Encyclopedia Masonica

The Grand Lodge of England warranted a Lodge in North Carolina at Wilmington in March, 1754 or 1755. This was afterwards known as Saint John's, No. 1. A Grand Lodge s of North Carolina was organized in 1771 which met at New Bern and Edenton, but its early history is obscure owing to the supposed destruction of the records by the English during the War of the Revolution. Representatives of seven Lodges, Unanimity, Saint John's, Royal Edwin, Royal White Hart, Royal William, Union and Blandford-Bute, met on December 9, 1787, to reorganize the Grand Lodge. In 1856 Saint John's College was established at Oxford, but during the war of 1861-5, when it was vacated by the students, it was converted into one of the best orphan homes in the country. In charity as in everything else this Grand Lodge has always achieved success.

The first mention of Capitular Freemasonry in North Carolina occurs in the Proceedings of the fourth Convocation of the General Grand Chapter where it appears that a Charter was to have been issued to Concord Chapter at Wilmington, May 4, 1815, by the General Grand King. He also granted one to Phoenix Chapter at Fayetteville, September 1, 1815.

fit the thirteenth Convocation of the General Grand Chapter held on September 14, 1847, at Columbus, Ohio, the General Grand Secretary reported that a Grand Chapter of North Carolina had once existed but had ceased work twenty years before; that according to information just received it had lately been reorganized. An Assembly of representatives of three Chapters had duly adopted a Constitution and elected officers on June 98, 1847. On September 16, 1847, the Grand Chapter of North Carolina was, after the alteration of one or two articles in its Constitution, granted legal authority by the General Grand Chapter of the United States.

Five Councils had been chartered in North Carolina before the organization of the Grand Council. In each ease the document was signed by the Supreme Council of the Southern Jurisdiction. All five were represented at a Convention for the organization of the Grand Council at Fayetteville, June 21, 1822. In 1859 the Grand Chapter resisted an attempt to incorporate the Degrees with the Chapter by a declaration to the effect that it desired to exercise no such control. A Grand Council was organized June 6, 1860, but owing to the Civil War no meeting was held until 1866, and in 1883 it was dissolved altogether. The Degrees then came under the control of the Grand Chapter until 1887 when the Grand Council was again established.

The first official mention of Templarism in North Carolina appeared in the Proceedings of the Grand Encampment of the United States for September 19, 1826. The issue of a Charter to Fayetteville Encampment among others on December 21, 1821, was the item in question. This Encampment ceased work at an early date and the details about an attempt made in 1845 to start another are not known. On September 16, 1850, it was resolved by the General Grand Encampment of the United States to grant renewed authority to Fayetteville and Wilmington. On January 10, 1881, the Grand Commandery of North Carolina was established.

On November 91, 1892, Asheville Lodge of Perfection, No. 1, at Asheville, was granted a Charter. Charters were issued to a Chapter of Rose Croix, a Council of Kadosh, and a Consistory, all located at Charlotte, namely, Mecklenburg, No. 1, October 5, 1901; Charlotte, No. 1, October 23, 1907; Carolina, No. 1, December 18, 1907, respectively, under the Southern Jurisdiction of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.

The Encyclopedia Masonica exists to preserve the wealth of information that has been generated over the centuries by numerous Masonic authors. As Freemasonry is now Speculative and not Operative, the work of a Mason is now conducted in the quarries of symbolism, literature, history and scholasticism. Freemasonry encourages intellectual exploration and academic achievement in its members and many Masons over the years have taken up this calling. The result has been that an incredible amount of philosophy, symbolic speculation and academic insights have been created. However, as Freemasonry teaches, human knowledge is frail and fragile. It is easily lost in the turnings of the ages and unforeseen catastrophes can result in great setbacks to human knowledge.

For too long these great works have sat on forgotten shelves, gathering dust and concealing the light that could be shed on the darkness of our ignorance. The Encyclopedia Masonica has been created to act as an ark, sailing through time, to ensure that future generations of Freemasons have access to the same knowledge that inspired the Brethren that came before them. It will contain the works of such Masonic Luminaries as Albert G. Mackey, Manly Palmer Hall, G.S.M. Ward, Albert Pike and many others. The Encyclopedia Masonica is a living work and the volunteers of Universal Co-Masonry will continue to labor until the most comprehensive Masonic reference work the world has ever seen has been created. The Encyclopedia Masonica is open to any who wish to use it and will remain open so that the treasures contained within may increase the wealth of all those who seek its wisdom.