Taylor Lodge No. 23, A.F. & A.M.

                                                                 Salem, Virginia

On December 11, 1849, Taylor Lodge No. 23 accepted its charter from the Grand Lodge of Virginia, receiving the number 23 because of the demise of Dinwiddie Union Lodge No. 23. It has been speculated that the name Taylor came from President Zachary Taylor, a prominent Mason and war hero of the period. However, this claim is unsubstantiated.

The first Worshipful Master of Taylor Lodge was Henry Hall. Several of the early Worshipful Masters repeated as Master for several years, as conditions in those days made travel difficult and attendance was a problem.

The early meetings of this Lodge were held in Big Lick in the County of Roanoke. In the early 1850's, the Lodge moved to the then “town” of Salem where it has remained, in different locations, ever since.

The written records of Taylor Lodge No. 23 from its inception until 1882 are unavailable because of a fire that occurred on January 20, 1876. However, many facts have been obtained from the records of other Lodges and by word of mouth.

Since 1882, the business of this Lodge has continued unabated despite the lapse of time and the ravages of several wars. For example, in 1942, all three of the stationed officers (W. Ben Chapman, H. Shank, and R. Frier) were in the armed services. As a result, the Junior Warden resigned and a Past Master was elected to serve as Junior Warden.

In 1948, Most Worshipful Charles Edward Webber, Worshipful Master of Taylor Lodge in 1926, was elected Grand Master of Masons in Virginia.

During 1966, Taylor Lodge No. 23 changed its location to a new Lodge hall on Texas Street in Salem. It took several years of planning, but the Lodge was finally ready for use in the fall of that year. Most Worshipful C. E. Webber, Past Grand Master, laid the cornerstone on January 8, 1966.

A new Lodge in 1966, meant that the members had committed themselves to several years of donations and hard work in paying off the mortgage. This problem was eliminated in 1972. At the December 27, 1972, stated meeting it was announced that the will of our late Brother Marvin Cawley would present this Lodge with nearly $45,000.00, more than enough to pay off the mortgage on the building.