Arizona Masonic Lodges

About Freemasonry in Arizona

A deep look at Masonic history, the oldest lodges, the admission process, and notable Freemasons connected to Arizona.

History of Freemasonry in Arizona

Masonry in Arizona has a frontier story to tell, and most of it is dusty, dry, and tied to the railroad and copper. The first lodge in what would become Arizona Territory was Aztlan Lodge No. 1, organized in 1866 in Prescott, the territorial capital at the time. Aztlan was originally chartered under the Grand Lodge of California and held that affiliation for nearly two decades.

As the territory grew through mining booms in places like Tombstone, Bisbee, Globe, and Jerome, more lodges followed, sometimes meeting above saloons or in mining company offices. By 1882 there were enough constituent lodges to form a Grand Lodge of their own. The Grand Lodge of Arizona F&AM was chartered on March 23, 1882, in Tucson, with twelve founding lodges. Morris Goldwater, uncle of future Senator Barry Goldwater, was a key early figure and served as Grand Master multiple times.

Throughout the territorial period, Arizona lodges played significant civic roles in towns where the Masonic hall was often the largest meeting space available. The arrival of the Southern Pacific and Atlantic & Pacific railroads in the 1880s spread Masonry along the rail lines and into mining boomtowns. Arizona became a state in 1912, and Masonic membership climbed steadily through the 1920s. The Great Depression hit Arizona Masonry hard, particularly in mining communities that effectively became ghost towns when copper prices collapsed.

Post-WWII suburban growth around Phoenix and Tucson rebuilt the rolls, and Arizona Masonry peaked in membership in the 1960s. The Arizona Masonic Foundation, the Masonic Charities of Arizona, and several youth organizations carry on charitable work today. Statehood-era figures like Mulford Winsor, George W.P. Hunt (Arizona's first state governor), and territorial judges shaped a Masonry that was deeply intertwined with the politics, mining law, and water-rights battles of the desert Southwest.

Today's Arizona Grand Lodge maintains its administrative offices and continues to serve as one of the more active Western jurisdictions.

Oldest and Most Historic Lodges in Arizona

Aztlan Lodge No. 1 in Prescott, organized in 1866 and re-chartered as the founding lodge of the Grand Lodge of Arizona in 1882, is the oldest Masonic lodge in Arizona. It still meets in a beautiful historic building in downtown Prescott and is worth a visit if you're in the area. Tucson Lodge No.

4, chartered in 1881, has been a fixture of southern Arizona Masonry for nearly 150 years and counts numerous territorial governors and judges among its past members. King Solomon Lodge No. 5 in Phoenix, chartered in 1879 under the Grand Lodge of California and renumbered after Arizona's Grand Lodge formed, has long been one of the largest lodges in the state by membership. Solomon Lodge No.

6 in Tombstone is the famous Tombstone lodge, chartered in 1881 during the silver boom, where members reportedly included some of the more colorful characters of that era and lodge meetings allegedly continued even as gunfights echoed through the streets outside. White Mountain Lodge No. 3 in Globe, also chartered in the early 1880s, was central to the mining boom in eastern Arizona. Yuma Lodge No.

17 in Yuma, chartered later in the territorial period, has the distinction of being one of the hottest places in the U.S. to attend a degree. Bisbee Lodge No. 14 grew up around the copper mines and has a beautiful early-20th-century lodge hall.

Each of these lodges represents a slice of frontier and territorial Arizona, and most still meet regularly today.

Arizona Masonic Lodges by the Numbers

The Grand Lodge of Arizona F&AM oversees approximately 50 to 55 active subordinate lodges across the state, organized into about 8 to 10 districts. Total mainstream Masonic membership in Arizona sits around 6,500 to 7,500 Master Masons, a number that has been declining gradually like most U.S. jurisdictions but stabilizing in recent years. Lodge density is highest in the Phoenix metropolitan area (Maricopa County), Tucson (Pima County), and the Prescott/Sedona corridor.

Smaller historical lodges remain active in mining and ranching towns like Globe, Bisbee, Tombstone, and Yuma. The Grand Lodge meets annually, typically in March or April in Tucson or Phoenix. The Grand Lodge maintains the Arizona Masonic Foundation, which funds scholarships and charitable activities. For current lodge listings and contact information, see azmasons.org.

The site also publishes annual proceedings, district maps, and an event calendar of lodge open houses across the state.

How to Become a Freemason in Arizona

Petitioning to join an Arizona Masonic lodge follows the standard mainstream U.S. process with a few state-specific touches. Start by identifying a lodge in your area through azmasons.org or LodgeFinder. As always, you need to ask to join.

Visit the lodge for a public dinner, fundraiser, or open event to meet the members and assess fit. Once you decide to petition, you'll fill out an application form and need two current Master Masons in good standing to sign as recommenders. Arizona requires the petitioner to be at least 18 years of age, a resident of the state for a reasonable period, and to profess a belief in a Supreme Being (the specific religion doesn't matter). The lodge appoints an investigating committee of three Master Masons who will interview you, often at your home.

Their report goes back to the lodge, which votes by secret ballot. A single black ball rejects the petition. Total fees for the three degrees combined typically range from $200 to $450 in Arizona, with annual dues in the $90 to $200 range depending on the lodge. After acceptance, you progress through the Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason degrees, with proficiency examinations between each.

Most Arizona lodges complete the three degrees over three to six months, though pace varies. The Grand Lodge of Arizona F&AM is the sole authority for mainstream Craft Masonry in the state.

Notable Arizona Freemasons in History

Barry Goldwater, U.S. Senator from Arizona and 1964 Republican presidential nominee, was a prominent Mason and a member of Arizona Lodge No. 2 in Phoenix. He frequently spoke about the influence of Masonic ethics on his political philosophy.

His uncle, Morris Goldwater, was a multi-term Grand Master of Arizona and one of the founding figures of the territorial Grand Lodge in 1882. Carl Hayden, who served Arizona in Congress for nearly 57 years (longer than any senator in U.S. history at his retirement), was a member of Tucson-area Masonry. John C.

Fremont, who served briefly as Territorial Governor of Arizona, had Masonic affiliations rooted in California and the East. Buckey O'Neill, the legendary mayor of Prescott, sheriff, and Rough Rider who died at San Juan Hill, was a member of Aztlan Lodge No. 1. Wyatt Earp, the famous Tombstone-era lawman, has been variously claimed as a Mason, though documentation is murky and the Grand Lodge of Arizona doesn't formally claim him.

Other notable Arizona Masons include several territorial and state governors, judges of the Arizona Supreme Court, and major figures in the copper mining and ranching industries. Arizona's Masonic legacy is rooted in the territorial frontier and the political life of the early statehood era.

Prince Hall Freemasonry in Arizona

The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Arizona F&AM was chartered in 1919, making it one of the earlier western Prince Hall jurisdictions. Its founding came as African American populations grew in Phoenix, Tucson, and around military installations during and after World War I. The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Arizona oversees a modest number of subordinate lodges, primarily concentrated in Phoenix, Tucson, and surrounding cities. Membership is small but historically engaged in civic life.

Recognition between the Grand Lodge of Arizona F&AM and the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Arizona was extended in 1999, placing Arizona among the western states that recognized Prince Hall relatively early compared to southern jurisdictions. The two Grand Lodges now permit inter-visitation under defined protocols. Arizona Prince Hall Masonry has historic ties to military service members from the Buffalo Soldiers era through the Tuskegee Airmen and into the modern military presence at Luke Air Force Base and Davis-Monthan. Notable Arizona Prince Hall Masons have included civil rights leaders, ministers, educators, and civic organizers who shaped Black community institutions in Phoenix and Tucson during the Jim Crow and Civil Rights eras.

The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Arizona maintains charitable programs and continues to be a respected institution in Arizona's Black civic life.

Frequently Asked Questions about Masonic Lodges in Arizona

Sources & Further Reading

• https://azmasons.org
• https://azlibrary.gov
• https://prescottlibrary.info
• https://mwphglaz.org