Mt. Carmel Lodge No. 133, A.F. & A.M.

                                                             Warrenton, Virginia

Masonry was somewhat active in Warrenton prior to the date of Mt. Carmels first charter on December 11, 1823. The Grand Lodge of Virginia issued a charter to Warrenton Lodge No. 69 on December 14, 1803, with the following officers:

James Wright                          Worshipful Master

Gideon Johnston                     Senior Warden

William Hayes                          Junior Warden

For an unknown period of time, this Lodge held its meetings in a room of the Court House, which was equipped for that purpose. After a span of years, this Lodge was declared inactive on December 12, 1848.

Mt. Carmel Lodge No. 133 has operated under three separate charters issued by the Grand Lodge of Virginia. The first was dated December 11, 1823, the second December 16, 1846 and the third dated December 15, 1852. The first communication of this Lodge was held in Warrenton on January 9, 1824 by virtue of the first charter with Edward E. Cooke as Worshipful Mater.

For reasons which do not appear in the minutes, the Lodge ceased to function or meet from May 28, 1835, until April 17, 1846. It met on the latter date and did not convene again until September 22, 1852. Also, it was dormant during the Civil War. No meetings being held from February 26, 1861 until September 26, 1865.

From 1831 until 1877, Mt. Carmel Lodge met in the brick building now owned by the Odd Fellows and located at the corner of Main and North Fifth Streets. The Lodge then moved to the third floor of the brick building at No. 7-9 Culpepper Street and officially dedicated and occupied it on June 14, 1877. Meetings were held there until the completion of the present temple, a brick structure located at 386 Stuyvesant Street. The first meeting was held there on March 4, 1969.

In 1973, after a review of research done by Right Worshipful Charles G. Stone in 1950, it was determined that there was no evidence of Mt. Carmel Lodge having lost its original charter. Therefore, the Grand Secretary, Most Worshipful Archer B. Gay, Past Grand Master of Masons in Virginia, was contacted, and after many discussions and much additional research, it was agreed that Mt. Carmel Lodge could operate under its original charter. Thus, the Grand Lodge of Virginia issued a duplicate charter dated December 11, 1823, and this Lodge now operates under that charter.