Heathsville Lodge No. 109, A.F.& A.M.

                                                             Heathsville, Virginia

On February 14, 1876, a group of Master Masons from Lancaster Union Lodge No. 88 met in Heathsville for the purpose of organizing a Masonic Lodge there. Right Worshipful Warner Embank was elected to serve as Worshipful Master until the Grand Annual Communication in December 1876. However, due to the fact that the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers froze over at that time, the request for dispensation did not arrive at the Grand Lodge in time for them to act on the request and declared that the request had expired and a new request for dispensation had to be submitted. Therefore in February 1877, another organizational meeting was held with the same officers being reelected to serve until action by the Grand Lodge at the Grand Annual Communication in December 1877, at which time a charter was granted to Heathsville Lodge No. 109 as of December 11, 1877.

These first two years, while waiting for the Grand Lodge to grant their charter were not idle ones. The Lodge was very busy installing new members, sometimes as many as five at one meeting. They met at the court house at 11:00 a.m. It was not until 1933 that they changed their meeting time to 7:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. during the summer months. The charter was finally presented on February 6, 1878, with the members, their families and Grand Lodge officers present.

After much investigation and debate, a site was chosen in June 1892, for a Lodge building.  May 23, 1894, was another big day for the Lodge when the cornerstone for the new temple was laid with much celebrating. The following November, a building contractor was decided upon and a building 24' x 40' was begun at a cost of $1,350.00. The new temple was dedicated with proper ceremony on June 27, 1895.

The years that followed were spent taking care of the usual maintenance and installation of new members. During the 1920's it is said that there was a fire in the building. However, there is no record of it nor can any of the members remember hearing about the amount of damage done. Sometime during those years the building was cut in half, stretched apart and 16' added to the temple.

The year 1967 appears to be the next year for many changes. Venetian blinds were installed on all the windows, new equipment installed in the kitchen and toilet facilities installed. In 1983 the Lodge voted to put brick on the exterior of the building. It was a big project but greatly improved the looks of the temple and eliminated so much painting.