Hanks Lodge #128

A Brief History of Hanks Lodge*

The year was 1850.  The Town of Franklinville was only three years old.  It would be eleven years before Abraham Lincoln would be President of the United States.  The Civil War was also eleven years away.

What few roads there were, stayed in poor condition most of the year.  Transportation was by means of horse and mule power; not horsepower as we know it today.

There were no public schools.  The education of the children was taken care of locally by interested people. As early as 1849, a number of Masons were holding lodge meetings in and around Franklinville, therefore laying the foundation to establish a new Masonic lodge.  Where the meetings in those early days were held, we do not know, but we would like to think that they reverted to the ancient custom of being a moon lodge.  Moon lodges were held in plains, valleys, ravines, or hilltops during the full moon of each month.

We have a receipt dated July 20, 1850, in the amount of $5.00 and signed by Archibald T. Pound to pay for a dispensation from the Grand Chapter of North Carolina.  At a stated communication on November 15, 1850, the following resolution was introduced and passed.  It was resolved that the Master, Junior Warden, and Senior Warden be authorized to make application to the Grand Lodge of North Carolina for a charter and number.  At this same time, the Treasurer was authorized to advance $20.00 to pay for the charter and number.  The charter was granted and dated December 6, 1850, and the number 128 was assigned.

As stated before, there is no way of knowing where the first lodge meetings were held, but their dream of having a permanent meeting place was soon to become a reality.  At a stated communication date April 12, 1850, a motion was passed that Brothers Garrett Love, A. S. Horney, and David Reece be appointed to select a location, present plans, and get an approximate cost of building a Masonic Hall.

On July 17, 1850, Brothers A. S. Horney, S. B. Hunt, and H. M. Foust were authorized to purchase a lot and contract for the building of a lodge hall.  On September 10, 1850,  this committee signed a contract with Spencer W. Dorsett and Thomas Allred to construct the building for a sum of $1,350.00.  The amount of $675.00 was to be paid when the building was completed and the remainder to be paid in installments.  The building was to be completed within six months of the contract.  Among the lodge records are two receipts for payment on the building.  One is dated April 25, 1851, in the amount of $363.69 and the other is dated May 9, 1851 in the amount of $75.00, the latter one stating "paid in full".

The contract for the building is still in the archives of the lodge.

As you can imagine, the handwriting of this time period was beautiful, but is now
sometimes very difficult to decipher.  However, there are a few facts from this contract that needs to become a part of this history.

• Said building to be forty feet by twenty feet, two stories high and built of wood

• Lower story to be nine feet and an upper story to be ten feet in the clear
• The frame of said building may be of oak, all of the balance must be of pine, and all
  timber that is exposed to the weather must be of good heart pine
• To be furnished upstairs with seats, stands and desks suitable for the lodge and
  the lower room to be furnished with seats with backs and desks suitable for a
  school room

• Down through the years, the members of Hanks Lodge have extended the use of the
  building to groups and services that needed housing either on a temporary or semi-
  permanent basis.  Before the First Baptist Church was built in 1887, the Masons
  loaned the building to the Church, so that the might have a suitable meeting place to
  hold services.  Rev. J. F. Moore was pastor.
• Another temporary use occurred in 1952 when fire destroyed both the Franklinville
  Elementary and High School building.  Once again, Hanks Lodge building was used
  as a school until a new school building could be constructed.
• Other uses over the years include that of post office, library, Town Hall, and many
  other civic uses.
  

Randolph County Historical Information on Hanks Lodge