New Mexico Freemasonry has one of the most distinctive heritages in the American Southwest. Before there was a New Mexico Territory, before there was a U.S. Army presence in Santa Fe, the region had been part of New Spain and then independent Mexico - and Mexico had banned Freemasonry under Spanish colonial rule. Catholic Spain considered Masonry heretical and incompatible with the established church, so until the U.S.

takeover in 1846 following the Mexican-American War, no chartered lodge could exist in New Mexico. As soon as the territory came under American control, Masons among the U.S. Army officers and civilian merchants began organizing. The first Masonic lodge in New Mexico was Montezuma Lodge No.

109, chartered in 1851 in Santa Fe under the Grand Lodge of Missouri (the closest organized jurisdiction at the time, since Missouri had jurisdictional reach down the Santa Fe Trail). The lodge took its name from the Aztec emperor and from the regional Native American heritage, signaling that this would be New Mexico Masonry rather than transplanted Eastern Masonry. By the 1870s several more lodges had been chartered along the Rio Grande - in Las Vegas (the original Las Vegas, in San Miguel County), Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and Silver City. On August 6, 1877, delegates from four New Mexico lodges met in Santa Fe to organize the Grand Lodge of New Mexico.

William L. Rynerson was elected the first Grand Master. The Grand Lodge predates New Mexico statehood by 35 years - New Mexico didn't become a state until 1912. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, New Mexico Masonry expanded along the railroads and into the new mining and ranching towns.

Today the Grand Lodge is headquartered in Albuquerque and oversees about 60 active lodges.

Oldest and Most Historic Lodges in New Mexico

Montezuma Lodge No. 1 in Santa Fe is the senior lodge in New Mexico and one of the oldest west of the Mississippi outside California. Originally chartered as No. 109 by Missouri in 1851, it was renumbered as Montezuma Lodge No.

1 when the Grand Lodge of New Mexico was formed in 1877. The lodge has met continuously for more than 170 years and has counted among its early members General Stephen Watts Kearny's officers, Santa Fe Trail merchants, and territorial officials. The Montezuma Lodge building in Santa Fe is one of the historic Masonic structures of the Southwest. Chapman Lodge No.

2 in Las Vegas, New Mexico (chartered 1869), served the major Santa Fe Trail trading center; Las Vegas was, for a time, the largest town in the territory. Aztec Lodge No. 3 in Las Cruces, dating to 1866, served the Mesilla Valley. Union Lodge No.

4 in Watrous served railroad workers and ranchers. Temple Lodge No. 6 in Albuquerque, chartered in 1877, was Albuquerque's flagship lodge as the city grew along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Silver City Lodge No.

8 in the southwestern mining region dates to 1875. Cimarron Lodge No. 14 in Cimarron served the Maxwell Land Grant cattle empire. Many of these older New Mexico lodges meet in adobe or Territorial-style buildings that are now historic landmarks.

The Las Vegas Masonic Temple, the Santa Fe Masonic Hall, and lodge buildings in Las Cruces and Silver City reflect the unique architectural heritage of New Mexico - mixing Spanish Colonial, Pueblo Revival, and Territorial styles.

New Mexico Masonic Lodges by the Numbers

The Grand Lodge of New Mexico currently oversees approximately 55 to 65 active subordinate lodges with around 3,000 to 3,800 Master Masons - down from a mid-20th-century peak around 11,000 members. Lodge density is highest in the Albuquerque metro, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, the Roswell-Carlsbad area, and the Farmington-Aztec area in the Four Corners region. Northern New Mexico mountain communities like Taos, Espanola, and Raton have small but active lodges. The Grand Lodge holds its annual communication in March, typically in Albuquerque.

New Mexico has Scottish Rite Valleys in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Las Cruces, plus active York Rite bodies and a Shrine center (Ballut Abyad Shriners). The Grand Lodge supports the Bosque Farms-based Masonic Charities of New Mexico, which funds scholarships, youth groups, and community programs. New Mexico Masonry has a culturally diverse membership reflecting the state's Hispanic, Native American, Anglo, and military demographics - one of the more demographically distinctive jurisdictions in the United States.

How to Become a Freemason in New Mexico

Petitioning a New Mexico lodge follows the standard process. The minimum age is 18, and candidates must believe in a Supreme Being and be of good moral character. Find a lodge - LodgeFinder helps if you don't know where to start, or visit the Grand Lodge of New Mexico website for a list. New Mexico's lodges are spread across a huge geographic area; in some rural counties, the nearest lodge might be 100 miles away.

Many lodges welcome you to attend a public dinner, breakfast, or community event. New Mexico Masonry has a long tradition of green chile cookoffs, posole dinners, and other culturally distinctive lodge fundraisers - reflecting the local cuisine. Once you decide to petition, two current Brothers in good standing must sign your petition as recommenders. Submit it with the application fee.

An investigation committee of two or three Brothers will visit you, typically at home. They'll discuss your background, family, employment, and motivations. They report to the lodge, which votes by secret ballot. If accepted, you'll be scheduled for your Entered Apprentice degree.

New Mexico requires proficiency demonstrations between degrees - you'll memorize portions of the ritual and recite them before the lodge. The Three Degrees usually take three to six months. Initiation fees in New Mexico generally run $150 to $400, and annual dues range from $75 to $200 depending on the lodge.

Notable New Mexico Freemasons in History

New Mexico Masonry has counted some legendary frontier figures and territorial leaders among its members. Kit Carson, the famous frontiersman, scout, and Civil War general, was a member of Montezuma Lodge No. 109 in Santa Fe (later No. 1) - he was raised there in 1854.

His Masonic apron and personal items have been preserved by the lodge. General Stephen Watts Kearny, who led the U.S. Army's conquest of New Mexico in 1846, was a Mason. Bradford Prince, territorial governor and prominent New Mexico jurist, was a Mason.

Stephen Benton Elkins, U.S. Senator from West Virginia who got his start as a New Mexico territorial delegate, was a New Mexico Mason. Albert Bacon Fall, U.S. Senator from New Mexico and Secretary of the Interior under Harding (later infamous for the Teapot Dome scandal), was a Mason.

Pat Garrett, the lawman who famously shot Billy the Kid, was a Mason. Multiple territorial governors and U.S. Marshals were Masons. Senator Bronson Cutting was a Mason.

In the modern era, Senator Pete Domenici was reportedly a Freemason, as were multiple New Mexico governors. The Grand Lodge of New Mexico's roster of historical members includes the soldiers, traders, lawmen, and politicians who shaped the territory and state from the Mexican-American War through the modern era. Of particular note, the Mason and territorial Governor Lew Wallace - author of "Ben-Hur" - lived in the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe while writing his famous novel.

Prince Hall Freemasonry in New Mexico

Prince Hall Freemasonry in New Mexico has a small but enduring presence. New Mexico's African American population has historically been small, concentrated mainly in military communities (Holloman AFB near Alamogordo, Cannon AFB near Clovis, Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, and historically Fort Bayard in the southwest), and in railroad towns. Prince Hall lodges in New Mexico have generally been chartered under neighboring Prince Hall Grand Lodges - particularly the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas and the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Colorado. Prince Hall lodges have been active in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Roswell, and the military-base communities.

New Mexico does have an organized Prince Hall jurisdiction - the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of New Mexico - which oversees the small but committed Prince Hall Masonic community in the state. Prince Hall Masonry served as a vital institution for African American men in New Mexico during the era of segregation, particularly in railroad communities and military towns. The Grand Lodge of New Mexico A.F. & A.M.

and Prince Hall jurisdictions covering New Mexico have entered into mutual recognition arrangements, allowing Brothers from each tradition to visit and fellowship in each other's lodges. For specific information about active Prince Hall lodges in New Mexico, contact the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of New Mexico directly.

Frequently Asked Questions about Masonic Lodges in New Mexico

Why didn't Masonry come to New Mexico until the 1850s?

Before the U.S. takeover in 1846, New Mexico was part of Spanish and then Mexican territory. Both Spain and Mexico (under Catholic influence) banned Freemasonry as heretical. The first chartered lodge, Montezuma Lodge No.

109, was warranted in Santa Fe in 1851, just five years after the Mexican-American War.

Was Kit Carson a Mason?

Yes. Christopher "Kit" Carson was raised a Master Mason in Montezuma Lodge No. 109 in Santa Fe in 1854. The lodge preserves Masonic items and memorabilia associated with him.

When was the Grand Lodge of New Mexico founded?

The Grand Lodge of New Mexico A.F. & A.M. was organized on August 6, 1877, in Santa Fe - 35 years before New Mexico achieved statehood in 1912. William L.

Rynerson was the first Grand Master.

Where is the Grand Lodge of New Mexico headquartered?

The Grand Lodge of New Mexico is headquartered in Albuquerque, the state's largest city. Many of the state's most active Masonic bodies are also based in or near Albuquerque.

What's the oldest Masonic lodge in New Mexico?

Montezuma Lodge No. 1 in Santa Fe, originally chartered in 1851 as No. 109 under the Grand Lodge of Missouri, is the oldest. It has been continuously active for more than 170 years.