Maryland Masonic Lodges

About Freemasonry in Maryland

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

History of Freemasonry in Maryland

Maryland's Masonic history goes back further than most people realize, and given the state's role as a colonial trade hub, that's not really surprising. The first known Masonic activity in Maryland traces to the 1750s, with the earliest documented chartered lodge being Lodge No. 16 in Annapolis, established under a Pennsylvania charter in 1750 — though some Maryland Masonic historians argue for even earlier ad hoc activity in Annapolis among British military officers and colonial gentlemen. Annapolis was the colonial capital, a major Atlantic port, and a center of Anglo-American political and intellectual life, so it's exactly where you'd expect Masonry to take root early.

By the time of the American Revolution, Maryland had several lodges, and Maryland Masons played notable roles on the patriot side. After independence, Maryland Masons moved to consolidate. The Grand Lodge of Maryland was officially constituted on April 17, 1787 in Talbot County. That makes Maryland's grand lodge one of the older state grand lodges in the United States — the seventh, by most counts.

From the start, Maryland Masonry was deeply intertwined with Baltimore's growing commercial elite, the Annapolis political class, and the planter aristocracy of the Eastern Shore. Throughout the 19th century, Baltimore became one of the most important Masonic cities in the country, and the Grand Lodge of Maryland's headquarters in Baltimore reflects this. The Anti-Masonic period of the late 1820s and 1830s hit Maryland hard, and many lodges suspended operations, but the fraternity recovered by the 1840s. Maryland's status as a border state during the Civil War created tense divisions within lodges, but the grand lodge as an institution stayed unified.

The late 19th century saw a Masonic boom alongside Maryland's industrial growth, and the early 20th century brought peak membership. Maryland's Masonic culture today retains a distinctive blend of mid-Atlantic tradition, Chesapeake-area maritime heritage, and Baltimore's working-class civic spirit. The Grand Lodge of Maryland's Baltimore headquarters — the Maryland Masonic Temple on Charles Street — is one of the most architecturally significant Masonic buildings in America.

Oldest and Most Historic Lodges in Maryland

Lodge No. 16 in Annapolis, mentioned in records from 1750 under a Pennsylvania charter, has long been considered the oldest documented Maryland lodge. After Maryland organized its own grand lodge in 1787, it was renumbered. Patmos Lodge No.

7 in Annapolis claims direct descent from this earliest activity. Concordia Lodge No. 13 in Baltimore is one of the older Baltimore lodges with a substantial history. Washington Lodge No.

3 (chartered 1796) in Centreville on the Eastern Shore has continuous records going back to the late 18th century. Friendship Lodge No. 84 in Westminster, while younger, has long been a centerpiece of western Maryland Masonry. Free and Accepted No.

5 in Cumberland and Mountain Lodge No. 99 represent the western Maryland tradition tied to the National Road and the C&O Canal. Baltimore was historically full of lodges — Concordia, Phoenix, Friendship, Lafayette, Cassia, and many others — most of which had specific ethnic or trade affiliations. Some Baltimore lodges historically worked in German, reflecting the city's substantial German immigrant population in the 19th century.

Several oldest Maryland lodges have continuous minute books going back to the 18th century, and the Maryland Grand Lodge's archives are among the richer state Masonic collections in America. The Maryland Masonic Temple on Charles Street in Baltimore, dedicated in 1869 (with a major expansion in 1909), is itself a piece of living history — its grand cathedral-style lodge rooms have hosted continuous meetings for over 150 years. Annapolis's lodges still meet in buildings that have witnessed everything from colonial-era debates to modern Naval Academy ceremonies; the proximity of the Naval Academy means Annapolis lodges have always had a strong military and naval flavor.

Maryland Masonic Lodges by the Numbers

The Grand Lodge of Maryland oversees approximately 100 to 110 active subordinate lodges in 2026, with total membership of roughly 14,000 to 16,000 Master Masons. Maryland is a relatively densely populated state, so its lodges tend to be larger on average than rural-state lodges — around 130 to 180 members per lodge. The heaviest lodge concentrations are in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County (Annapolis), Montgomery County (suburban DC), and Prince George's County. The Grand Lodge maintains its headquarters at the historic Maryland Masonic Temple in Baltimore.

The Maryland Masonic Charities organization is one of the older and more active Masonic charitable foundations in America, distributing significant funding to scholarships, medical research, and community programs. Maryland has lost roughly 50% to 60% of its peak mid-20th-century membership but has stabilized in recent years. Maryland is also notable for its strong Scottish Rite presence, with the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Baltimore being a major architectural and ritual center.

How to Become a Freemason in Maryland

Joining a Maryland lodge follows the standard mainstream American Masonic process. You need to be a man at least 18 years old, a believer in a Supreme Being, and of good moral character. Maryland is unusually accommodating in encouraging public outreach — the Grand Lodge of Maryland has run public information campaigns for years and most lodges welcome inquiries directly through their websites or through the grand lodge's online lodge locator. After making contact and getting to know members, typically over weeks or months, you'll request a petition.

Two current Master Masons must sign as recommenders. The lodge appoints an investigation committee of three members who will visit your home (or another comfortable setting) for a candid conversation about your background, beliefs, family, and motivations. The lodge then takes a secret ballot — Maryland uses the traditional black-cube voting system — and if accepted, you proceed through three degrees: Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason. Maryland lodges generally require strong proficiency in catechism between degrees, and the full process from initial contact to Master Mason commonly takes six to twelve months.

Initiation fees range from $250 to $500 depending on the lodge, with annual dues from $100 to $250. Baltimore-area lodges and lodges in suburban DC tend to charge somewhat higher fees than rural lodges due to building costs. The Maryland grand lodge also offers occasional one-day classes for special circumstances. Maryland's culture of careful selection and substantive degree work makes the experience particularly meaningful for many members.

Notable Maryland Freemasons in History

Maryland's notable Masons span the full range of American history. Marquis de Lafayette, while French, was made an honorary member of the Grand Lodge of Maryland during his triumphant 1824 return tour of America, and his reception in Baltimore was one of the great Masonic events of the early 19th century. Francis Scott Key, the Maryland lawyer who wrote 'The Star-Spangled Banner' during the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814, has long been claimed by Maryland Masonry, though his actual membership has been debated by historians (the consensus is that he had Masonic connections but may not have been formally initiated). Reverdy Johnson, the prominent 19th-century Maryland senator and U.S.

attorney general who defended Mary Surratt at the Lincoln assassination trial, was a Mason. Spiro Agnew, Maryland governor and U.S. Vice President under Nixon, was a Maryland Mason — though his subsequent legal troubles complicated his Masonic legacy. Numerous Maryland governors, U.S.

senators, congressmen, and Baltimore mayors filled lodge rolls throughout the 20th century. Theodore McKeldin, the popular mid-20th-century Baltimore mayor and Maryland governor, was a prominent Mason. In the military realm, several Maryland-born admirals and generals were Masons, reflecting the state's strong military tradition tied to the Naval Academy and Aberdeen Proving Ground. The Maryland Masonic Temple's hall of past grand masters reads like a directory of 19th and 20th century Maryland's commercial and political elite.

Prince Hall Freemasonry in Maryland

Maryland has one of the older and more historically significant Prince Hall jurisdictions in America. The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Maryland was officially organized on June 20, 1845 in Baltimore, making it one of the earliest Prince Hall grand lodges in the South — established sixteen years before the Civil War, when Maryland was still a slave state with a substantial free Black population. Baltimore's free Black community was one of the largest in the antebellum United States, and Black Masons in Baltimore had been meeting under various warrants since the 1820s. The 1845 organization formalized what had been growing organically for decades.

From the start, MWPHGL Maryland was deeply tied to Baltimore's Black middle class — ministers, teachers, business owners, sailors, and skilled tradesmen. The jurisdiction grew rapidly after Emancipation and through the Reconstruction period, expanding into Annapolis, Cumberland, Cambridge, Salisbury, and other Maryland communities. Throughout the 20th century, Prince Hall lodges in Maryland were central to Black civic life, civil rights organizing, and community development. The Grand Lodge of Maryland and MWPHGL Maryland entered formal mutual recognition in 1995 — a relatively early date for a Southern jurisdiction — and the relationship has been strong ever since.

Today MWPHGL Maryland oversees approximately 50 to 60 subordinate lodges with several thousand members, headquartered in Baltimore. The jurisdiction maintains scholarship programs, civic engagement initiatives, and active youth bodies, and joint events between mainstream Maryland and Prince Hall Maryland lodges are common.

Frequently Asked Questions about Masonic Lodges in Maryland

Sources & Further Reading

• https://www.mdmasons.org/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Lodge_of_Maryland
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_Worshipful_Prince_Hall_Grand_Lodge_of_Maryland
• https://www.mdpha.org/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland_Masonic_Temple