Marshall Lodge No. 39, A.F. & A.M.

                                                             Lynchburg, Virginia

Marshall Lodge No.39 came into existence as Hiram Lodge No. 39 through a dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Virginia on March 30, 1793, just a little over six years after the settlement at Lynchs Ferry had been made into the “Town of Lynchburg” by an act of the State Legislature.

On November 8, 1793, under a Grand Lodge charter signed by John Marshall, Grand Master of Masons in Virginia, Marshall Lodge No. 41 (the number was changed to No. 39 in 1798) assumed the succession to Hiram Lodge No. 39. The station officers were:

Robert Yancey                        Worshipful Master

James Calloway                      Senior Warden

Samuel Irvin                            Junior Warden

The change of the name from “Hiram” to “Marshall” was, as might be inferred, in honor of the Most Worshipful Grand Master, John Marshall, the Virginia Jurist, who, subsequently, in 1801, became the Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

A committee of five members was appointed to open subscriptions for the building of a combination Market House and Masonic hall. The Fraternity petitioned the State General Assembly for permission to sponsor a Lottery to raise 450 pounds for its construction. The petition was denied and in August 1794, the Masons decided to build a hall of its own. In September 1794, a lot was purchased from Phillip Payne at the north corner of Water and Third Streets (now Eighth and Church Streets) and Masons Hall was erected.

Masonss Hall was perhaps the most important building of Lynchburgs first quarter century, serving a number of civic and religious purposes in addition to its primary function as a Fraternity meeting house. In 1805, the First Corporation Court of Lynchburg was held in Masons Hall. The court found the hall sufficient for its needs and for the privilege of using it, the Town paid the Masons $67.00 per year.

The old Bible, supposed to be the first ever used by the Lodge, has been preserved in fairly good condition and is now protected in a beautiful case, which is attached to the wall in the Lodge room. His Majesty’s Printers, Mas and Charles Kerr printed it in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Bible contains the note stating: “By invitation of the Commandant of the United States Forces at New London Military Station, this Lodge attended and conducted the Masonic ceremonies of Funeral Honors etc. of our late deceased Brother General George Washington, on the 22^nd day of February 1800.”

Masons Hall was used until 1846 when the members decided to erect a new Lodge on its site, They sold the old building which was placed on rollers and moved some five blocks to the Northwest side of Fifth Street between Main and Church Streets. The old house was used as a private home and was demolished in 1921. The cornerstone for the new brick building was laid on October 26, 1846.

One of the most important events in the history of Marshall Lodge occurred on May 5, 1885, when a motion was made of establishing, under the supervision of Marshall Lodge, an institution in the nature of an Infirmary. Little did the Lodge realize the end results of that motion. Marshall Lodge Memorial Hospital was recognized throughout Virginia for its wonderful work in healing the sick of this area.

The year 1921, found the members again thinking in terms of a new and modern building. A committee of five was appointed to investigate the advisability of remodeling or building a new Masonic Temple, but no action was taken until 1923, when a fourteen-story building was proposed. Due to the cost of erecting such a building, the plans were adjusted to a four-story building. Evidently this cost was also too great for the Lodge to consider. Consequently the present two-story building was remodeled and the first meeting was held in the new Lodge room on February 26, 1925.

In 1958, the Lodge spent $39,000.00 in remodeling the Temple by having Aluminum siding placed on the front and side of the building. Even though the Portico is now covered, the upkeep of painting and cleaning was greatly reduced.

On July 21, 1997, fire destroyed the Lodge Hall and many records, artifacts and memorabilia.