Masonic College was a

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after comple ...

institution in

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

that was established by Freemasons in 1844 and operated until 1857.

History

The

Grand Lodge of Missouri The Grand Lodge of Missouri is one of two statewide organizations (along with a Prince Hall Affiliated grand lodge) that oversee Masonic lodges in the state of Missouri. It was established on April 21, 1821. It is located in Columbia, Missouri. ...

opened the first Masonic College in Philadelphia, Missouri, beginning in spring of 1844. The institution was initially operated using property and facilities previously used by Marion College. However, the facilities in Philadelphia were insufficient, so the school administration soon sought a new location. In 1847, the citizens of Lexington, Missouri subscribed $30,000 to relocate the college. On May 18, 1847, the Grand Lodge of Masons in

laid the cornerstone of the Masonic College in Lexington. The solemn ceremony was conducted by Grand Master Joseph Foster. The building was erected and dedicated on July 11, 1848. The two-story brick building was wide by deep, with a basement of hewn stone. It was built in the

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but a ...

style with four fluted Ionic columns. A 28 x chapel was in the basement. The college was primarily for the benefit of the orphan children of deceased Masons, any children named Mason, and each member in the state was to pay a small per capita tax to support it. Facing severe financial shortfalls, the college closed in 1857. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

Battle of Lexington I The siege of Lexington, also known as the First Battle of Lexington or the Battle of the Hemp Bales, was a minor conflict of the American Civil War. The siege took place from September 13 to 20, 1861 between the Union Army and the pro- Confedera ...

, the building and grounds served as Federal headquarters for the forces under Colonel

James A. Mulligan James Adelbert Mulligan (June 30, 1830 – July 26, 1864) was colonel of the 23rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. On February 20, 1865, the United States Senate confirmed the posthumous app ...

, who surrendered after a three-day siege, September 18–20, 1861. It was later abandoned by the

Missouri State Guard The Missouri State Guard (MSG) was a military force established by the Missouri General Assembly on May 11, 1861. While not a formation of the Confederate States Army, the Missouri State Guard fought alongside Confederate troops and, at variou ...

, and the college was used by Federal troops for the remainder of the war. Soon after the conclusion of the war, the building and grounds were transferred to the state, and a military institute was opened, but that school failed as well. In 1871, the Masons transferred ownership to Central Female College, which later changed its name to Central College for Women. It operated from 1871 until 1925. The building burned in a fire on August 20, 1932. MasonicCollege 316

It is now the site of College Park in Lexington where, in 1934, the Grand Lodge of Missouri, Freemasons, erected a one-quarter scale replica of the original Masonic College building. The replica is surrounded by four columns, which stand at the four corners of the original structure. The columns individually commemorate the Battle of Lexington, the Central College for Women, the presidents of the college, and the students who attended the institution. The replica building, which still stands, was dedicated May 18, 1934, in a ceremony led by Grand Master Frank Clinton Barnhill.1934 Proceedings - Grand Lodge of Missouri, 1934, pp. 23-25.

Notable alumni

* Senator

Thomas Benton Catron Thomas Benton Catron (October 6, 1840May 15, 1921) was an American politician and lawyer who was influential in the establishment of the U.S. state of New Mexico, and served as one of its first United States Senators. Catron was a native of M ...

* Congressman

Stephen Benton Elkins Stephen Benton Elkins (September 26, 1841January 4, 1911) was an American industrialist and politician. He served as the Secretary of War between 1891 and 1893. He served in the United States Congress as a Delegate from the Territory of New Mexi ...

* Kansas City businessman Richard H. Keith * Missouri Governor John S. Marmaduke * St. Louis lawyer Alonzo W. Slayback * Montana Chief Justice William Y. Pemberton"Former Chief Justice of Montana Supreme Court Dead After Long Illness", ''The Anaconda Standard'' (August 27, 1922), p. 1, 4.

Presidents

*J. Worthington Smith, 1844–1847 *Adiel Sherwood, 1848–1849 *C.G. MacPherson, 1849–1850 *Ferdinand LaBoma Shaver, 1850–1853 *Archibald Patterson, 1853–1855 *William T. Davis, 1855–1859

References

*Chiles, Henry C. ''The Masonic College of Missouri''. The Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Missouri, 1935. *Brown, Ray
List of Missouri Colleges that Closed, Merged, or Changed Names
{{Coord, 39.189867, -93.876183, display=title Buildings and structures in Marion County, Missouri Masonic buildings in Missouri Masonic educational institutions in the United States Defunct private universities and colleges in Missouri Educational institutions established in 1844 1844 establishments in Missouri 1857 disestablishments in Missouri Educational institutions disestablished in 1857