|
Travis
Lodge
No. 117 Sherman  Sherman
Democrat
July 4, 1976 SHERMAN LODGE CHARTERED 1852 Sherman was four years old when a group of Masons formed Travis Lodge, 117, one of the oldest Masonic groups in North Texas. Masonry in Texas was organized in 1837, when John M. Allen brought the charter from Louisiana to Houston for the first lodge. Anson Jones, Texas pioneer, was the first state grand master. Sam Houston presided at the convention when the lodge was organized Dec. 20 of that year. The charter for the Sherman lodge was granted Feb. 10, 1852, upon petition of members from Washington Lodge No. 73 at Preston residing in this vicinity. The first worshipful master of Travis Lodge was Phillip T. Wells. Other early officers were Coleman Watson, William C. Painter, Nelson Howeth, Guion H. Lanier, William Fitch, B.M. Burleson, and James P. Dumas. Burrell P. Smith of the Friendship lodge was directed by the grand lodge of Texas to open the first meeting, which was held Aug. 28, 1852, in a two-story building on the site of the northwest corner of Travis and Pecan. That site was the meeting place for the Masonic bodies for many years before the Sherman Opera House was built there. Col. T.J. Shannon gave the site jointly to the lodge and the churches of Sherman. The lodge met on the second floor and the Methodist Episcopal, South Cumberland Presbyterian and Christian churches occupied the lower floor. The wooden structure soon became too small and the lodge moved to another building owned by Tyler and Newcomb on the east side of the square, two doors north of Lamar. This building was used until it was destroyed by fire, Oct. 30, 1875. After the fire, the Odd Fellows Lodge, who had bought the former Masonic Temple and moved it to a point north of the Texas and Pacific Railroad on North Walnut, invited the Masons to use their form building. They did use it until 1876. With a new charter to replace the old one destroyed in the fire, they moved to the Cummings building on the northwest corner of the square. The structure was the oldest brick building in Sherman. In 1877 the lodge hall was moved to the Wheat building on the southwest corner of the square later occupied by the Sherman Democrat. In 1892 the lodge was invited to move back to the Travis and Pecan site. The third floor of this building was then used by another Masonic body. The joint Masonic groups used this building until 1908. George Murphy, a Mason and dry goods merchant, allowed the lodge to use the third floor of his building at Houston and Travis.   The lodge later purchased the Reynolds lot at the northeast corner of Walnut and Lamar in 1916, and in 1924 their present building was completed, designed by local architects John Tulloch and the firm of Clyce & Rolfe. The classic revival style building featured giant order columns and portico, fifteen over fifteen windows, and a segmental arch entry pediment. It was one of the largest lodge halls in the state, two degree rooms, a large banquet room and kitchen. It remained the headquarters for the Masonic Lodge until 1985. Recorded Texas Historic Landmari, 1988, #7404. Active Masonic bodies in Sherman now using the temple are Travis Lodge No. 177, Chapter 62, Royal Arch Masons; Council 43, Royal and Select Masters; Indivisible Friends Commandery 13, Knights Templar; and Carpenter's Chapter, 183, Order of the Eastern Star. Presently in Sherman there are 650 Scottish Rite Masons. The officers are Judge Ralph Elliot, worshipful master; Holmes L. Nichiols, senior warden and Roy Blocker, junior warden.   Historical Markers ~ Landmarks Organizations Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |