Rhode Island Masonic Lodges

About Freemasonry in Rhode Island

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

History of Freemasonry in Rhode Island

Rhode Island is small but it punches well above its weight in Masonic history. The first lodge in the colony, St. John's Lodge in Newport, began meeting around 1749 under a charter from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. Newport at that point was one of the busiest commercial ports in colonial America, and like a lot of port cities, it was a natural hub for traveling brethren.

By the 1750s, Providence had its own St. John's Lodge as well, also chartered out of Massachusetts. Rhode Island's lodges, like those in the rest of New England, split during the Revolution between Modern and Antient affiliations, but most ended up working under Antient warrants by the war's end. The Grand Lodge of Rhode Island was officially organized in June 1791 in Providence, with Jabez Bowen serving as the first Grand Master.

Bowen had been Deputy Governor of Rhode Island and was one of the founders of Brown University, which gives you a sense of the civic profile of early Rhode Island Masonry. The 19th century brought the same Morgan-affair backlash that hit New York, though the impact in Rhode Island was somewhat less severe. Membership rebounded by mid-century, and Rhode Island built one of the country's most architecturally striking Masonic Temples in Providence, completed in the early 20th century. The Civil War, both World Wars, and the post-war suburban expansion all left their mark on Rhode Island Masonry.

The state's two major cities, Providence and Newport, remain the centers of Rhode Island Masonic life, but lodges in places like Warwick, Pawtucket, and Westerly continue an unbroken tradition that's now well over 270 years old.

Oldest and Most Historic Lodges in Rhode Island

St. John's Lodge No. 1 in Providence is the oldest Masonic lodge in Rhode Island and one of the oldest in America. Its origins trace back to a meeting in 1757, with a formal charter from the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.

It's worked continuously through wars, depressions, and pandemics, and it still meets in Providence today. St. John's Lodge No. 2 in Newport, with origins around 1749, is actually the older of the two by date of first meeting, but in the renumbering that occurred when the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island was constituted in 1791, Providence's lodge took the No.

1 designation. Newport's lodge has the distinction of having met in some of the most historic buildings in the city, and George Washington famously corresponded with Newport's Hebrew Congregation, which had Masonic connections through merchant families. King David's Lodge in Newport, originally constituted around 1780, brought together a notable group of Newport merchants and is associated with figures like Moses Seixas. Mount Vernon Lodge No.

4 in Providence dates to the early 19th century. Washington Lodge No. 3 in Warren, Rhode Island, traces its origins to the 1790s and was active among the seafaring families of Bristol County. Manchester Lodge No.

12 in Coventry has roots in the early 1800s. Hope Lodge No. 25 in Providence and Eureka Lodge No. 22 in Newport are both 19th-century institutions that remain active.

These lodges have witnessed the entire arc of American history from the colonial era through the present.

Rhode Island Masonic Lodges by the Numbers

The Grand Lodge of Rhode Island oversees approximately 30 to 35 active constituent lodges. Total membership in mainstream Rhode Island Masonry currently runs in the range of 2,500 to 3,500 Master Masons, making it one of the smaller Grand Lodges in the United States by raw numbers, though Rhode Island is also one of the smallest states. Lodge density is highest in the Providence metropolitan area, with secondary clusters in Newport County, Washington County, and Kent County. The Grand Lodge meets annually each May.

Rhode Island Masons run a charitable foundation that supports a range of in-state programs including scholarship funds and youth-oriented initiatives through the DeMolay and Job's Daughters organizations. Information about meeting times, lodge addresses, and contact details for local lodges is maintained at rimasons.org.

How to Become a Freemason in Rhode Island

Joining a Masonic lodge in Rhode Island works the same as in most American jurisdictions but with the small-state advantage that you can usually meet most of the active brethren pretty quickly. The first step is to identify a lodge in your area through rimasons.org or by visiting a public lodge dinner or open event. Like every U.S. Grand Lodge, Rhode Island requires that you ask to join.

After expressing interest, you'll fill out a petition that requires two current members of the lodge to sign as recommenders. The petition is read at a stated communication, and an investigating committee of three Master Masons is appointed to interview you, your spouse if you're married, and sometimes neighbors or coworkers. They report back at the next meeting, and the lodge votes by secret ballot. A single black ball will reject the petition.

Initiation fees in Rhode Island generally fall between $200 and $500 for the three degrees combined. Annual dues are typically $100 to $200. After approval, you'll receive the Entered Apprentice degree, then progress through Fellow Craft and Master Mason, with proficiency exams required between degrees. The pace varies by lodge but most candidates complete all three degrees within six to twelve months.

Rhode Island lodges generally meet once or twice a month, with stated communications and degree work scheduled around them.

Notable Rhode Island Freemasons in History

Jabez Bowen, the first Grand Master of Rhode Island Masons, was Deputy Governor of Rhode Island, a Brown University founder, and a major figure in the early Republic. Stephen Hopkins, signer of the Declaration of Independence and longtime Rhode Island governor, had Masonic ties through Providence's St. John's Lodge. Esek Hopkins, his brother and the first commander-in-chief of the Continental Navy, was also a Mason.

Nathanael Greene, the brilliant Revolutionary War general second only to Washington in importance to American victory, was a Rhode Island native with Masonic affiliations through Warren-area lodges. Christopher Greene, his cousin and another Continental Army officer, was also a Mason. Thomas Wilson Dorr, the early 19th-century Rhode Island reformer who led the Dorr Rebellion in pursuit of expanded suffrage, was a Mason in Providence. Stephen Olney, a Revolutionary War officer who fought at Yorktown, was a member of Rhode Island lodges.

Ambrose Burnside, the Civil War general (yes, the source of the word 'sideburns') and later U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, was a member of Providence's St. John's Lodge No. 1.

These figures cut across military, political, and civic life and reflect the outsized role Rhode Island played in early American history relative to its size.

Prince Hall Freemasonry in Rhode Island

Prince Hall Masonry has been present in Rhode Island since the 19th century. Hiram Lodge No. 3 was chartered in Providence in the early 1800s under the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and represented one of the earliest Black Masonic bodies in New England outside of Boston. The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Rhode Island was eventually constituted in 1888, giving Rhode Island its own jurisdiction after generations of operating under Massachusetts.

The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Rhode Island currently oversees a small but historically significant network of lodges concentrated in Providence, Newport, and Pawtucket. Membership has always been relatively modest in keeping with the state's size, but the institution has been a continuous and meaningful presence in Black civic life in Rhode Island for over 130 years. Mainstream-Prince Hall recognition between the Grand Lodge of Rhode Island and the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Rhode Island was formalized in the early 1990s, putting Rhode Island among the earlier states to extend full recognition. Inter-visitation between the jurisdictions is now permitted under defined protocols.

Notable Rhode Island Prince Hall Masons have included clergy, educators, and small-business owners who served as quiet pillars of Providence's Black community throughout the 20th century. The Prince Hall Grand Lodge maintains a charitable program and remains an active fraternal body today.

Frequently Asked Questions about Masonic Lodges in Rhode Island

Sources & Further Reading

• https://www.rimasons.org
• https://www.providencelodgeno1.org
• https://library.brown.edu
• https://www.mwphglri.org