Formation and History

of

Lounsbury Lodge No. 751  A. F. & A. M.

 

A Masonic Lodge, Lounsbury Lodge #751 A.F. & A.M. was instituted September 2, 1877 and was named for Mr. George Lounsbury who was Grand  Master of Masons in Illinois in 1874 and 1875. A charter was granted October 4, 1877 to the following Master Masons after whose names is given to the office to which each was elected or appointed:

 

Edgar Isbell....................... Worshipful Master............

Charles Jamison.......... Senior Warden.......................

George B. Stevens ....................... Junior Warden .......................

Henry G. (Luke) Willmarth ....................... Treasurer....... .......................

Leroy Powers ....................... Secretary

John W. White ....................... Senior Deacon .......................

Albert G. Gleason.......... Junior Deacon .......................

Robert Purcell ....................... Senior Steward..........

Charles T. Miller............. Junior Steward.......................

Charles B. Otis ....................... Tyler.............. ....................... .......................

 

Other Members:

 Parris Sinnett, George Ela, George Ohnsman, Hiram N. Lombard, Leonard Ingalls, George W. Gillson, A.M. Whadon, W.A. Loomis, William H. Loomis, Thomas Blakey, John F. Skinner, George Burlingham, Joseph P. Brown.

 

 Their first meeting place was probably over Hank Abbott's Drug Store at 111 South Cook Street. August W. Meyer built a two-story brick store building in the cattail pond at the northeast corner of Hough and Main Streets and this lodge occupied the northeast corner of the floor, the Vemilya Hotel occupying  the rest of the floor until the fire of 1898 broke out in the store (no water works or fire department as yet) and the whole block burned out.

No property of  the Masonic Lodge was saved and all records were burned.

 

 Their next home was on the third floor of the Commercial Hotel at 232 East Main Street. From there they moved to the second floor over the Schroeder Hardware Company at the southwest corner of Cook and Station. There a new chapter was written in their history. They wanted a hall of their own possession and to put their outgoing rent into a home which they could arrange and occupy according to their needs and taste.

 

 A Masonic building Corporation was organized, composed and officerized by the members of the lodge. So in 1931 they bought from the Methodist  Society the former church building on South Cook Street. The tall steeple which graced the northeast corner and the shorter one at the southeast corner  and its colored windows were of the English Gothic style. After its belfry was twice struck by lightning and rebuilt, both steeples were removed. The  members did much of their own work of every kind in remodeling and refurbishing. After a very few years of good management, the last obligation on the  purchase of the property was paid off. They have a large membership which includes many fifty-year members.

 

Additional Information from early Lounsbury Lodge No. 751 history

 

 

 

The Lake Zurich Masonic Club was formed in 1922, an organization for Masonic instruction. 

 

Many of the brethren were members of Lounsbury Lodge in Barrington, but in the winter it was difficult to get through the snow.  Some of the members even rode the caboose of the E.J. &E. to attend lodge in Barrington.

 

 

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A Methodist Bible Class was organized in the home of Olcutt White and met in the White School House on West Cuba Road across from the White  Cemetery from 1844 to 1858. In 1858 this group joined forces with some from the Barrington Center Church and built a 32 x 50 foot frame church at the  northeast corner of Franklin and Ela Streets for $2,000.00, which was sold to the Catholics in 1873.

 

In 1872 the Methodists built a new edifice on South Cook Street (48 x 60 feet) for $4,000.00 and it was dedicated Dec. 22, 1872. It then absorbed the  Barrington Center Methodist Church which it had supplied since 1861. The tall graceful steeple on the northeast corner of the Cook Street

church was  struck by lightning twice -- the first time almost wrecking the building. It was rebuilt each time by Fred E. Lines and each time the height of the steeple was lowered.

 

 The Methodist society bought the old Zion Church building on Lincoln Avenue near the northeast corner of Hough, turned it to face west again, Lowered the height of the steeple and revamped it otherwise by the plans of Robert G. Work. The Cook Street building was sold to Lounsbury Masonic Lodge, steeples removed, building somewhat repaired and was dedicated by the Masons in May of 1931.

 

 

Source: Via Internet from Barrington Library

 

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