Masonic Material Culture

[Dale Beasley]

Re: Masonic Material Culture

Hank,
I have to agree with you.

[aaron1stvirginia]

Re: Masonic Material Culture

Hank
I take no offense to the comment. I did however contact the fellow and he said he'd read it somewhere, but couldn't remember where. I do think that it could be possible that it could have been quilted in there, not saying it was or wasn't, but possible.

Sincerely,

[FranklinGuardsNYSM]

Re: Masonic Material Culture

This Bill-the-Butcheresque fellow appears in the crowd in the 1865 photo at the D.C. Quartermaster General's office.



Nov. 21, 1862, Brooklyn Daily Eagle: "$5 REWARD—LOST, ON WEDNESDAY morning, in going from the corner of Amity and Coumbia streets, across the South Ferry, to the corner of Whitehall and South streets, New York, a MASONIC PIN, representing the letter G."

It's probably under the BQE now...

[Bushrod Carter]

Re: Masonic Material Culture

Marc,
What a GREAT photo! Thanks for sharing that and the newspaper note with us! I think I have a new impression to shoot for!

Brother Aaron,
Take a look at page two of this thread. There are several discriptions of Masonic identifying devices. Sorry, no pictures, but some small discriptions.

[aaron1stvirginia]

Re: Masonic Material Culture

Mr. Craddock
I thank you sir for dericting my attention to that page. Suppose I ask you a question. Would it be wrong if I were to embroder the s and c in the inside of my jacket. Who's to say it's never been done. Just because we can't find it doesnt mean it didn't happen. Some of the things I've seen S and C's on have really intrigued me. Smoking pipes, blankets, banks, jails, furniture. I'm not trying to start an uproar or anything I just want to make sure it's ok before I do it. Where exactly is Hiram lodge at? I would like to pay a visit sometime and you are always welcome here in East Tennessee as well.

Sincerly,

[BrianHicks]

Re: Masonic Material Culture

Mr. Craddock
I Where exactly is Hiram lodge at? I would like to pay a visit sometime and you are always welcome here in East Tennessee as well.

Sincerly,

Hiram #7 is in Franklin Tennessee.

Franklin's Masonic Lodge is a building of many firsts. Hiram Lodge No. 7, founded in Franklin in 1809, was first affiliated with the parent Lodge No. 55 in North Carolina. The local Lodge surrendered its North Carolina charter when the Grand Lodge of Tennessee was constituted in 1813 and received its present charter in 1815. In 1817 the Masons of Franklin organized the first legal lottery in Tennessee to fund the construction of a Masonic Hall. The three-story temple, completed in 1823, was the tallest building west of the Allegheny Mountains. Hiram Lodge No. 7 has met in the Masonic Hall since its completion, making it one of the oldest continuous lodges in the same location in the United States.

In addition to the Lodge's long Masonic history, it has been the site of many important religious, political, and social events. In 1830 James H. Otey, later the first Episcopal bishop of Tennessee, organized St. Paul's, the state's first Episcopal Church, at the Masonic Hall. On December 7, 1830, noted religious reformer Alexander Campbell preached in the hall and planted the seeds for the Church of Christ, which continued to meet on the site until the congregation completed the construction of a house of worship on Fourth Avenue in 1852. United States Commissioners John H. Eaton and John Coffee accompanied President Andrew Jackson to meet in council with the Chickasaw delegation in 1830 to negotiate the sale of Indian lands, marking the first time a U.S. president had personally participated in treaty negotiations. During the Civil War Confederate spies climbed to the roof to observe troop movements at Fort Granger, a Federal post across the river on Figuers's Bluff. After the battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864, the hall served as a hospital for wounded Union soldiers.

The Masonic Hall is also home to Franklin Chapter No. 2, Royal Arch Masons; DePaynes Commandry No. 11, Knights Templar; and Franklin Chapter No. 449, Order of Eastern Star.

[Bushrod Carter]

Re: Masonic Material Culture

Brother Aaron,

I think it would be perfectly OK to embroider a S&C on the inside of your jacket! Of course I would say such a thing, because I did that with my first Lt’s frock about 9 years ago. I took a needle and black thread and embroidered a simple S&C about 1 1/4” tall on the face of an inside pocket. Nothing fancy. I’ll try and get a photo of it to share on this thread. I’m pretty sure I got that idea from an account in “House Undivided.”

[Bushrod Carter]

Re: Masonic Material Culture

Brother Aaron,

Here are a couple photos of the S&C inside my Lt's frock. Nothing fancy, and it shows how poor a seamstress I am!

Hope this is of some help.

[Bushrod Carter]

Re: Masonic Material Culture

Here is a good one for today...and one that I think just about anyone could reproduce. This is a Mother of Pearl (shell) shirt stud that is so very common to the period. We've all seen them in antique stores and many sutlers will have a few laying around. Anyway, the shell is soft and anyone with a sharp pointed object (oh, I don't know - say the point of a compass) could etch a simple S&C on the face of the stud. Then, simply apply some black India Ink to the face, wipe of the excess and the etching will hold the ink and the S&C would be visible.

What does everyone else think?

[boreguard]

Re: Masonic Material Culture

Neat!
see ya at Hiram on the 23rd.

[Bushrod Carter]

Re: Masonic Material Culture

This little snuff box was listed on eBay as circa 1880s, but I think it could easily translate into the 1860s.

What do you think?

[jgr1974]

Re: Masonic Material Culture

Brothers,

I have a nice leather S&C leather stamp coming, if anyone is intersted!

The Mad MIck!

[Bushrod Carter]

Re: Masonic Material Culture

Here are somethings to "quich your thirst."

These are flasks from the 1820s and 1830s.

Enjoy!

[Bushrod Carter]

Re: Masonic Material Culture

Although it is obvious that this photo was taken within the decade after the War, I wonder...

How many of these Brothers had taken their degrees before the war? Did any of them take degrees during the War in military Lodges? Did any of them ever experience the need to practice their Masonry with an "enemy" on the battlefield?

Anyway, I think it is easy to see the "look" of several veterans in this photo.

Enjoy!

[paulcalloway]

Re: Masonic Material Culture

Did any of them ever experience the need to practice their Masonry with an "enemy" on the battlefield?

I was talking to the Worshipful Master of the Wayne Lodge up here in Fort Wayne and he brought up a Civil War anecdote regarding a mason who was killed and enemies convened peacefully to give him a proper masonic burial.

I wasn't able to get the details of the event but he mentioned he has a write-up on the event at the Wayne Lodge. Once the lodge comes back online in September I'll try to get my hands on the information.