Berkley Lodge No. 167, A.F. & A.M.

                                                            Chesapeake, Virginia

Berkley Lodge No. 167 was granted dispensation on January 20, 1872, and received its charter on December 11, 1872, with the following officers:

John L. Weaver                       Worshipful Master

Henry V. Moore                      Senior Warden

A. McC. Jones                                    Junior Warden.

Other members in 1873 were: Charles Bliven, George Boushell, B. P. Chandler, George Coxon, Enos Cuthriell, Matthew Hare, George Hewitt, D. E. Holland, W. B. Harry, Thad M. Jones, George Kirby, Neil McCarty, John A. McCloud, Eugene W. McCloud, R. P. Smith, Willis Smith and John L. Weaver, Past Master.

Berkley Lodge holds in grateful remembrance those charter members of yesteryear and all who have passed this way since. They treasurer this heritage and will endeavor to perpetuate those generous traditions and principles which they so selfishly bestowed upon the Lodge.

This Lodge is situated in the Berkley-Doric Ionic Temple in Chesapeake, Virginia, the seventh site in its history. The first meeting place was in the old Norfolk County Courthouse, which stood on the southwest corner of Walnut and Pine Streets, Berkley, Virginia. Next was Gibbs Hall, also known as Wests Hall at the southwest corner of Chestnut and Pine Streets, followed by the Pythian Castle on Berkley Avenue.

From 1905 into1943 the Lodge met in its own temple on Chestnut Street. Items deposited in a copper box within the cornerstone when it was laid include a half dollar, a quarter, a dime a nickel, a penny, various newspapers, and a list of current events.

Berkley Lodge met in the Red Mens Hal on State and Clifton Streets from July 1, 1843, to 1950.

The sixth meeting place was its own temple at the corner of Campostella Road and Elkins Street in Norfolk. The cornerstone was laid on December 17, 1949, with the first meeting held on August 3, 1950. This temple was occupied until November 1971. The seventh meeting place was consecrated on November 26, 1971, and the first meeting was December 2, 1971.

Berkley Lodge has obviously stood the test of time as is evidenced by the fact that it has held its charter since 1872.   Today this Lodge, as are all Lodges, is confronted with new challenges. The ever accelerating pace of our modern day society and the transient influence of our economic system has increased demands for our time and affected the stability of our membership.

Obviously, we must find a way to attract younger men to our fraternity. What with those distractions and requirements arising in society today, our young men are often unable to participate in the activities of the fraternity. As we conduct the current business of the Lodge to the best of our abilities, we continue to search for solutions to the long-term membership problem.

Though we may be in an era of superficial change, we take pride and solace as we review our forbearers records in the archives of the Lodge that now, as then, our Lodge is opened “in due and ancient form” and closed “in ancient form and harmony.” We are determined to help preserve these invaluable tenets of our institution.