HISTORY OF SPRING CITY LODGE #553

Free & Accepted Masons

The 1870 census listed Spring City as having 1,112 inhabitants. The old paper mill was flourishing, the Spring City Sun was the local medium of information, Schantz & Keeley were operating a prosperous foundry, and the Schuylkill Canal was the scene of regular boat traffic. The newly-organized Spring City Cornet Band livened up all festive occasions. The National Bank of Spring City had just been chartered. The Spring City Methodist Church was newly-erected and the Lutherans were in the process of erecting a church.

At the time there were Masonic lodges in Trappe, Phoenixville, Collegeville and Pottstown, but none in Spring City. There were a number of Master Masons residing in the vicinity and in November 1877, four Master Masons (Oliver B. Keeley, Thomas Young, Walter MacFeat and Ephraim B. Keeley) met together in the reading room of the Spring City Library Association and conceived the idea of forming a lodge in Spring City. They met again on December 3, 1877, together with some other Brethren of the Craft and effected a temporary organization by electing officers. The association was assisted in their efforts by Bro. Edward Masson, P.M. of Mt. Moriah Lodge #155, of Philadelphia. The minutes record the following tribute: "It was he who advised us the proper manner to petition the Grand Lodge for a charter and through his influence upon that body we were saved considerable inconvenience we might otherwise have experienced. On several occasions he met with us personally and prompted the chosen officers how to properly perform the work of a Lodge. His fraternal visits and brotherly advice will never be forgotten and each member of this Lodge will always cherish his memory with feelings of love and esteem and hail him as a faithful teacher of Masonic light."

On December 17, 1877, the following officers were chosen in accordance with the Ahiman Rezon: Oliver B. Keeley, Worshipful Master; John T. Eaches, Senior Warden; and Walter MacFeat, Junior Warden.

The petition to the Grand Lodge for a Charter was prepared and forwarded to that body, under recommendation by Phoenix Lodge No. 75 and Warren Lodge No. 310, on December 15, 1877. At the quarterly communication of December 27, 1877, the prayer of the petition was granted. Brother Keeley paid $200.00 for the charter which he presented to the Lodge on December 31, 1877.

Messrs. Schantz and Keeley offered use of the upper story of the building partly used by them for office purposes for a term of three years, free of charge, if the members would decide to fit the space for the use of the Lodge. The offer was accepted and work started. On February 21, 1878, the wives of a number of Brethren presented the new Lodge with an altar cushion, Holy Bible, Square and Compasses. The newly-furnished Lodge room was ready, and furniture and regalia purchased and in its place. It was decided to have the Lodge room and furnishings consecrated and the Lodge constituted on February 26, 1878. The cost of everything was about $1,200. Stichter Lodge, Warren Lodge and Phoenix Lodge were invited to be present.

Thursday, February 26, 1878, an extra communication of the Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania and Masonic Jurisdiction thereunto belonging was held at Spring City, Pennsylvania. The Lodge opened at twelve o'clock noon. There were 62 visitors in addition to the Grand Lodge Officers and 30 of the petitioners for a charter making a total of 109. The following officers were installed: Oliver B. Keeley, Worshipful Master; John T. Eaches, Senior Warden; Walter MacFeat, Junior Warden. That evening Spring City Lodge No. 553 Free and Accepted Masons met for the first time under its own charter, with 24 members and 3 visitors in attendance. They selected Ephraim B. Keeley, Treasurer and William S. Essick, Secretary. F. W. Heckel, Charles Peters, and David Finkbiner were the first trustees. The Lodge had a total of 34 charter members. According to the original bylaws, stated meetings were to be held on "the Thursday evening on or before full moon in each and every month, commencing, from September to March at seven o'clock and from March to September at seven and a half o'clock". The fee for membership was $40, and annual dues were $4 (at the time, fairly close to an average week's wage for unskilled labor).

At the next meeting, March 14, two petitions for membership were received from William J. Wagoner and Irvin K. Saylor. William J. Wagoner was the first member admitted. He was entered April 11, 1878, crafted May 16, 1878, and raised June 13, 1878.

The Lodge met in a portion of the office building of Schantz and Keeley, Main & Hall Sts., until July 5^th, 1881 when the building, together with a portion of the Lodge furniture and regalia, was destroyed by fire. Two days later a special meeting was held in the Odd Fellows Room in Mechanics Hall (now Tall Cedars Temple) and October 6, 1881, a stated meeting was held in the Lodge Room of Phoenix Lodge. New quarters were secured in Mechanics Hall. The first meeting in the Lodge room was held December 1, 1881. The Lodge continued to meet in Mechanics Hall until November 24, 1892, when new quarters were secured in the Tyson Building.

At the November 20, 1890 stated meeting of the Lodge, Bro. E. L. Hallman and six other brethren presented a motion that Spring City Lodge grant permission to form a new lodge in Royersford. The motion passed unanimously. Royersford Lodge #585 was constituted with 21 charter members, of which 14 came from Spring City Lodge #553.

Despite the departure of the Royersford brethren, Spring City Lodge grew rapidly in the 1890's and the early decades of the 20^th century. From a total of 34 charter members in 1878, Spring City Lodge had grown to 98 members by 1896 and to 150 members by 1909. Attendance of 50 or more brethren at stated meetings was commonplace and attendance on the evenings of the District Deputy's visit and other special occasions could run over 100. A highlight of that period was a celebration in November, 1902 of the Sesquicentennial of the Initiation of Bro. George Washington, which included speeches about George Washington as Citizen, Soldier, and Freemason and the singing of "America" and "Old Hundredth".

The Lodge continued to grow despite the intervention of World War I. The Lodge's minutes record the purchase of eight identification tags for lodge members in the Armed Forces; that number would grow to fifteen by the end of the war. Our Lodge's World War I Honor Roll records the following names of Brethren who served in that conflict: George F. Ard, Samuel H. Bauer, Edwin F. Bronson, Harry F. Cook, Frederick W. H. Emrey, Wm. A. Harbison, Clarence M. Jones, Albert Mehrer, S. Norman Mowrey, Harry F. Smith, Charles Raymond Seaser, Leighton K. Smith, Frank Claire Thomas, Ernest S. Williams, and Edgar W. Kemmer.

When Spring City Lodge revised its bylaws in 1913, the Lodge terminated its status as a "moon lodge", setting as its meeting date and time the first Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m. By this time, the Lodge was outgrowing its space in the Tyson Building. The minutes of April 1, 1920 note the appointment of a permanent committee "to procure ways and means for the building of a Masonic Temple". This effort, along with a 1924 inquiry "about the purchase of the Christian W. Wagoner lot on North Main St" and an offer in 1925 from "Walter J. Corrigan for the Hotel Property" did not prove fruitful. The Lodge continued to meet at the Tyson Building until March 3, 1927. On this date our present quarters in Tall Cedars Temple (formerly Mechanics Hall) were dedicated and the first meeting held with Claude R. Wagoner, Worshipful Master; G. Fred Walker, Senior Warden; Walter S. Geisinger, Junior Warden; Past Master Frank Simon, Treasurer; and Past Master Charles S. Wagoner, Secretary. Membership continued to grow, and the Lodge ended the year 1929 with a peak membership (for that time) of 212. In 1930, the Lodge considered and rejected a motion to change the Lodge's name to "Oliver B. Keeley Lodge", in honor of our charter Worshipful Master. The minutes record Spring City Lodge's attendance and participation (along with other lodges of the 40^th Masonic District) at a special meeting of Stichter Lodge #254 for the purpose of observing the Bicentenary of Freemasonry in Pennsylvania on October 17, 1931.

The Depression years were a challenge to our Lodge, both in terms of membership and finances. In 1935, the Lodge reduced the initiation fee from $115 to $80 in an attempt to stem the decrease in petitioners. While attendance of 50 or more brethren at stated meetings remained commonplace, by 1939 the total membership had dropped below 170. Masonic charity was much in evidence, as the Lodge provided monthly assistance to a number of brethren and their families.

During World War II, brethren of Spring City Lodge #553 once again served proudly in our nation's defense. The minutes during the early 1940's report that the following eleven Spring City brethren served during World War II: Joseph Lloyd Gracey, Fred D. Hunter, Howard F. Latshaw, Richard M. Latshaw, Richard W. Latshaw, Charles Richard Marshall, A. Bennett Wagoner, Saylor L. Creswell, Robert P. Simons, Jesse S. Yeager, and William Herbert Sutcliffe. (This list includes only brethren who were Lodge members at the time of their service. Many veterans of World War II joined Spring City Lodge in the years immediately following the war and some are still active in the affairs of the Lodge.)

The years following World War II brought renewed prosperity and activity to the Lodge, as servicemen returned to their families and communities and petitioned the Lodge. New chairs and drapes were purchased for the Lodge room during 1962. By 1969, membership had increased to approximately 250, probably the highest membership our Lodge has seen. The minutes of the early 1970's record degree teams composed of employees of local businesses such as Synthane and Firestone. During our nation's bicentennial in 1976, the Lodge presented numerous programs of patriotic interest. Our current altar Bible was presented by Royersford Lodge #585 at Spring City Lodge's 100^th anniversary celebration, in 1978.

During the 1970's and 1980's, the Lodge investigated alternative meeting locations, such as the Royersford Lodge building, the Zion's Lutheran Church site, and the Mennonite Church property on Schuylkill Road. The members did not vote in favor of relocating, and the Lodge continues to meet in Tall Cedars Temple. The minutes of February, 1984 record "a dedication ceremony for new facilities" (new carpeting and reconfiguration of the eastern end of the Lodge room) which were said to be "a great improvement to the Lodge." Hannah McFarland, the mother of one of our members, presented our Lodge with an electric organ in 1987. The minutes of the 1980's and 1990's record numerous Masonic education programs, often presented by the late Bro. John Wlazelek P.M., as well as the Lodge's participation in Grand Lodge membership initiatives such as Solomon II and Hiram I.

By 1991, the lodge lacked qualified candidates for the elected chairs, other than Past Masters. In response to the situation, several of the active Past Masters of the Lodge agreed among themselves to go back through the chairs and serve second and third terms as Worshipful Master. By the mid-1990's, Spring City Lodge had taken in several younger brethren who subsequently went on to serve terms as Worshipful Master during the latter half of the 1990's.

In 2001 and 2002, the Lodge participated in the Grand Lodge "Operation Rescue-Recovery" membership initiative, and has made efforts to regain visibility in Spring City by means of public participation in community parades and worship services. We have attended Reading Phillies games as a group. We have also recently started to develop relationships with local community organizations and charities, and presented two defibrillators to the East Vincent Police in 2002. In 2002, we also launched our website: www.pagrandlodge.org/district40/553.

Since the institution of the Lodge, 713 petitioners have been members of Spring City Lodge. Past Master Saylor L. Creswell (1949) is our senior Past Master. Our current net membership to date is 139. The Worshipful Master, officers and members of Spring City Lodge #553 are grateful to God for the chance to celebrate 125 years of spreading Masonic light and knowledge in Spring City, and pray for God's continued guidance in years to come.

(Original history through 1953 compiled by Past Master H. M. Ale. Restated and updated in 1978 for the 100^th anniversary booklet by Edwin R. Roussey P.M., Robert W. Hallman Sr., P.M., and Charles W. Armitage, P.M. Updated and expanded in 2003 for the 125^th anniversary booklet by David T. Reppert, P.M.)

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