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| Masonic Temple, home of Florence Lodge No. 87 from 1926-2011. |
The definitive origin of Freemasonry as a worldwide
fraternal organization is one shrouded in mystery and speculation. However, the
story of its introduction to Woodbury, New Jersey is fairly clear. The era of
Freemasonry in the City of Woodbury began in 1792 when Franklin Davenport,
nephew of Benjamin Franklin (also a Freemason), along with fellow Master Masons
of Gloucester County including John Blackwood, Champion Wood, Benjamin Whitall
and others, successfully petitioned the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New
Jersey on July 3rd, 1792. Thereafter, a warrant was duly issued to form the
Woodbury Lodge No. 11, A. F. & A. M. Unfortunately, on June 15, 1817 their
lodge room, along with their furniture, jewels and records were lost to fire
when the Bull's Eye Tavern, located near where Green's Opera House block now
sits, burnt down. A new warrant was soon issued and one hundred dollars was
ordered from the Grand Lodge for the Woodbury Masons to rebuild their lodge
room. About 24 years later in 1842, the proceedings of the Annual Communication
of the Grand Lodge show that the Woodbury Lodge No. 11 was stricken from the
lodge roll. It does not state a reason why, however it is reported that
throughout its 50 years of existence, the Woodbury Lodge No. 11 consisted of
"enlightened Masons" and continually met in "the most approved
Masonic form."
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| Secret Socities (sic) column from an 1897 Woodbury Daily Times. |
Woodbury was then without a Freemasonic lodge for 26 years
until February 20th, 1868 by a warrant issued from the Right Worshipful Grand
Lodge of New Jersey, the Florence Lodge No. 87, A. F. & A. M. was dedicated
in ancient form. Many original members received official demits from their respective
lodges from all over New Jersey, New York, and even California just to attend
Woodbury’s new lodge! Among Florence’s early members were Dr. John R. Sickler
of the original Woodbury Lodge No. 11, Lewis M. Green (five-term Mayor of
Woodbury), and Benjamin W. Cloud of Camden Lodge No. 15, who became the first
Worshipful Master of Florence Lodge. Cloud’s daughter, Florence is who the
lodge is named after. The Florence lodge room was originally located in the Odd
Fellows' Hall (formerly next to Christ Episcopal Church) on Delaware Street. In
1903 they began to meet at the Loyal Order of Moose Building formerly located
at 28 Cooper Street. Both locations were also homes to similar, yet unrelated
non-Masonic secret societies.
Florence Lodge went on to lay the ground work for other
lodges throughout the area and notable buildings in downtown Woodbury had their
cornerstones laid in true Masonic fashion. The Mantua Lodge No. 95 (chartered
in 1869) and Cloud Lodge No. 101 Gloucester City (founded in 1870), which later
merged with Collingswood Lodge No. 210 (founded in 1917) to form the
Collingswood Cloud Lodge No. 101 in 1994, were both exemplicated on the floor
of Florence. In 1888, then Florence Grand Master, Robert M. Moore laid the
cornerstone of the new Methodist Church Building on Broad St., Kemble Memorial.
In similar style, the cornerstone of the high school, then known as the William
Milligan High School, named after the Woodbury educator and Florence Lodge
member, was laid with Masonic ceremony on November 21st, 1908. Deposited within
the high school cornerstone was a Lodge Calendar and roster of Florence
membership, a silver trowel was also placed within and was engraved with the
following: "Brother William Milligan, after whom this High School is named,
was long an honored member of this Lodge." When the school was rebuilt in
1912 after succumbing to a damaging fire, Milligan’s name was controversially
left off the school building.
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| Moose Lodge 28 Cooper St. |
In 1917, a three story brick house was purchased. It sat
next to the "site of the new post office," referring to the current
post office at 35 N. Broad St. which was in the planning stages as early as
1917, but by order of the United States Secretary of the Treasury due to the
U.S. involvement in the Great War raging in Europe, was delayed until 1924.
"The ultimate improvement of this new purchase for a permanent Masonic
Hall, is contemplated by the Lodge" (Pierson, 1918). However, this never
occurred. Instead, almost directly across the street, a large 3-story structure
was built in 1926 at 48 N. Broad Street next to the oldest residential house in
Woodbury, the Franklin House (whose construction date is usually given as ca.
1765, but evidence shows it could have been built much earlier, perhaps as
early as the 1600s). Florence lodge continued unceasingly in this location for
many years.
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Square and Compass
door knob of the former Florence Lodge. |
There is a popular Masonic quote, "Knock, and it shall
be opened unto you." This particular adage will no longer work at Florence
Lodge. In 2011 the Florence Lodge No. 87 closed its doors forever by order of
the Grand Lodge of New Jersey. It has been consolidated with the Paulsboro
Swedesboro Lodge No. 157 to form the newly constituted (April 28th, 2011)
Clarksboro Lodge No. 87 F. & A.M. For 143 years Florence Lodge No. 87 A. F.&
A.M. consisted of true seekers including many notables such as a U.S. District
Attorney, Governor, Superintendent of Public Schools, a couple State Senators,
members of Congress, Assemblymen, Postmasters and even our very own former
Mayor, Lewis M. Green. The former Florence Lodge building was recently
purchased and is being adaptively-reused by a local Woodbury-based insurance
company, Excess Reinsurance, for their offices.
Thus ends the story of
Woodbury's era of Freemasonry. Until next time around perhaps! "So here's
to the sons of the widow, Wherever soever they roam, Here's to all they aspire,
And if they desire, A speedy return to their home." - R. Kipling.
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| Square and Compass stone and metal inset on the top step of the former Florence Masonic Lodge. |
This historical overview of the history of Freemasonry in Woodbury was largely culled from the excellent research of Past Master George Pierson and Grand Secretary Isaac Cherry, which was delivered at the fiftieth anniversary of Florence Lodge, February 20th, 1918 and was subsequently published in the Woodbury Daily Times (see below citation).
Pierson, G. E. (1918, February 21-26). History of Florence
Lodge No. 87 F.&A.M. Woodbury Daily Times
Whitehead, W. S. (1870). Origin of masonry in the state of
new jersey: And the entire proceedings of the grand lodge, from its
organization.. Princeton: J. H. Hough. Retrieved from
http://books.google.com/books?id=_0AuAAAAYAAJ&dq
