Staunton River Lodge No. 155, A.F. & A.M.

Brookneal, Virginia

Staunton River Lodge No. 155 was chartered on December 10, 1856, with the following officers:

John W. Poindexter                Worshipful Master

Charles Walker                        Senior Warden

William E. Smith                     Junior Warden

The petitioners were from Laurel Lodge No. 112, Red House (now extinct). There were twenty-three charter members. The first two years of minutes of the Lodge proceedings were apparently destroyed by fire in 1858 when the Lodge burned.  There is no other explanation mentioned in later records.  Most of the minute books since 1858 are in safe deposit boxes.  The first actual records are of the communication on Friday, October 15, 1858, and they list fourteen Master Masons present. A committee had purchased new jewels for the Lodge and presented them for inspection. On motion the report was received and the bill amounting to $33.17 was ordered paid.  The secretary reported that he had obtained a new charter. At this communication a committee reported that the building of the Lodge room was completed as far as contracted for and in accordance with the contract and recommended that the house be received by the Lodge, which was adopted.

The records reveal that two members paid the supreme sacrifice in the war, Brothers Charles Scott and Matthew W. Puckett.

In 1868 at one of the communications, the Worshipful Master and secretary paid fines of $0.25 each for spitting on the floor. As an outcome of these disgraceful episodes, one dozen stone spit boxes were ordered purchased.

The records indicate that after one brother had been passed to the degree of Fellowcraft, the ballot was spread ten times over a period of fourteen months before a ballot resulted in his favor, electing him to be raised to the degree of Master Mason.

Most Worshipful Archer B. Gay was the first Grand Master to make an official visit to Staunton River Lodge. The Lodge has had three Past Grand Masters as honorary members. They are: Most Worshipful William T. Watkins, Most Worshipful William C. Vaughan, and Most Worshipful G. Hunter Jones, Jr.