Tennessee Freemasonry has roots that stretch back before the state itself even existed. The first lodges in what is now Tennessee operated under charters from North Carolina, since the territory was part of that state until 1796. The earliest documented lodge was Tennessee Lodge No. 41, chartered by the Grand Lodge of North Carolina in 1789 and meeting in the rough frontier town of Nashville.

Imagine that for a second: while George Washington was being inaugurated up in New York, a handful of frontiersmen were already opening a Masonic lodge in what was essentially the wilderness. The Grand Lodge of Tennessee itself wasn't organized until December 27, 1813, when delegates from three lodges (Tennessee No. 41, Greeneville No. 43, and Newport No.

49, all originally chartered by North Carolina) gathered in Knoxville to form an independent grand body. Thomas Claiborne was elected the first Grand Master. Here's the deal: Tennessee Masonry grew with the state. As settlers pushed west, lodges followed, and by the time of the Civil War the Grand Lodge oversaw hundreds of subordinate lodges spread from the Smoky Mountains to the Mississippi River.

The Civil War hit Tennessee Masonry hard. Many lodge buildings were used as hospitals or barracks by both Union and Confederate forces, and meetings often paused as members went off to fight on opposite sides. Stories from the period are full of accounts of Masons sparing fellow Masons across enemy lines, which became part of the fraternity's lore in the state. After the war, the Grand Lodge played a quiet role in rebuilding civic life, with lodges often acting as informal community centers when courthouses, schools, and churches were still being put back together.

The post-war era also saw a major push to standardize ritual work, and the Tennessee Grand Lodge developed a reputation for protecting traditional ritual fairly strictly. Twentieth century membership boomed after both World Wars, as returning veterans flocked to fraternal life, and Tennessee's lodge rolls peaked in the late 1950s. The state has since seen the same membership decline as the rest of American Masonry, but Tennessee remains one of the larger jurisdictions in the South.

Oldest and Most Historic Lodges in Tennessee

When you're tracking Tennessee's oldest lodges, you have to remember that the timeline runs through North Carolina first. Tennessee Lodge No. 41 was chartered by the Grand Lodge of North Carolina in 1789 in Nashville, and it's generally considered the granddaddy of Tennessee Masonry. It's still active today, now as Cumberland Lodge No.

8 after a series of charter consolidations and renumberings. Greeneville Lodge No. 3 (originally No. 43 under North Carolina, chartered in 1801) is another anchor, located in the historic East Tennessee town that briefly served as the capital of the State of Franklin.

Andrew Johnson, who would later become President of the United States, was raised a Master Mason here in 1851. Newport Lodge (originally No. 49, chartered 1803) rounds out the trio of original founding lodges. Knoxville Lodge No.

8 (now No. 11) traces back to 1814 and held its early meetings in some of the city's first commercial buildings downtown. Western Star Lodge No. 9 in Sumner County dates to 1814 as well and is famous for being the lodge where future President James K.

Polk was made a Mason. Hiram Lodge No. 7 in Franklin, chartered in 1809, has continuous records that read like a who's-who of Middle Tennessee history, including Civil War-era cavalry officers and reconstruction-era judges. In the eastern part of the state, Overton Lodge No.

5 in Rogersville (chartered 1805) is another notable old lodge, named for Judge John Overton, a close friend of Andrew Jackson. Many of these old lodges still meet in 19th-century buildings, and a number of them welcome respectful visitors during open events like cornerstone ceremonies and community fundraisers.

Tennessee Masonic Lodges by the Numbers

Tennessee currently has roughly 280 to 320 active Masonic lodges chartered under the Grand Lodge of Tennessee, with total membership generally estimated at around 35,000 to 40,000 Master Masons in recent years. That makes Tennessee one of the larger Masonic jurisdictions in the United States by both lodge count and total membership. Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga have the highest concentrations of lodges, but smaller rural counties often have a remarkably active lodge per capita. The state is divided into Masonic districts, each overseen by a District Deputy Grand Master.

The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Tennessee, which is a separate but recognized grand body, adds approximately 60 to 80 additional lodges and several thousand more Master Masons to the overall picture. Tennessee Masonic charity dollars support the Tennessee Masonic Children's Home in Nashville, the Tennessee Masonic Widows and Orphans program, and a variety of scholarship funds. Statewide, Tennessee Masons donate millions of dollars per year to charitable causes when you combine lodge-level giving with the appendant bodies like Scottish Rite, York Rite, and Shrine.

How to Become a Freemason in Tennessee

So you want to join a Tennessee lodge. Here's the short version: you have to ask. Masonry doesn't recruit, so the first move is yours. The basic requirements under Tennessee Grand Lodge law are that you be a man, at least 21 years old (some other jurisdictions allow 18, but Tennessee is one of the holdouts at 21), of good moral character, a believer in a Supreme Being, and someone who can support yourself and your dependents.

You also need to live in or near the area of the lodge you want to petition. Step one is finding a lodge, which you can do through the LodgeFinder map or by simply driving past any building with a square and compasses on it and asking when they meet. Most lodges hold an open dinner before stated meetings and welcome candidates to come hang out and ask questions. Step two is getting a petition, which is a one-page form asking your basic personal information, work history, and references.

You'll need two current Master Masons to sign as recommenders, but if you don't know any Masons yet, the lodge can usually help arrange introductions. Step three is the investigation. After you submit your petition with the fee (Tennessee fees vary by lodge, generally $150 to $400), three current members will visit you at home for a relaxed conversation. Step four is the ballot.

The lodge votes by secret ballot at a stated meeting; the vote must be unanimous. If you're elected, you'll be scheduled for the Entered Apprentice degree, then Fellowcraft, then Master Mason, with proficiency exams between each. The whole process from petition to Master Mason typically takes three to nine months in Tennessee.

Notable Tennessee Freemasons in History

Tennessee has produced or claimed some genuinely heavyweight names in American Masonic history. The biggest is probably Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States, who was a Master Mason and served as the Grand Master of Tennessee in 1822 and 1823 (though Jackson's exact lodge of initiation has been debated by historians for two centuries). Two other US Presidents with Tennessee Masonic ties followed him: James K. Polk, raised in Western Star Lodge No.

9 in Columbia, and Andrew Johnson, raised in Greeneville Lodge No. 3. Sam Houston, while more famous as a Texan, was actually first made a Mason in Cumberland Lodge No. 8 in Nashville in 1817 before eventually serving as Grand Master of Texas.

Davy Crockett, the famous frontiersman and congressman, is sometimes claimed as a Tennessee Mason, though documentary evidence is thin and the claim is contested. On the more verifiable side, Sequoyah, the Cherokee scholar who created the Cherokee syllabary, was a Mason. So was Cordell Hull, the Tennessee senator and Secretary of State under FDR who won the 1945 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in establishing the United Nations. Country music legend Roy Acuff was a Master Mason and a 33rd degree Scottish Rite Mason in Nashville.

Estes Kefauver, the Tennessee senator and presidential candidate, was a Mason. More recent Tennessee Masons include various state governors, federal judges, and business leaders. The fraternity's broad reach across Tennessee's political and cultural history is hard to overstate.

Prince Hall Freemasonry in Tennessee

The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Tennessee is the parallel African American Masonic body in the state, and its history is just as long and important as the mainstream Grand Lodge's. Prince Hall Masonry traces back to Prince Hall himself, a free Black man in Boston who was made a Mason in 1775 by a British military lodge and went on to charter African Lodge No. 459 under the Grand Lodge of England in 1784. From that root grew an entire parallel Masonic tradition for African Americans during the long period when mainstream American grand lodges refused to admit Black men.

The Tennessee Prince Hall Grand Lodge was organized in 1872 in Nashville, just a few years after Emancipation, and it grew rapidly during Reconstruction as freedmen sought out the kind of mutual aid, education, and civic infrastructure that lodges historically provided. Tennessee Prince Hall lodges were active in supporting historically Black colleges like Fisk University and Tennessee State, and many civil rights leaders of the 20th century were Prince Hall Masons. The Tennessee mainstream Grand Lodge formally recognized the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Tennessee in 2012, joining a wave of southern grand lodges that finally recognized their Prince Hall counterparts in the 21st century after decades of holding out. Today the two grand lodges have a working relationship that allows mutual visitation between members, and Prince Hall lodges are active in cities across Tennessee, particularly in Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville.

Frequently Asked Questions about Masonic Lodges in Tennessee

How much does it cost to join a Masonic lodge in Tennessee?

Tennessee lodge fees vary by location, but most lodges charge an initiation fee of $150 to $400, which covers all three degrees. Annual dues after that typically run $50 to $150 per year, depending on the lodge. Larger metropolitan lodges sometimes charge more, while small rural lodges can be quite affordable.

How old do I have to be to become a Mason in Tennessee?

Tennessee requires petitioners to be at least 21 years old. This is a bit older than many other states, which permit petitioners at 18 or 19. There is no upper age limit, and lodges regularly raise candidates in their 60s and 70s.

Was Andrew Jackson really a Tennessee Mason?

Yes, Andrew Jackson was a Master Mason and served as Grand Master of Tennessee from 1822 to 1824. The exact lodge in which he was initiated has been debated for over a century, with both Harmony Lodge No. 1 in Nashville and other lodges sometimes claimed, but his service as Grand Master is well documented.

Are Prince Hall and mainstream Tennessee lodges separate?

They are administratively separate grand lodges with their own charters and lodges, but as of 2012 they formally recognize each other. Members of one body may visit the other under the rules set by the two grand lodges. Both trace their authority back to legitimate Masonic origins.

Do Tennessee lodges allow women members?

No. Like most mainstream American grand lodges, the Grand Lodge of Tennessee admits only men. However, Tennessee has many active chapters of the Order of the Eastern Star, which is open to women with Masonic family connections, plus other co-ed appendant bodies that women can join.

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