Maine Masonic Lodges

About Freemasonry in Maine

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

History of Freemasonry in Maine

Maine Masonry began before Maine was even a state, when the territory was still part of Massachusetts. The earliest lodge in what would become Maine was Falmouth Lodge in Portland (then called Falmouth), chartered by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts on March 30, 1762. Yes, 1762 — Maine had Masonic activity before the American Revolution. That first lodge included shipowners, merchants, and political figures who were already shaping the maritime economy of New England.

By the time of the Revolution, Maine had several lodges scattered along its coast, mostly tied to shipping and shipbuilding centers. After Maine separated from Massachusetts and became a state on March 15, 1820 (as part of the Missouri Compromise), Maine Masons quickly moved to organize their own grand lodge. The Grand Lodge of Maine was constituted on June 24, 1820, just three months after statehood, in Portland. From the start, Maine Masonry had a distinct New England character — austere, well-educated, deeply tied to shipping and timber industries, and oriented toward charitable work.

The 19th century brought the brutal Anti-Masonic movement of the late 1820s and 1830s, sparked by the Morgan Affair in New York. Maine Masonry took a serious hit during this period — many lodges suspended work or surrendered charters — but the fraternity recovered fully by the 1840s. The Civil War saw Maine Masons serving prominently in the Union Army, with figures like Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, the hero of Little Round Top at Gettysburg, deeply involved. The late 19th century brought another Masonic boom across Maine, with most towns of any size establishing at least one lodge.

The 20th century followed the typical American Masonic arc: peak membership in the 1950s, gradual decline since, but Maine has held up better than many states because of its deeply rooted town-and-village culture, where the lodge hall remains a central civic landmark.

Oldest and Most Historic Lodges in Maine

Portland Lodge No. 1 — originally Falmouth Lodge, chartered in 1762 — is the oldest lodge in Maine and one of the older lodges in New England. After the Grand Lodge of Maine was formed in 1820, the lodge was renumbered No. 1, a position it has held ever since.

The lodge has continuous minutes going back to the 18th century, and its early records document Portland's emergence as a major American port. Lincoln Lodge No. 3 in Wiscasset, chartered in 1792, is another deeply historic lodge tied to Maine's shipping heritage; Wiscasset was once one of the busiest ports north of Boston. Hancock Lodge No.

4 in Castine, chartered in 1794, served a town that was occupied multiple times by British forces in the War of 1812. Saco Lodge No. 9 (chartered 1804), Kennebec Lodge No. 5 in Hallowell (chartered 1796), and Solar Lodge No.

14 in Bath (chartered 1808) are all among the early Maine lodges with continuous histories. Bath, in particular, was a major shipbuilding center, and its lodges historically included shipwrights, captains, and merchants who fed Maine ships into the global trade network. United Lodge No. 8 in Brunswick, chartered shortly before statehood, has long been associated with Bowdoin College — Joshua Chamberlain himself was a Brunswick Mason.

Many of these old lodges still meet in 19th-century buildings with original architecture, and the Maine grand lodge has worked hard over the years to preserve historic lodge halls. The Maine Masonic Library and Museum in Holden contains lodge records, books, and artifacts dating back to the colonial era.

Maine Masonic Lodges by the Numbers

The Grand Lodge of Maine oversees approximately 175 to 195 active subordinate lodges in 2026, with total membership of roughly 13,000 to 15,000 Master Masons. That gives Maine one of the highest per-capita Masonic memberships in America, considering the state's population is around 1.4 million. Maine is also home to one of the highest densities of Scottish Rite and York Rite bodies per capita. Lodges are spread across all 16 Maine counties, with the heaviest concentrations in Cumberland County (Portland), York County, Penobscot County (Bangor), and Kennebec County (Augusta).

Average lodge size runs around 60 to 90 members. The Maine grand lodge is unusually well-organized administratively, with a robust online presence, an active Masonic Charitable Foundation, and strong support for youth bodies (DeMolay, Rainbow, Job's Daughters). Maine has lost about half its peak mid-20th-century membership but has been remarkably stable for the last decade.

How to Become a Freemason in Maine

Becoming a Maine Mason follows the mainstream American process with a New England flavor that emphasizes patience, character, and steady commitment. You need to be a man at least 18 (Maine lowered the age from 21 in recent years), a believer in a Supreme Being, and of good moral character. The Maine grand lodge actively encourages public events at lodges to give prospects a chance to meet members; check the Maine grand lodge website for nearby lodges. After getting to know members for a while, you submit a petition signed by two Master Mason recommenders.

An investigation committee will visit your home for a friendly conversation about your background, beliefs, and reasons for petitioning. The lodge then votes by secret ballot, and if accepted, you progress through three degrees: Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason. Maine takes proficiency seriously — between each degree, you'll learn and recite a portion of the catechism in open lodge before being allowed to advance. This typically takes four to nine months end to end.

Maine offers occasional 'one-day classes' that compress the timeline, but most candidates take the slower traditional route, and most veterans of the path strongly recommend it. Initiation fees usually run $200 to $400, with annual dues from $80 to $175. Maine has reduced fees for younger candidates, military, and first responders in many lodges. Maine's culture of careful selection and patient mentorship makes the experience particularly meaningful.

Notable Maine Freemasons in History

Maine has produced an outsized number of notable Masons given its small population. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, the Bowdoin College professor who became a Civil War hero at Gettysburg's Little Round Top and later served as Maine governor and Bowdoin president, was a prominent Maine Mason raised in United Lodge No. 8 in Brunswick. His Masonic identity informed his post-war work on reconciliation.

Hannibal Hamlin, Abraham Lincoln's first Vice President, was a Maine Mason. Senator George Mitchell, the longtime U.S. Senate Majority Leader and Northern Ireland peace negotiator, has been associated with Maine Masonry. Senator William P.

Frye, a powerful late-19th-century U.S. senator and Senate President pro tempore, was a Maine Mason. James G. Blaine, the 'Plumed Knight' who served as Speaker of the House, U.S.

senator, Secretary of State, and 1884 Republican presidential nominee, was a Maine Mason from Augusta. Llewellyn Powers, Maine governor in the late 19th century, was a Mason. In the literary world, Edwin Arlington Robinson and other Maine writers had lodge ties. The Stephen King connection is sometimes asked about — King is from Maine but has never claimed Masonic membership.

Joshua L. Chamberlain Lodge has become something of a pilgrimage site for visiting Masons interested in Civil War history. Maine's Masonic roster runs heavy on lawyers, military officers, ship captains, and politicians, reflecting the state's traditional industries.

Prince Hall Freemasonry in Maine

The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of the State of Maine has a unique story compared to most Prince Hall grand lodges, partly because Maine's African American population has always been small. Prince Hall Masonry came to Maine through Black sailors, dockworkers, and small Black communities in Portland, Bangor, and Bath in the late 19th century. Most early Maine Prince Hall Masons were affiliated with Massachusetts or New York lodges. The MWPHGL of the State of Maine was eventually organized as an independent jurisdiction with formal recognition; today it operates as a smaller jurisdiction tied closely to the broader New England Prince Hall network.

The Grand Lodge of Maine has had formal mutual recognition with Prince Hall Masonry going back to 1995, making Maine one of the very first Northern states to extend full recognition. The Maine Prince Hall jurisdiction maintains a small number of subordinate lodges, primarily in Portland and southern Maine, and operates in close cooperation with the Prince Hall grand lodges of Massachusetts and New Hampshire on regional events and charitable work. The relatively small size of Maine's Prince Hall jurisdiction reflects demographic realities rather than any historical resistance — Maine remains one of the whitest states in America by population, but its Prince Hall community is active, well-organized, and respected. Joint events between mainstream Maine lodges and Prince Hall lodges are common today, and shared charitable work has been a hallmark of the relationship for decades.

Frequently Asked Questions about Masonic Lodges in Maine

Sources & Further Reading

• https://www.mainemason.org/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Lodge_of_Maine
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Chamberlain
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hannibal_Hamlin
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Hall_Freemasonry