John Pavlick
1792002David Milam
1802003Raymond Tanner
1812004James Henley
1822005Dennis Peterson
1832006Lawrence Everett "Larry" Gilliss
1842007Andy Thomas
1852008Steve McGlocklin
1862009Michael Feld
1872010Jerry Burpee
1882011Ed Kachelhofer
1892012Ken Carpenter
1902013David Miller
1912014Jared Cassidy
1922015George Lewis
1932016Dean Lilja
1942017John Hood
1952018Mike Morgan
1962019Doug Collinsworth
1972020John D. Pennington
1982021Thomas Jeffrey Beasley
1992022Benjamin James Ledford
2002023John Leslie Clay
2012024Charles Phillip Cozelos
2022025Chad Wesley Thrasher

[9] Helion Lodge #1: Lodge Records, 1811-Current

Honorary Past Masters

NumberYearHonorary Past MasterRef.
1Herschel Leonard Ouzts
22014Richard Carter Storey
32014Stephen Marc Gilbert Dynetics
42024Stephen C. Chapman

[10] Helion Lodge #1: Lodge Records

Location

Helion Lodge stands on the original site of Madison Lodge #21 at 409 Lincoln Street in the Twickenham Historic District of Huntsville. The present building is over 100 years old and was designed by a noted architect and Lodge member named Edgar Love. The cornerstone was laid in 1911.

The building was officially named Eunomia Masonic Hall after the Royal Arch Chapter, but is now simply called Helion Lodge. It is home to both Helion Lodge and the Huntsville York Rite bodies, as well as to Twickenham-Milford Order of DeMolay and to White Light Assembly #66, International Order of the Rainbow for Girls. It is the home of the oldest Lodge of Freemasons in the state of Alabama. [11]

The building has a reputation for being haunted by ghosts. [12]

Awards

Helion Lodge received the Masonic Service Association of North America's Mark Twain Award for Masonic Awareness in the lodge and in the community consecutively for the years 2008, 2009, and 2010. [13] [14] [15] Helion Lodge received the Twain Award again in 2012. [16] Helion Lodge is the only four time recipient of the Twain Award for Masonic Awareness.

Further reading

References

  1. Jackson, Joseph Abram (1970). Masonry in Alabama : a sequicentennial history, 1821-1971. Montgomery, Alabama: Brown Printing Co.
  2. Helion Lodge #1: Lodge Records, 1811-Current
  3. Milam, David (1997-01-01). "The Birthplace of Alabama Freemasonry Helion Lodge #1 - Huntsville, Alabama". Huntsville Historical Review. Hunstville-Madison County Historical Society. Retrieved 2025-02-06 via louis.uah.edu.
  4. Di Gregorio, Renata (2018-01-06). "Fire destroys historical books in AL's oldest Masonic Lodge". rocketcitynow.com. Archived from the original on 2021-03-02. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
  5. https://huntsvillehistorycollection.org/hhc/browse-person.php?id=167&a=person&f=
  6. https://huntsvillehistorycollection.org/hhc/browse-person.php?id=167&a=person&f=
  7. https://huntsvillehistorycollection.org/hhc/browse-person.php?id=167&a=person&f=
  8. https://huntsvillehistorycollection.org/hhc/browse-person.php?id=167&a=person&f=
  9. Helion Lodge #1: Lodge Records, 1811-Current
  10. Helion Lodge #1: Lodge Records
  11. "Helion Lodge website". Helion Lodge.
  12. Hayes, Jerry (2020-09-08). "New book features Huntsville's haunted past". WHNT.com. Archived from the original on 2020-09-19. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
  13. "Mark Twain Masonic Awareness Award - 2008 Winners". Masonic Information Center. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  14. "Mark Twain Masonic Awareness Award - 2009 Winners". Masonic Information Center. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  15. "Mark Twain Masonic Awareness Award - 2010 Winners". Masonic Information Center. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  16. "Mark Twain Masonic Awareness Award - 2012 Winners". Masonic Information Center. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
  17. Jackson, Joseph Abram (1970). Masonry in Alabama : a sequicentennial history, 1821-1971. Montgomery, Alabama: Brown Printing Co.
  18. Helion - Listed in an article titled: "The Birthplace of Alabama Freemasonry Helion Lodge #1, Huntsville Alabama, The Huntsville Historical Review, Volume 24, #1, Jan-97, by Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society

34°43′49″N86°34′53″W / 34.73029°N 86.58127°W / 34.73029; -86.58127