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The Warrington Masonic Hall was built in 1932, the Notes
foundation stone being laid by the Provincial Grand
Master Arthur Foster, and was specially constructed to 1 Minutes of the Lodge of Lights, № 148, Masonic
house the majority of the town’s growing lodges. Like Hall,Warrington, 22nd of December, 1836. Not listed. The
items are now on display at the Warrington Museum. See
the Liverpool Masonic Hall, it became the focal point also Anonymous,The History of The Lodge of Harmony
for Masonry in the town, being the center for not only No. 220 (Liverpool, UK, 1948), 9.
Lodge and Chapter meetings, but also functions and
dinners, both Masonic and public. Masonic Halls were 2 Minutes of the Lodge of Lights № 148, Warrington, 20th
being purposefully built and renovated in towns and of September, 1855, Warrington Masonic Hall. Not listed.
cities all over the country, from York9 to Penzance,10
from Hawarden11 in North Wales to Swansea12 in 3 Minutes of the Lodge of Friendship № 277, 25th of June,
the south, all specially designed to accommodate a 1855, Rochdale Masonic Hall. Not listed.
lodge room, anteroom, dining room and obligatory bar
facilities, creating a more intimate Masonic experience 4 Minutes of the Lodge of Friendship № 277, 7th of May,
for the Masonic gentlemen. 1868, Rochdale Masonic Hall. Not listed.

The building of the Masonic Halls also testifies 5 John Armstrong, A History of Freemasonry in Cheshire
to the increasing popularity of the Craft, and like (London: George Kenning, 1901), 110–111.
the Liverpool Masonic Hall in Hope Street and the 6 Minutes of the Lodge of Lights № 148, Warrington, 1904,
York Masonic Hall at Duncombe Place, extensive Warrington Masonic Hall. Not Listed.
improvements and extensions took place throughout
the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries 7 For a brief study of some of the inns and taverns in
to accommodate more lodges.13 This popularity London where lodges met during the eighteenth century,
undoubtedly reflected the way Freemasonry was at see Albert F. Calvert, “Where Masons Used to Meet,” in
this time respected by the public, and the way that the British Masonic Miscellany (Dundee: David Winter &
respected local figures conducted themselves in public Son, 1936), 20:95–98.
during these very open and transparent ceremonies;
Freemasonry openly contributing to educational and 8 Stephen Blair, the successful Bolton industrialist,was
installed as Provincial Grand Master at the Royal Exchange
civic improvement. in Manchester on the 24th of July, 1856.

9 York Masonic Hall, in Duncombe Place, was built in
1862–1863 by J. Barton-Wilson and John Edwin Oates, and
now houses the artifacts and archives of the York Grand
Lodge.

10 In Kelly’s Directory of Cornwall, 1893, under the
Special thanks to Dr. David Harrison for granting heading of “official establishments, local institutions &c.,”
permission to print this article. the Masonic Hall at Penzance is listed as housing the Mount
Sinai Lodge № 121, as well as the Royal Arch Chapter and
Dr. David Harrison is a UK Freemason, Past Master of the Mark Masonry Lodgel. See http://west-penwith.org.uk/
the Lodge of Lights No. 148 in West Lancs, England. He pz293.htm [accessed 1st of May, 2009].
has nine books published on Freemasonry. You can fi nd
out more about Brother Harrison at 11 Hawarden Masonic Hall was built in 1913.
http://www.dr-david-harrison.com 12 The Swansea Masonic Temple was built in 1923.

13 See Robert Leslie Wood, York Lodge № 236, Formerly
the Union Lodge: The Bicentennial History, 1777–1977
(York, UK: The York Lodge, 1977), 62–63. The Masonic
Hall at Duncombe Place in York was renovated in 1877 and
again in 1899.

Page 30 Montana Freemason January 2019