Mountain Lodge No. 140, A.F. & A.M.

                                                             New Castle, Virginia

Mountain Lodge No. 140 was organized on March 15, 1878. The first meeting place is unknown. It is presumed to have been in a private home or a store building. The first elected officers were as follows:

P. D. Grove                                         Worshipful Master

C. G. Hill                                            Senior Warden

Alex Trenor                                         Junior Warden

W. C. Mann                                        Treasurer

S. C. McGuire                                     Secretary

N. N. Ripley                                        Senior Deacon

J. A. Lee                                              Junior Deacon

William Stonehauser                           Chaplain

E. T. Myers                                         Tiler

The members were Jeremiah Ross, George Lugan and James Mann. They met under dispensation until December 10, 1878, at which time they received their charter.  The Lodge became inactive in 1886, was declared suspended in 1887, and revived on May 23, 1888. The first Lodge was built in the Sinking Creek Section where the Hall Road from Route 621 from Upper Craigs Creek joins Route 42 on Sinking Creek. The meetings were held on the third Friday in the beginning, but were later changed to the first Saturday after the full moon in each month, except when the moon was full on Saturday, in which case they met on that Saturday.

The Lodge increased in membership on sinking Creek until December 1937, at which time they voted to consolidate with the Door of Virtue Lodge No. 163 at New Castle, but retain their name. The move to New Castle came about because an equal amount of money, $1,643.00 each, was left to the two Lodges for the purpose of erecting a suitable Lodge to further Masonry in the county. This request was in the will of Brother Miles Givens. Committees from the two Lodges agreed that the best plan would be to consolidate and build one Lodge in New Castle.

Mountain Lodge No. 140 continued to improve the facilities and in 1978, the social hall on the ground floor was completed to include complete kitchen facilities. This was accomplished with great financial support from Mountain Chapter No. 168, Order of the Eastern Star.

In October 1978, the Lodge celebrated its one hundredth anniversary, with Most Worshipful Robert Randle Kennedy, Jr., Grand Master of Masons in Virginia as guest speaker. Because the Lodge had some problems, and needed to be revived on May 23, 1888, Most Worshipful G. Hunter Jones, Jr., Grand Master of Masons in Virginia presented a second anniversary plaque in 1988.