Virginia Masonic Lodges

About Freemasonry in Virginia

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

History of Freemasonry in Virginia

Virginia is, without exaggeration, the cradle of American Freemasonry. Some of the earliest Masonic lodges on the North American continent operated in colonial Virginia, and the state's Masonic history is woven directly into the founding of the United States. The first documented lodge in Virginia was Port Royal Kilwinning Cross Lodge, which was meeting under a Scottish charter as early as 1755 in Port Royal. Fredericksburg Lodge, which is sometimes claimed as the oldest, has Masonic minutes that go back to 1752, making it possibly the oldest lodge with continuous records on American soil.

Here's the absolute monster fact about Virginia: George Washington was made a Mason at Fredericksburg Lodge on November 4, 1752. He was 20 years old. Washington went on to become Master of Alexandria Lodge No. 22 (now Alexandria-Washington Lodge No.

22) and is depicted in Masonic regalia in numerous official portraits. He laid the cornerstone of the US Capitol in 1793 in a Masonic ceremony, wearing a Masonic apron embroidered for him by the Marquise de Lafayette. The Grand Lodge of Virginia itself was organized on October 13, 1778, in Williamsburg, when delegates from existing Virginia lodges gathered to form an independent grand body separate from the Grand Lodges of England and Scotland. John Blair, who would later be one of the original Justices of the US Supreme Court, was elected the first Grand Master.

Edmund Randolph, who served as the first US Attorney General, was an early Grand Master of Virginia as well. Virginia Masonry continued to be a major force through the 19th century. The Civil War hit Virginia harder than almost any other state, with massive disruption to lodge work and many buildings damaged or destroyed. After the war, Virginia Masonry rebuilt steadily through Reconstruction and into the 20th century.

Membership peaked in the 1950s and has declined since, like the rest of American Masonry, but Virginia remains one of the most historically significant Masonic jurisdictions in the world.

Oldest and Most Historic Lodges in Virginia

Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4 (originally just called Fredericksburg Lodge, with records back to 1752) is the lodge where George Washington was made a Mason and is generally considered the oldest lodge with continuous records in America. The lodge still meets in Fredericksburg in a historic building, and it preserves the original ledger entries showing Washington's initiation, passing, and raising in 1752 and 1753. Alexandria-Washington Lodge No.

22, originally chartered in 1783 by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and re-chartered under Virginia in 1788, is the lodge where Washington served as Master. The George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, completed in 1932, is one of the most significant Masonic buildings in the world and serves as a memorial to Washington maintained by all 50 US grand lodges. The lodge room on the third floor is where Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 still meets and is essentially a living museum of Washington's Masonic life.

Williamsburg Lodge No. 6 (originally chartered in 1773) was active during the Revolutionary period and George Washington, Patrick Henry, and other founders attended meetings there. Botetourt Lodge No. 7 in Gloucester (chartered 1773) is another founding-era lodge with deep colonial roots.

Norfolk Lodge No. 1 in Norfolk has roots going back to the 1740s under Scottish charter, though its formal Virginia charter dates from later. Port Royal Kilwinning Cross Lodge No. 2 (originally chartered by the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 1755) is another contender for oldest in Virginia.

Richmond's Richmond Randolph Lodge No. 19 has 18th-century roots. Kilwinning-Crosse Lodge in Yorktown was active during the period of the Yorktown campaign in 1781. Many of these lodges welcome respectful visitors during open events, and Fredericksburg Lodge in particular hosts annual public ceremonies on Washington's Masonic anniversaries.

Virginia Masonic Lodges by the Numbers

The Grand Lodge of Virginia is one of the largest and most historically significant Masonic jurisdictions in the United States. Virginia currently has approximately 290 to 320 active subordinate lodges and somewhere around 30,000 to 35,000 active Master Masons. Major concentrations are in Northern Virginia (the DC suburbs), Hampton Roads (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Newport News), Richmond, and the Shenandoah Valley. The state is divided into Masonic districts, each overseen by a District Deputy Grand Master appointed by the Grand Master.

The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Virginia, which is a separate but recognized grand body, adds approximately 70 to 90 additional lodges and several thousand more Master Masons to the total picture. Virginia Masonic charity is significant, supporting the Masonic Home of Virginia (a senior care community), the Virginia Masonic Foundation for scholarships and disaster relief, and the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, which is jointly maintained by all 50 US grand lodges but managed from Virginia. Virginia Masons also participate heavily in the Shriners Hospitals for Children network through Khedive Shrine in Chesapeake and Acca Shrine in Richmond. Combined Virginia Masonic charity exceeds $10 million per year when you tally lodge-level giving and the appendant bodies.

How to Become a Freemason in Virginia

Joining a Virginia lodge follows the mainstream American Masonic process with some Virginia-specific traditions. The first rule is the same everywhere: Masons don't recruit, so the first move is yours. The basic requirements under the Grand Lodge of Virginia code are that you be a man, at least 18 years old, of good moral character, with belief in a Supreme Being, and a resident of Virginia or active military stationed in Virginia. There is no requirement of any specific religious affiliation.

To start, find a lodge near you using the LodgeFinder Virginia page or the Grand Lodge of Virginia's lodge directory. Most Virginia lodges hold at least one stated meeting per month with an open dinner beforehand that's welcoming to family and prospects. Reach out to the Secretary by email or phone and ask for a petition. The petition asks for personal background, employment history, and references, and you'll need two current Master Masons to sign as recommenders.

If you don't know any Masons, the lodge can introduce you after a few open dinners. Submit your completed petition with the initiation fee, which in Virginia typically ranges from $200 to $500 for all three degrees combined, with the higher end common in Northern Virginia. After submission, a three-person investigation committee will visit you for an in-person interview, usually at your home, lasting about an hour. The committee reports back to the lodge.

The lodge then votes by secret ballot at a stated meeting; the vote must be unanimous for election. If elected, you'll receive the Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason degrees in succession, with proficiency exams between each. The whole process from petition to Master Mason typically takes four months to a year in Virginia.

Notable Virginia Freemasons in History

Virginia's Masonic roster reads like a founding-era hall of fame. George Washington tops the list, raised at Fredericksburg Lodge in 1752 and Master of Alexandria Lodge No. 22. James Monroe, the fifth President, was a Mason raised at Williamsburg Lodge No.

6 in 1775. James Madison's exact Masonic status is more debated by historians; he is sometimes claimed but the documentary evidence is incomplete and inconsistent, with some sources indicating he was a Mason while others place him outside the fraternity. Andrew Jackson was a Mason but his Tennessee connection is stronger. Patrick Henry was probably a Mason, though again the documentary evidence is patchy and contested.

John Blair, signer of the Constitution and US Supreme Court Justice, was the first Grand Master of Virginia. Edmund Randolph, the first US Attorney General, was an early Grand Master of Virginia. The Marquise de Lafayette, while French, was made a Mason in America during the Revolutionary War and his Masonic apron given to George Washington is preserved at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. John Marshall, the longtime Chief Justice of the United States who basically defined American constitutional law, was a Virginia Mason.

Henry Clay, while better known as a Kentucky Mason, had Virginia connections. Sam Houston was born in Virginia but became famous in Tennessee and Texas. In the 19th and 20th centuries, multiple Virginia governors, senators, and judges have been Masons. The state's broad and deep Masonic history means that Virginia is sometimes called the mother grand lodge of American Masonry, and many states' early lodges descended directly from Virginia origins.

Prince Hall Freemasonry in Virginia

The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Virginia is one of the older and larger Prince Hall jurisdictions in the country. It was organized in 1875 in Richmond, just a decade after the Civil War ended, and grew rapidly during Reconstruction as freedmen built mutual aid, education, and civic institutions. The broader Prince Hall tradition traces back to Prince Hall, a free Black man in Boston who was made a Mason by a British military lodge in 1775 and chartered African Lodge No. 459 under the Grand Lodge of England in 1784.

The Virginia Prince Hall Grand Lodge sits within that lineage. Through the late 19th and 20th centuries, Virginia Prince Hall lodges were embedded in Black communities across the state and were closely tied to historically Black colleges like Virginia Union University and Hampton University, plus civil rights organizations and Black-owned businesses and churches. Many leading figures in Virginia African American political and business history were Prince Hall Masons. The mainstream Grand Lodge of Virginia formally recognized the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Virginia in 2004, joining the wave of southern grand lodges that finally extended formal recognition in the 21st century after years of internal debate.

The two grand lodges now operate under a working relationship that allows visitation between members. Today the Virginia Prince Hall Grand Lodge has approximately 70 to 90 active lodges across the state, with significant concentrations in Richmond, Norfolk, Hampton, Newport News, and Northern Virginia.

Frequently Asked Questions about Masonic Lodges in Virginia

Sources & Further Reading

• https://grandlodgeofvirginia.org
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Lodge_of_Virginia
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Most_Worshipful_Prince_Hall_Grand_Lodge_of_Virginia
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington_and_Freemasonry
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredericksburg_Lodge_No._4
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington_Masonic_National_Memorial
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Monroe