Ohio Masonic Lodges

About Freemasonry in Ohio

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

History of Freemasonry in Ohio

Ohio's Masonic story starts in the wilderness years of the Northwest Territory, when the area west of Pennsylvania was barely organized and most of the population was still moving by river or pack horse. The earliest documented lodge meeting in what is now Ohio took place in 1790 at Fort Harmar, near present-day Marietta, where a military lodge under Pennsylvania authority worked degrees for officers stationed at the frontier post. American Union Lodge, a Continental Army lodge originally chartered in 1776 by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and famously associated with George Washington's army, settled in Marietta after the war and became Ohio's pioneer lodge in any practical sense. By 1808, enough Ohio lodges had been chartered under Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York that the brothers decided to form their own Grand Lodge.

On January 8, 1808, delegates from six lodges met in Chillicothe, then the state capital, and constituted the Grand Lodge of Ohio. Rufus Putnam, a Revolutionary War general and one of the founders of Marietta, had been an early Ohio Mason. Lewis Cass, later a U.S. Senator, Secretary of War, and presidential candidate, became one of the early Grand Masters.

Through the 1820s, Ohio Masonry was hammered by the Morgan Affair, a Western New York scandal that fueled an Anti-Masonic political movement and crashed lodge membership across the Midwest. Ohio's recovery was slow but real. By the 1850s, lodges were rebuilding, and the Civil War, oddly, accelerated growth as soldiers from both armies brought interest in the fraternity home. The post-war boom carried into the early 1900s, and by mid-century Ohio was one of the largest Grand Lodges in the world, with membership above 200,000.

Ohio is also famously home to more Masonic U.S. Presidents than almost any other state, including William McKinley, William Howard Taft, and Warren G. Harding. The Grand Lodge today is headquartered in Worthington, just outside Columbus.

Oldest and Most Historic Lodges in Ohio

American Union Lodge No. 1 in Marietta is the dean of Ohio Masonry. The lodge was originally chartered in 1776 by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts to work in the Continental Army during the Revolution, and after the war the charter traveled with veterans who settled at Marietta in 1788. Meetings resumed there in 1790, making American Union the oldest lodge by working tradition in Ohio.

When the Grand Lodge of Ohio was constituted in 1808, American Union was given the No. 1 designation it still holds. Nova Caesarea Harmony Lodge No. 2 in Cincinnati was chartered under New Jersey authority in 1791 and is among the very oldest lodges west of the Appalachians.

Erie Lodge No. 3 in Warren, chartered in 1803, is one of the oldest in northern Ohio. Scioto Lodge No. 6 in Chillicothe, the original capital, hosted the convention that formed the Grand Lodge.

New England Lodge No. 4 in Worthington, founded by transplanted Connecticut settlers in 1803, has met continuously for over two centuries and is associated with the Worthington Masonic Temple. Other early lodges include Lebanon Lodge No. 26 in Lebanon, McMillan Lodge No.

141 (named for an early pioneer) in southern Ohio, and a series of Western Reserve lodges chartered by Connecticut Masons who settled the Cleveland area. Several Ohio lodge buildings are themselves architectural landmarks. The Cincinnati Masonic Center, completed in 1928, is one of the largest Masonic temples in the country. The Cleveland Masonic Auditorium hosted major political conventions in the 20th century.

Toledo's Scottish Rite Cathedral, Dayton's Masonic Temple, and the Akron Masonic Temple all date to the 1910s and 1920s and are still in active use.

Ohio Masonic Lodges by the Numbers

Ohio remains one of the largest Masonic jurisdictions in the United States, both by raw membership and by lodge count. Recent figures from the Grand Lodge of Ohio put active master Mason membership at roughly 65,000 to 70,000 across about 415 chartered lodges. That's down sharply from the mid-20th-century peak of more than 250,000 members in the 1950s and 1960s, but Ohio still typically ranks in the top five Grand Lodges nationally. The state has lodges in every county, with concentrations in the Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton, Toledo, and Akron metro areas.

Ohio Masons fund a robust set of charitable programs through the Ohio Masonic Home in Springfield, the Masonic Model Student Assistance Program for schools, and substantial scholarship and disaster relief funds. The Grand Lodge holds its annual communication each October at locations rotated around the state. Ohio is also one of the most active Scottish Rite and York Rite jurisdictions, with major Valleys in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Dayton.

How to Become a Freemason in Ohio

Petitioning a Masonic lodge in Ohio follows the standard pattern with a few state-specific touches. The basic requirements are simple: a man at least 18 years of age, of good moral character, who professes belief in a Supreme Being, and who lives or works in Ohio. The first step is finding a lodge. Ohio has over 400 of them, so most candidates have several within driving distance.

The Grand Lodge website features a lodge locator, and many lodges publish their meeting times online. After visiting an open dinner or community event and meeting a few brothers, an interested candidate can request a petition. Two members in good standing must sign the petition as recommenders. Ohio petition fees vary widely from lodge to lodge, generally falling between 150 and 350 dollars, often including the first year's dues.

Once the petition is filed, a small investigation committee meets with the candidate, sometimes at home and sometimes at a coffee shop, to discuss the lodge's expectations and answer questions. The committee reports back, and the lodge votes by secret ballot. A clear ballot puts the candidate on the schedule for the Entered Apprentice degree. From there, candidates progress through the Fellowcraft and Master Mason degrees, with proficiency examinations between each step.

Ohio allows for both traditional one-on-one coaching and Grand Lodge-approved mentor programs. The full journey from petition to Master Mason typically takes six months to a year, though the lodge sets the pace.

Notable Ohio Freemasons in History

Ohio's Masonic roster reads like an American history textbook. Three U.S. presidents from Ohio were Master Masons: William McKinley, raised in Hiram Lodge No. 21 in Winchester, Virginia, but lifelong Ohio resident; William Howard Taft, raised at sight in Kilwinning Lodge No.

356 in Cincinnati; and Warren G. Harding, raised in Marion Lodge No. 70 in Marion. James A.

Garfield, also from Ohio, was a Mason as well, raised in Magnolia Lodge No. 20. That makes Ohio one of the few states with multiple Masonic presidents. Beyond the White House, Ohio Masons include Lewis Cass, the early Grand Master and presidential candidate; John Glenn, the astronaut and U.S.

Senator, who was a member of Concord Lodge No. 688 in New Concord; Eddie Rickenbacker, the World War I flying ace from Columbus; and Harry M. Daugherty, the political operator and U.S. Attorney General.

Cy Young, the legendary baseball pitcher whose name is on the annual award, was a Mason, as was Bob Hope, the comedian, who was raised in Magnolia Lodge No. 20. In business, Ohio Masonry counts the Wright Brothers' father (a strong supporter of the fraternity), James Cox of the Cox Media empire, and Ed Crane, a 20th-century philanthropist. The state's Masonic ranks have included generals, governors, judges, university presidents, and a long list of small-town civic leaders whose names you would recognize only if you grew up nearby.

Prince Hall Freemasonry in Ohio

The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ohio is one of the oldest and largest Prince Hall jurisdictions in the United States. Its origin traces to 1849, when African American Masons in Cincinnati and other Ohio cities organized lodges under the authority of the African Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania (the parent body for Prince Hall Masonry in the early 19th century). On May 4, 1849, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ohio was constituted, making Ohio one of the first states to form a Prince Hall Grand Lodge in the Midwest. The Grand Lodge headquarters has long been in Cincinnati, with offices and library facilities maintained there.

Today the jurisdiction has more than 100 active lodges and an estimated membership of 6,000 to 8,000 master Masons. Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo, and Akron all have substantial Prince Hall Masonic presences. The Grand Lodge of Ohio (mainstream) and the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Ohio extended mutual recognition to one another in 2002 after years of negotiation, and the two jurisdictions today permit inter-visitation, joint charitable projects, and shared participation in cornerstone ceremonies. Prince Hall Masonry in Ohio also encompasses Eastern Star, Heroines of Jericho, the youth orders, and the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.

The Grand Lodge runs significant scholarship programs and has been a force in civil rights, voter registration, and educational philanthropy in Ohio's African American communities for over 175 years.

Frequently Asked Questions about Masonic Lodges in Ohio

Sources & Further Reading

• https://www.freemason.com/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Lodge_of_Ohio
• https://www.mwphglohio.org/
• https://www.ohiomasonichome.org/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Union_Lodge