Fidelity Lodge No. 173, A.F. & A.M.

                                                             Nickelsville, Virginia

In the small village of Nickelsville, Virginia in Scott County a group of men who had been boyhood friends and classmates became Masons. Some had left Nickelsville to seek employment elsewhere, and while away they had joined the Masonic Fraternity.

After they returned to Nickelsville they found it was quite a distance for them to attend Lodge in 1894. The nearest Lodges were Stewart - nine miles, Catlett - fourteen miles, and Fort Blackmore - sixteen miles. So the Brethren began to discuss the need for a Lodge in Nickelsville for their convenience and the betterment of the craft. They decided to apply for a charter from the Grand Lodge of Virginia. They discussed what name the new Lodge should have and the name for Fidelity was chosen because of friendship and an implication of strict and continued faithfulness to an obligation, trust and duty.

A dispensation was granted to Fidelity Lodge on August 6, 1894, with the following officers:

W. W. Bond                            Worshipful Master

Milburn F. Porter                    Senior Warden

Edward Johnson                     Junior Warden

Brother W. W. Bond was known in the community as Uncle Bee Bond. He served as Worshipful Master from 1894 to 1897. Brother Bond had four sons and all of them served as Worshipful Master of Fidelity Lodge nine times. This was not continuous but intermittently from 1902 to 1938. Milburn F. Porter was a Baptist minister. Nothing is known about Brother Johnson, but he must have been an outstanding citizen. The names of the other charter members were not recorded in the minutes. The first communication of Fidelity Lodge was held at the Baptist Church, Nickelsville, Virginia on August 18, 1894.

At the September communication, Brother W. B. Jackson made the motion that the regular fee for initiation be $10.00, the fee for Fellowcraft Degree be $5.00, and the fee for the Master Masons Degree be $5.00. Motion carried.

R. L. Hartstock received the first degree in Masonry to be conferred in Fidelity Lodge on September 15, 1894, and was passed to the degree of Fellowcraft on November 10, 1894. If he was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason it is not recorded in the minutes.

The charter for Fidelity Lodge No.173 was granted on December 5, 1895. On January 18, 1896, the Lodge was duly constituted by Right Worshipful C. W. Colby and Brother C. C. Prunor The first bylaws were drafted in 1896 by W. B. Jackson, W. F. C. Blackwell and J. F. McConnel.

Two members of this Lodge passed away in 1896. They were C. P. Redwine on February 15, 1896. and P. L. Hartstock on December 7, 1896. Brother Redwine was a Master Mason for only one hundred-nineteen days. Masonic services were held for Brother Hartstock.

On August 21, 1897, (year uncertain, see below) the meeting time was changed from daytime to nighttime and the secretary was to notify the Grand Secretary. At the meeting on June 18, 1898, the time of holding the regular meetings was changed from the third Saturday night to the Saturday on or before the full moon of each month at 6:00 P.M. and the secretary was directed to notify the Grand Secretary.

The first Masonic funeral paid for by the Lodge was for Brother J. J. Welch. N.B. Wood made the coffin for $6.50; Nathan Dougherty was paid $4.95 for burial clothes; J.P. Lay was paid $3.70 for trimmings etc.; and Brother M. F. Porter was paid $1.00 to hold the funeral, for a total of $16.15. It is not recorded when Brother Welch died. He was present at the June meeting. Those bills were ordered paid at the stated meeting November 11, 1899. Brother Welch was a doctor.

The first meeting that the Lodge held in the Masonic hall was April 18, 1897. Mr. C. W. Bond was introduced and initiated an Entered Apprentice. He paid the $10.00 initiation fee in lumber for the Lodge.

Three Brethren were raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason, H.S. Bond, A. R. Kilgore and G. W. Culbertson. Brother Bond and Brother Kilgore satisfied the $5.00 fee in work and painting on the Masonic hall. Brother Culbertson paid his fee in money.

The Lodge borrowed $75.00 from Brother J. F. McConnel to pay for the dispensation to be repaid out of the Lodge funds. The loan was made in 1895.

The first Masonic Picnic was held in September 1904. Homemade ice cream and cake was served. Each member was asked to furnish one gallon of sweet milk and two cakes.

In April 1905, Brother W. W. Bond started teaching a Masonic school on ten Saturdays beginning at 11:00 A.M. and closing at 6:00 P.M. at the expense of the Lodge for the sum of $10.00.

The building fund was begun in 1947. Lodge was held in the Nickelsville High School and the Methodist Church while the old Lodge hall was being torn down and the new one being built. The first meeting in the new Lodge hall was held on January 21, 1950. Brother Samuel H. Bond, who had more than fifty years as a member, opened the first meeting. Pictures of all the Worshipful Maters have been secured and placed in the lobby except Worshipful W. B. Jackson the second Worshipful Master.