Vermont's Masonic history begins almost as early as the state's own founding. The first lodge in Vermont was North Star Lodge, chartered in 1781 by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and meeting in Manchester. Vermont was at that time still a sort of independent republic operating outside the original 13 colonies, and didn't formally join the Union until 1791. The Grand Lodge of Vermont was organized on October 14, 1794, in Manchester, when delegates from the existing Vermont lodges (North Star, Vermont, Temple, Dorchester, and Union) gathered to form an independent grand body.

Noah Smith was elected the first Grand Master. Then came one of the most dramatic chapters in any American grand lodge's history: the Morgan Affair and the Anti-Masonic period. In 1826, William Morgan, a former Mason in upstate New York, disappeared after threatening to publish a book exposing Masonic ritual. His disappearance sparked a public panic and a wave of anti-Masonic feeling that swept across the northeastern United States.

Vermont was hit harder than almost any other state. The Anti-Masonic Party, the first third party in American politics, captured the Vermont governorship in 1831 and held it for several years. Vermont lodges hemorrhaged members. By 1835, lodge membership in the state had collapsed so severely that the Grand Lodge of Vermont actually voted to dissolve itself in 1836.

Yes, you read that right: Vermont became the only US state where Freemasonry effectively ceased to exist for a period. The Grand Lodge re-formed in 1846 after about a decade of dormancy, when conditions had cooled enough for lodges to reorganize and a new generation took up the work. Vermont Masonry slowly rebuilt over the second half of the 19th century, growing steadily through the late 1800s and into the early 20th century. Membership peaked in the 1950s along with the rest of American Masonry.

Today the Grand Lodge of Vermont is one of the smaller US jurisdictions, but it has a strong identity rooted in its dramatic history of survival through Anti-Masonic persecution.

Oldest and Most Historic Lodges in Vermont

North Star Lodge No. 1 in Manchester is the oldest in Vermont, originally chartered by Massachusetts in 1781 and re-chartered as Vermont's No. 1 when the Grand Lodge formed in 1794. It went dormant during the Anti-Masonic period but was revived after the Grand Lodge re-formed in 1846.

Vermont Lodge No. 18 in Windsor (chartered 1781 originally) is another lodge with founding-era roots, named for the Republic of Vermont itself. Temple Lodge No. 5 in Bennington, chartered in 1793, has long associations with the Battle of Bennington and Vermont Revolutionary history.

Dorchester Lodge No. 1 (the original No. 1 in Vergennes) was one of the founding lodges and operated through much of the early 19th century. Union Lodge No.

2 in Middlebury, chartered in 1794, is one of the longest continuously operating lodges in the state. Aurora Lodge No. 22 in Montpelier serves the state capital and has been a center of Vermont political and civic Masonic life since the 19th century. Mount Moriah Lodge No.

4 in Bradford, chartered in 1798, was one of the most active early-19th-century Vermont lodges. Burlington's Washington Lodge No. 3 (chartered 1795) was one of the oldest lodges to operate in the state's largest city, though Burlington Masonry consolidated and reorganized multiple times in the 19th century. Many of Vermont's oldest lodges meet in beautiful 19th-century lodge buildings, often shared with their towns' historical societies and community groups, and several have meticulously preserved minute books that document the dark Anti-Masonic years and the eventual revival.

Vermont Masonic Lodges by the Numbers

Vermont is one of the smaller US Masonic jurisdictions by membership, partly because Vermont itself is a small state and partly because of the long shadow of the Anti-Masonic period. The Grand Lodge of Vermont currently has approximately 75 to 85 active subordinate lodges and somewhere around 5,500 to 6,500 active Master Masons. The Burlington area has the largest concentration of lodges, with strong Masonic communities also in Rutland, Montpelier, Brattleboro, St. Johnsbury, and dozens of smaller towns scattered throughout the Green Mountains.

Vermont does not have a separate Prince Hall Grand Lodge; the state's small African American population has historically led most Vermont Masons of any background to affiliate with the mainstream Grand Lodge. Vermont Masonic charity supports the Vermont Masonic Charitable Foundation, which funds scholarships, disaster relief, and community grants throughout the state. The state's lodges also participate in the Shriners Hospital network through the Aleppo Shrine and contribute to the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum and Library in Lexington, Massachusetts, which serves as a regional Masonic museum for New England. Vermont Masons also support a state-level program of children's identification (CHIP) events that help families maintain identification records for their kids.

How to Become a Freemason in Vermont

Joining a Vermont lodge follows the standard mainstream American process. Vermont lodges don't recruit, so step one is on you: ask. Basic requirements are that you be a man, at least 18 years old, of good moral character, with belief in a Supreme Being (any monotheistic faith is acceptable), and a resident of Vermont or close enough to attend lodge meetings regularly. To start, find a lodge using the LodgeFinder Vermont page or by checking the Grand Lodge of Vermont website's lodge directory.

Most Vermont lodges have at least one open dinner per month before stated meetings, and visitors and prospects are welcome. Contact the Secretary by phone or email and ask for a petition. After you fill out the petition with two current Master Masons as recommenders (the lodge can help arrange introductions if you don't know any Masons yet), submit it with the initiation fee. Vermont lodge fees are generally on the lower end nationally, typically $100 to $250 for all three degrees combined, with annual dues of $50 to $150 a year afterward.

A three-person investigation committee will visit you at home or at a coffee shop for a friendly interview about your background and interest in Masonry. The lodge votes by secret ballot at a stated meeting; the vote must be unanimous. If you're elected, you'll receive the Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason degrees in succession, with proficiency examinations between each. Because Vermont lodges are often smaller and meet less frequently in winter due to weather, the timeline from petition to Master Mason can range from four months to over a year depending on the lodge schedule.

Notable Vermont Freemasons in History

Vermont's Masonic roster includes a number of significant figures in American history. Ethan Allen, leader of the Green Mountain Boys and hero of the capture of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775, was a Mason though his exact lodge affiliation is debated by historians. Stephen R. Bradley, a US Senator from Vermont and one of the early Grand Masters of Vermont, was a foundational figure in both Vermont politics and Masonry.

Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States, was born in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, but was not himself a Mason; this is sometimes confused in trivia lists. Justin Morrill, the US Senator who authored the Morrill Land-Grant Act establishing public state universities, was a Vermont Mason. George Aiken, the long-serving US Senator and former Governor of Vermont, was a Mason. Robert Stafford, another long-serving US Senator from Vermont, was a Mason.

Howard Dean's father was a Mason though Dean himself was not. The composer John Philip Sousa, while not a Vermonter, was a Mason and visited Vermont lodges. The Vermont Anti-Masonic period of the 1830s did, ironically, produce notable anti-Masonic political figures who later disavowed their anti-Masonic positions, and several mid-19th century Vermont leaders were Masons who helped rebuild the fraternity after the dormancy. The state's small population means Vermont Masonry has tended to produce relatively few household-name Masons compared to larger jurisdictions, but Vermont Masons have been deeply embedded in the state's civic and political life for over two centuries.

Prince Hall Freemasonry in Vermont

Vermont does not have a separate Prince Hall Grand Lodge. The state's African American population has historically been very small (Vermont is among the least racially diverse states in the US), which meant there was never enough population concentration to charter and sustain a separate Prince Hall jurisdiction. African American Masons in Vermont have historically affiliated with the mainstream Grand Lodge of Vermont, which never had a written racial bar in its constitutional language. They could also affiliate with Prince Hall lodges chartered under neighboring grand jurisdictions, particularly the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, which is the oldest and one of the most prestigious Prince Hall grand bodies in the country, having been chartered originally by Prince Hall himself in 1784.

There have occasionally been Prince Hall lodges meeting in Burlington under Massachusetts charter, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when Vermont had a slightly larger African American community connected to the railroads and lumber industry. The mainstream Grand Lodge of Vermont recognizes the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts and other Prince Hall jurisdictions, and Prince Hall Masons visiting Vermont can attend mainstream Vermont lodges under standard visitation rules. Vermont's Masonic landscape is therefore unified under the mainstream Grand Lodge in a way that's typical of small New England states with small Black populations.

Frequently Asked Questions about Masonic Lodges in Vermont

Did Vermont really shut down all its Masonic lodges?

Effectively, yes. The Anti-Masonic movement of the 1820s and 1830s was so strong in Vermont that the Grand Lodge formally dissolved itself in 1836. Vermont was the only US state where mainstream Freemasonry effectively ceased to exist for a period. The Grand Lodge re-formed about a decade later in 1846, and the fraternity slowly rebuilt.

Was Ethan Allen a Vermont Mason?

Most historians accept that Ethan Allen was a Mason, though the exact lodge of his initiation has been debated for two centuries. Some sources point to a military lodge, others to a Connecticut or Massachusetts lodge before he came to Vermont. He's generally claimed by Vermont Masonry but the documentary trail is incomplete.

How many Masons are in Vermont?

Vermont has approximately 5,500 to 6,500 active Master Masons across about 75 to 85 lodges. By absolute numbers it's one of the smaller US grand lodges, reflecting Vermont's small overall population. Burlington, Rutland, and Montpelier have the largest concentrations of lodges.

What was the Anti-Masonic Party?

The Anti-Masonic Party was the first major third party in US history, formed in the late 1820s after the disappearance of William Morgan in upstate New York. The party captured the Vermont governorship in 1831 and held it for several years, contributing directly to the dissolution of Vermont Masonry in the 1830s.

How much does it cost to join a Vermont lodge?

Vermont lodges generally charge $100 to $250 for all three degrees combined, with annual dues of $50 to $150 afterward. Vermont fees are on the lower end of the national range, partly because lodges are smaller and operating costs are lower than in major metropolitan areas.