Washington Masonic Lodges
The complete directory of 105 Masonic lodges across 69 cities in Washington.
Top Rated Lodges in Washington
Grand Lodge of Washington
Grand Lodge of Washington F&AM
Founded in 1858
About Freemasonry in Washington
A deep look at Masonic history, the oldest lodges, the admission process, and notable Freemasons connected to Washington.
History of Freemasonry in Washington
Washington Masonry has a Pacific Northwest character all its own, shaped by frontier expansion, the timber and railroad industries, and the maritime trade culture of Puget Sound. The first lodges in what would become Washington Territory were chartered when the territory was still tied to Oregon. Olympia Lodge No. 1 was chartered in 1852 by the Grand Lodge of Oregon, just months before Washington Territory was carved out of Oregon Territory.
Steilacoom Lodge No. 8 (originally chartered as No. 2 by Oregon) followed shortly after, and Grand Mound Lodge No. 21 came soon after that.
On December 9, 1858, delegates from Olympia Lodge No. 1, Steilacoom Lodge No. 8, and Grand Mound Lodge No. 21 met in Olympia and formed the Grand Lodge of Washington Territory.
Thornton F. McElroy was elected the first Grand Master. Washington's Grand Lodge predates statehood by 31 years; the territory didn't become a state until 1889. The Pacific Northwest's Masonic growth in the 19th century followed the trajectories of mining, timber, and railroad construction.
The arrival of the Northern Pacific Railway in the 1880s and the Great Northern in the 1890s brought waves of new settlers, and lodges popped up rapidly in railroad towns. Seattle's growth from a small lumber port into a major city happened largely in the late 19th century, and Seattle Masonry grew with it. The Klondike Gold Rush of 1897-1899 turned Seattle into a launching point for prospectors heading to Alaska, and several Seattle lodges from that era have membership rolls full of men who tried their luck in the gold fields. The 20th century saw Washington Masonry become one of the larger western US jurisdictions, with strong concentrations in Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, and Yakima.
The state's Masonic identity is also marked by a notably progressive history compared to many southern jurisdictions: Washington's Grand Lodge was an early mover in recognizing Prince Hall Masonry, doing so in 1898 (a recognition that was later complicated and partially withdrawn before being restored), making Washington one of the first US grand lodges to ever extend such recognition.
Oldest and Most Historic Lodges in Washington
Olympia Lodge No. 1 in Olympia is the oldest lodge in Washington, originally chartered by the Grand Lodge of Oregon in 1852 and then becoming the No. 1 lodge of the new Washington Grand Lodge in 1858. The lodge still meets in Olympia and is closely tied to the state's political history, since many territorial and early state legislators were members.
Steilacoom Lodge No. 2 (originally No. 8 under Oregon) is the second oldest, also dating to the 1850s and meeting in the historic town of Steilacoom on Puget Sound, which was Washington's first incorporated town. Grand Mound Lodge No.
21 (now reorganized) was the third founding lodge. Washington Lodge No. 4 in Vancouver, Washington (chartered 1854 originally by Oregon, then under Washington in 1858) is one of the oldest active lodges in the southern part of the state. Olympia's Olympia Lodge and Tacoma's St.
John's Lodge No. 9 (chartered 1873) anchor the Puget Sound region. Walla Walla Lodge No. 7 in Walla Walla (chartered 1859) was a major eastern Washington lodge in the territorial period and is still active.
Seattle Lodge No. 4 was the first Seattle lodge, chartered in 1860, in a city that was still essentially a small lumber port. Spokane Lodge No. 34 was chartered in the 1880s during the railroad boom that turned Spokane into the commercial center of the Inland Empire.
Bellingham's Bellingham Bay Lodge No. 44, Yakima's Yakima Lodge No. 24, and many others date to the late 19th century. The Seattle Masonic Temple, completed in 1916 on Capitol Hill, is one of the most architecturally significant Masonic buildings in the western US and houses multiple Seattle lodges.
Washington Masonic Lodges by the Numbers
The Grand Lodge of Washington is one of the larger western US Masonic jurisdictions. Washington currently has approximately 160 to 180 active subordinate lodges and somewhere around 12,000 to 15,000 active Master Masons, depending on the year. The Puget Sound region (Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue, Everett, Olympia) has the largest concentration of lodges, with strong Masonic communities also in Spokane, Yakima, the Tri-Cities, Vancouver, and Bellingham. The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Washington and Jurisdiction, which is a separate but recognized Prince Hall grand body, adds approximately 15 to 20 additional lodges and several hundred more Master Masons.
Washington Masonic charity supports the Washington Masonic Charities, which funds the Washington Masonic Library and Museum in Tacoma, the Masonic Retirement Center, and various scholarship and grant programs. Washington Masons also participate in the Shriners Hospitals for Children network through Afifi Shrine in Tacoma and Nile Shrine in Mountlake Terrace, with Shriners Hospital Spokane being one of the major regional pediatric specialty hospitals on the West Coast. The state's Bikes for Books program, run by Washington Masons, provides bicycles as reading achievement rewards to elementary school students across the state.
How to Become a Freemason in Washington
Joining a Washington lodge follows the standard mainstream American Masonic process. The first rule is everywhere the same: Masons don't recruit, so you have to ask. Washington Grand Lodge 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 works), and a resident of Washington or active military stationed in Washington. To begin, find a lodge near you using the LodgeFinder Washington page or the Grand Lodge of Washington's online lodge directory.
Most Washington lodges hold one or two stated meetings per month, with at least one open dinner that's welcoming to family and prospects. Reach out to the Secretary by phone or email and ask for a petition. The petition asks for personal background, employment, and references; you'll need two current Master Masons to sign as recommenders, but the lodge can introduce you if you don't know any Masons yet. Submit your petition along with the initiation fee.
Washington fees vary by lodge but generally run $200 to $450 for all three degrees combined, with annual dues of $75 to $200 a year afterward. Seattle and Bellevue lodges tend toward the higher end. After submission, a three-person investigation committee will visit you for an in-person interview, usually at home. The committee reports back to the lodge, and the lodge votes by secret ballot at a stated meeting.
The vote must be unanimous for election. Once elected, you'll receive the Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason degrees in succession, with proficiency requirements between each. The whole process from petition to Master Mason typically takes four to ten months in Washington.
Notable Washington Freemasons in History
Washington's Masonic history includes a number of prominent territorial and state figures. Isaac Stevens, the first governor of Washington Territory and a key 19th century military and political figure, was a Mason. Elisha P. Ferry, the first state governor of Washington after statehood in 1889, was a Mason.
Henry Yesler, the lumber baron whose mill on the Seattle waterfront helped launch the city, was a Mason and his name lives on in Yesler Way. Arthur A. Denny, one of the original founders of Seattle, was a Mason. Thomas Burke, a federal judge and major figure in turning Seattle into a major Pacific port, was a Mason.
Marion Zioncheck, a controversial early 20th century US congressman from Washington, was a Mason. In the cultural realm, Bing Crosby, born in Tacoma, was a Mason. The aviation pioneer Bill Boeing's company employed many Masons, though Boeing himself was not a member. Dixy Lee Ray, the governor of Washington from 1977 to 1981, was the first woman to hold that office; she was not a Mason but her father reportedly was.
Slade Gorton, the long-serving US senator from Washington, was a Mason. Several mid-20th century Washington Supreme Court justices and federal judges were Masons. The Grand Lodge of Washington also produced notable national Masonic figures who served in offices like the General Grand Chapter and the Scottish Rite Supreme Council.
Prince Hall Freemasonry in Washington
The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Washington and Jurisdiction is the African American grand body for the Pacific Northwest region. It was organized in 1903 in Seattle, growing out of an earlier presence of Prince Hall lodges in the region under the jurisdiction of California's Prince Hall Grand Lodge. 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 Pacific Northwest's African American population in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was relatively small, but Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane had Black communities centered on the railroad and Pullman porter networks, and Prince Hall lodges grew in those communities. Washington's mainstream Grand Lodge has an unusual history with Prince Hall recognition: Washington was actually one of the very first US mainstream grand lodges to formally recognize Prince Hall Masonry, voting to do so in 1898. That recognition was complicated and partially rolled back in following decades under pressure from southern grand lodges, but full recognition was firmly restored in the late 20th century. Today Washington's mainstream and Prince Hall Grand Lodges have a strong working relationship with full mutual visitation rights.
The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Washington and Jurisdiction has approximately 15 to 20 active subordinate lodges, with concentrations in Seattle and Tacoma, plus jurisdictional reach into Alaska, Idaho, and parts of Oregon under historical chartering arrangements.
Frequently Asked Questions about Masonic Lodges in Washington
When was the Grand Lodge of Washington founded?
The Grand Lodge of Washington was founded on December 9, 1858, in Olympia. It predates Washington statehood by 31 years; Washington didn't become a state until 1889. The Grand Lodge was formed when Olympia Lodge No. 1, Steilacoom Lodge No.
8, and Grand Mound Lodge No. 21 voted to organize an independent grand body.
Was Washington one of the first to recognize Prince Hall Masonry?
Yes. The Grand Lodge of Washington voted to recognize Prince Hall Masonry in 1898, making it one of the very first mainstream US grand lodges to do so. That recognition was complicated and partially rolled back due to pressure from southern grand lodges, but full recognition was firmly restored in the late 20th century.
How many Masons are there in Washington state?
Washington has approximately 12,000 to 15,000 active Master Masons across about 160 to 180 lodges under the mainstream Grand Lodge. The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Washington and Jurisdiction adds several hundred more members across roughly 15 to 20 additional lodges. Combined, Washington is among the larger western US Masonic jurisdictions.
Where is the Seattle Masonic Temple?
The Seattle Masonic Temple is on Capitol Hill in Seattle, completed in 1916. It's one of the most architecturally significant Masonic buildings in the western US and houses multiple Seattle lodges. The building has also become a notable music and event venue, often hosting concerts and public events alongside Masonic activities.
How much does it cost to join a Washington lodge?
Washington lodge fees vary but typically run $200 to $450 for all three degrees combined, with annual dues of $75 to $200 a year afterward. Seattle and Bellevue area lodges tend toward the higher end of that range, while smaller eastern Washington lodges are often more affordable.
Sources & Further Reading
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