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 the
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.
This very well could have been the first formal school in the area or even in the county.
When the building was complete, it stood some six to eight hundred feet east of its present
location, facing what was then River Road and Deep River. It was moved to its present site
on Main Street in 1924 by rolling the building on logs and pulling it by mules.
In spite of the ups and downs during the Civil War, Reconstruction Years, and the
Depression of the 1930's, Hanks Lodge was able to preserve several things that are
regarded as prized possessions. First, the Bible that is on the Altar and is still used, was
upon the Altar at the initiation of Brother J. A. Cheek in 1902. According to his recollection, it
may be the only Bible ever used in the lodge. There are still many of the original chairs,
some of which are fastened together with pegs, remaining in the lodge room and are used
today. There are also platforms, bench arrangements, and turnings, that are used in our
ceremonies. The ten and twelve-inch pine flooring boards that have supported all who have
been brought from darkness to light in Hanks Lodge, are just as sturdy as they were in
1851.
The continuing sequences of events that surround the long life of Hanks Lodge are so
numerous that it would be impractical to list all of them. There are, however, some that are
important enough to report.
In the beginning days of Hanks Lodge, we really do not know when the meetings were held,
but in 1868, it is noted that the meeting times were the third Friday, with an exception of the
month of June and December 4, which is the Festival of St. John the Baptist. In 1873, the
meetings were changed to the third Saturday except for the month of June and December
4. In January 1953, the by-laws changed the meeting time to the second Monday of each
month at 7:30 P. M., which is in force today.
* - Excerpts from "History of Hanks Lodge No. 128" By Hanks Lodge Historical Committee
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 the
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 fort b 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.
This very well could have been the first formal school in the area or even in the county.
When the building was complete, it stood some six to eight hundred feet east of its present
location, facing what was then River Road and Deep River. It was moved to its present site
on Main Street in 1924 by rolling the building on logs and pulling it by mules.
In spite of the ups and downs during the Civil War, Reconstruction Years, and the
Depression of the 1930's, Hanks Lodge was able to preserve several things that are
regarded as prized possessions. First, the Bible that is on the Altar and is still used, was
upon the Altar at the initiation of Brother J. A. Cheek in 1902. According to his recollection, it
may be the only Bible ever used in the lodge. There are still many of the original chairs,
some of which are fastened together with pegs, remaining in the lodge room and are used
today. There are also platforms, bench arrangements, and turnings, that are used in our
ceremonies. The ten and twelve-inch pine flooring boards that have supported all who have
been brought from darkness to light in Hanks Lodge, are just as sturdy as they were in
1851.
The continuing sequences of events that surround the long life of Hanks Lodge are so
numerous that it would be impractical to list all of them. There are, however, some that are
important enough to report.
- 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.
In the beginning days of Hanks Lodge, we really do not know when the meetings were held,
but in 1868, it is noted that the meeting times were the third Friday, with an exception of the
month of June and December 4, which is the Festival of St. John the Baptist. In 1873, the
meetings were changed to the third Saturday except for the month of June and December
4. In January 1953, the by-laws changed the meeting time to the second Monday of each
month at 7:30 P. M., which is in force today.
* - Excerpts from "History of Hanks Lodge No. 128" By Hanks Lodge Historical Committee
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| Hanks Lodge # 128 |
| PO Box 118 157 Main Street Franklinville, NC 27248 |
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