Solomon's Lodge, officially Solomon's Lodge, No. 1, Free and Accepted Masons (F. & A. M.), located in Freemasons' Hall,

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and is the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Br ...

, is a

Masonic lodge A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also commonly used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or chartered ...

established in 1734 by James Lacey and General

James Oglethorpe James Edward Oglethorpe (22 December 1696 – 30 June 1785) was a British soldier, Member of Parliament, and philanthropist, as well as the founder of the colony of Georgia in what was then British America. As a social reformer, he hoped to re ...

. It is believed to be the oldest, continuously operating,

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

-constituted lodge in the

Western Hemisphere The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the antimeridian. The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Politically, the term We ...

, a title also claimed by St. John's Lodge, Portsmouth, established in 1734 or 1736.

History

Solomon's Lodge is the mother lodge of the Grand Lodge of Georgia,

Free and Accepted Masons Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

, and between 1734 and 1785 was the only lodge in Georgia. It was not called Solomon's Lodge until 1776, previously being known as "The Lodge at Savannah." It occupies the former

Savannah Cotton Exchange The Savannah Cotton Exchange was established in 1876 in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Its function was to provide King Cotton factors, brokers serving planters' interest in the market, a place to congregate and set the market value of cotton e ...

building. The first person to be initiated into the lodge was the settler and plantation founder

Noble Jones Noble Jones (1702 – November 2, 1775), an English-born carpenter, was one of the first settlers of the Province of Georgia and one of its leading officials. He was born in Herefordshire. As part of Gen. James Edward Oglethorpe's 42nd (old) Regim ...

Notable members

Many members of Solomon's Lodge have held prestigious positions throughout history in the armed forces, government, and public service. Several prominent members of the Lodge are listed below.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1734 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies Masonic Lodges Organizations based in Georgia (U.S. state) Organizations established in 1734 Solomon