An Historical Sketch of Stokes Lodge No. 32, A.F. & A.M.

written by Clarence Horton for the Stokes Lodge No. 32
Bicentennial Celebration on November 8, 1997

On June 24, 1717,St. John the Baptist’s Day, four English Masonic lodges met in the Goose and Gridiron Ale House in London for the purpose of establishing a Grand Lodge. A Grand Master and other officers were elected, and an annual communication set for St. John’s Day, with other meetings to be held each quarter. From that small beginning came Grand Lodges in Ireland and Scotland, and rival Grand Lodges in England. Only eight decades were to pass before Freemasonry put down roots in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, then only recently formed from neighboring Mecklenburg County. That historic first lodge was formed in 1797 in Concord, the village built to house the government buildings for the new county. As was the custom of that day, the lodge was given the name of a distinguished North Carolinian, General Montfort Stokes. For two centuries, Stokes Lodge No. 32, A.F. & A.M., has built on its proud heritage, has distinguished itself through service to its community, has sought to develop the highest moral principles among its members, and remained constant in its quest for the pure light of truth. As Stokes Lodge celebrates its bicentennial, it is appropriate that we pause for a moment to remember those on whose shoulders we stand, to retrace their steps and honor their accomplishments – and to gather strength for the journey into a third century of service.

Bicentennial History