South Carolina Masonic Lodges

About Freemasonry in South Carolina

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

History of Freemasonry in South Carolina

South Carolina has one of the oldest and most colorful Masonic histories in the country, and most of it runs through Charleston. The first documented lodge in the colony was Solomon's Lodge, organized in Charleston in 1736 under a deputation from the Provincial Grand Master appointed by the Grand Lodge of England. That makes it one of the very earliest lodges in what would become the United States. Charleston, as a major Atlantic port, became a Masonic crossroads, with traveling brethren from Britain, the Caribbean, and the northern colonies all passing through.

By the time of the Revolution, several lodges were active in Charleston and a handful had spread inland. The colonial-era jurisdiction was complicated, with both Modern and Antient lodges operating under separate Provincial Grand Lodges. After American independence the two factions had to merge, and the unified Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina was constituted in March 1787 in Charleston. South Carolina is also famously the place where the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite was organized in 1801, when the Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree, Mother Council of the World, was formed in Charleston.

That makes Charleston one of the most historically significant cities in worldwide Masonry, period. The 19th century saw expansion across the upcountry, the Civil War decimated lodge attendance, and Reconstruction brought a slow rebuilding process complicated by deep racial divisions. Through it all, South Carolina Masonry maintained continuity and rebuilt steadily through the 20th century. The Grand Lodge headquarters today is in Columbia, the state capital, but Charleston remains the spiritual heart of the jurisdiction.

Oldest and Most Historic Lodges in South Carolina

Solomon's Lodge No. 1 in Charleston is the oldest continuously operating Masonic lodge in South Carolina and one of the oldest in the United States, with origins going back to 1736. The lodge has met in several historic Charleston buildings over the centuries and has counted governors, judges, and military officers among its members across nearly 300 years. Union Kilwinning Lodge No.

4 in Charleston, originally chartered out of Scotland, brought a distinctly Scottish Masonic character to the colony and remained active well into the 19th century. Friendship Lodge No. 9 in Charleston traces its origins to the late 18th century. Orange Lodge No.

14 in Orangeburg dates from the 1790s and was one of the first lodges to push Masonic activity inland from the coast. Hiram Lodge No. 68 in Beaufort was established in the early 19th century and met in some of the most beautiful antebellum buildings in that low country town. Recovery Lodge No.

31 in Greenville helped expand Masonry into the upcountry during the antebellum period. Camden Lodge No. 5 in Camden has roots going back to the 18th century and counts a number of prominent low country planters among early members. Eutaw Lodge No.

19 was active during and after the Revolution. Acacia Lodge No. 94 in Aiken and Mountain Lodge No. 9 in Pickens both played roles in the late 19th and early 20th century expansion of upcountry Masonry.

The Grand Lodge proceedings preserved in Columbia document each of these lodges' early ritual practices and membership lists.

South Carolina Masonic Lodges by the Numbers

The Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina oversees approximately 285 active constituent lodges, organized into roughly 24 districts. Total membership currently sits around 30,000 to 35,000 Master Masons, down from a 20th-century peak of well over 60,000 but still placing South Carolina among the more substantial Grand Lodges in the South. Lodge density is highest around Charleston, Columbia, Greenville-Spartanburg, and Florence, with a long tail of small-town and rural lodges that often serve as the primary civic institution outside of churches. The Grand Lodge meets annually each spring in Columbia, and it operates a charitable foundation that supports the Masonic Family Center and several scholarship programs.

Charleston is also home to the Supreme Council, 33rd Degree, Southern Jurisdiction of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, though that's a separate body from the Grand Lodge. Current lodge directories and event information are at scgrandlodgeafm.org.

How to Become a Freemason in South Carolina

Joining the Masons in South Carolina follows the standard American process with a few state-specific touches. First, identify a lodge in your area through scgrandlodgeafm.org or by visiting an open event such as a Masonic breakfast or fundraiser. South Carolina, like every U.S. jurisdiction, requires that you ask to join (the 2B1ASK1 principle).

After making contact, you'll fill out a petition for the degrees of Masonry. South Carolina requires that two current Master Masons of the lodge sign your petition as recommenders. The completed petition is read at a stated communication, and the lodge appoints a three-member investigation committee to interview you. Their report is presented at the next meeting, and the lodge votes by secret ballot.

A single black ball rejects the petition. Initiation fees in South Carolina generally run between $150 and $400 for the three degrees combined, with annual dues typically between $80 and $150. After being elected to receive the degrees, you'll be initiated as an Entered Apprentice, then pass to Fellow Craft, and finally be raised as a Master Mason. Each degree requires a proficiency demonstration where you recite catechism material from the previous degree.

The pace is set by the lodge, but most candidates complete all three degrees over a period of three to nine months.

Notable South Carolina Freemasons in History

Andrew Pickens, the Revolutionary War general who fought at Cowpens and other key battles in the southern campaign, was a member of South Carolina lodges and a major figure in the early state's political life. Charles Pinckney, signer of the U.S. Constitution and several-time governor of South Carolina, had Masonic affiliations through Charleston's lodges. John C.

Calhoun, the towering and controversial 19th-century South Carolina senator, vice president, and political theorist, was raised as a Mason in Solomon's Lodge No. 1 in Charleston in his early career, though his later activity is less documented. Wade Hampton III, the Confederate general and Reconstruction-era governor of South Carolina, was an active Mason. Strom Thurmond, the longtime U.S.

Senator from South Carolina, was a Mason and a 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Mason. Albert Pike, while best associated with Arkansas Masonry, served as Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction headquartered in Charleston for over 30 years and shaped much of modern American Scottish Rite ritual. Mark Clark, the World War II general who later served as president of The Citadel in Charleston, was a Mason. These figures span centuries and political traditions and reflect the central role South Carolina has played in American Masonic history.

Prince Hall Freemasonry in South Carolina

Prince Hall Masonry has a long and important history in South Carolina, with deep ties to Charleston's free Black community even before emancipation. The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of South Carolina was constituted in 1867, just two years after the Civil War ended, making it one of the very earliest Prince Hall Grand Lodges established in the South. Its founding was driven by formerly enslaved and free-born Black men in Charleston who organized fraternal institutions as part of the broader Reconstruction-era effort to build civic life. The Grand Lodge headquarters is in Columbia, and it currently oversees more than 250 subordinate lodges across the state, making it one of the largest Prince Hall jurisdictions in the country.

Recognition between the predominantly white Grand Lodge of South Carolina and the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge has been a slow story. Mainstream-Prince Hall recognition was extended in 2019, making South Carolina one of the very last Southern states to formalize fraternal recognition. The two Grand Lodges now permit defined inter-visitation. Prince Hall lodges in South Carolina were heavily involved in civil rights organizing throughout the 20th century, particularly in Charleston, Columbia, and Orangeburg.

Notable South Carolina Prince Hall Masons include Reconstruction-era congressman Robert Smalls, civil rights pioneer Septima Poinsette Clark's family circle, and many of the state's most prominent Black ministers, educators, and small-business owners.

Frequently Asked Questions about Masonic Lodges in South Carolina

Sources & Further Reading

• https://www.scgrandlodgeafm.org
• https://scottishrite.org
• https://www.mwphglsc.com
• https://www.solomonslodge1.com