Historic marker describes the past of the St. Stephens Masonic lodge

This week’s featured historical marker is the marker in front of the old Masonic lodge at St. Stephens, Ala.

The marker is located in downtown St. Stephens on St. Stephens Ave., across the street from the post office and southeast of the First Baptist Church of St. Stephens. The Alabama Historical Association erected the two-sided marker in 1973. What follows is the complete text from both sides of the marker:

----- 0 -----

“OLD ST. STEPHENS MASONIC LODGE NO. 9 (1821-1834): CHARTER AND EARLY MEMBERS WERE: Gov. Israel Pickens, Col. Silas Dinsmore, Thomas Eastin, R. Chamberlain, Thomas Malone, J.F. Ross, Daniel Coleman, John Womack, W.D. Gaines, James Roberts, James K. Blount, Ptolemy Harris, F.S. Lyon, Micajah Brewer and John F. McGrew. One of nine lodges that organized the Grand Lodge of Alabama at Cahaba in 1821, but Masonry existed here as early as 1811.”

“ST. STEPHENS LODGE NO. 81: After the decline of Old St. Stephens, a lodge was organized and chartered here in 1854. Minutes kept and meetings held continuously since charter date at this site. CHARTER AND EARLY MEMBERS WERE: T.P. Ashe, W.A. Bailey, Thos. H. Bailey, F.W. Baker, James K. Blount, R.L. Bowling, W.F. Brunson, John W. Carpenter, E.H. Gordy, Jackson W. Faith, James G. Hawkins, F.C. Koen, T.S. Parker, Daniel Rain, Benton C. Rain, John A. Richardson, James White and Walter Woodyard.”

----- 0 -----

For those of you unfamiliar with St. Stephens, it’s located near the Tombigbee River in Washington County, Ala., north of Mobile. Less than 500 people live there today, but it was a major city during Alabama’s early history. In fact, before Alabama was a state and still a U.S. territory, St. Stephens was the territorial capital.

The old St. Stephens Masonic lodge building, which is also called the St. Stephens Courthouse, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The local historical commission now operates a visitors center and museum out of building nowadays, but the day I paid a visit to St. Stephens it was closed. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

St. Stephens Lodge No. 81 is still in existence today, and its members attend lodge meetings in a modern single-story lodge building next door to the old lodge building. The cornerstone of that building reads as follows – “ST. STEPHENS LODGE NO. 81, F&A MASONS OF ALABAMA, CHARTER DEC. 8 AL5854, JERRY M. UNDERWOOD, GRANDMASTER; G. LEON COX, WORSHIPFUL MASTER; 18 SEPT. 1999 – AL 5999, S.G. DANIELS, SECRETARY.”

If you decide to visit St. Stephens today be sure to continue down St. Stevens Avenue to Old St. Stephens Historical Park, which is the site of a ghost town located on a high bluff overlooking the Tombigbee River. The trip is a must for anyone interested in Alabama history.

In the end, visit this site next Wednesday to learn about another local historical marker. I’m also taking suggestions from the reading audience, so if you know of an interesting historical marker that you’d like me to feature, let me know in the comments section below.