Uriah Masonic lodge is last ‘Moon Lodge’ in all of Alabama

Blacksher Masonic Lodge No. 593

One of the most historic buildings in all of Monroe County – Blacksher Masonic Lodge No. 593 – is located in the heart of Uriah. This two-story, wood frame structure is secluded on County Road 3, a short distance off State Highway 59. It’s just far enough off the beaten path that most travelers through Uriah have never laid eyes on it.

This Masonic lodge is remarkable for a number of reasons, but it is most noteworthy for being the last remaining “Moon Lodge” in all of Alabama. Harkening back to the days before electric lights, when men had to travel dark roads by foot, horse or wagon, to and from lodge meetings, the lodge at Uriah meets on the Saturday night before the first full moon of each month. There were many lodges of this type at one time, but with the advent of electric lights, they all faded away, that is, except for the lodge at Uriah.

Blacksher Lodge was founded on Sept. 3, 1902 and will celebrate the 120^th anniversary of its founding later this year. The lodge was named after wealthy landowner, farmer and businessman, James Uriah Blacksher of Mobile. In addition to being a Freemason, Blacksher was also a philanthropist, having donated the funds and land to construct the school at Uriah, which still bears his name today.

News of the lodge’s establishment was first published in the Sept. 25, 1902 edition of The Monroe Journal, which reported that a “new Masonic Lodge, Blacksher No. 593, was instituted at Maros, this county, a few days since by N.A. McNiel, Worshipful Master of Enon Lodge, under the authority of a dispensation granted by Grand Master R.M. Cunningham.”

The use of the name “Maros” is interesting because that’s what Uriah was called before its name was changed a few years later. The Maros post office opened in 1901 and closed in 1902. The Uriah post office, which is still in operation today, was established in 1914.

Enon Lodge was located at Goodway and existed from 1895 to 1934. N.A. McNiel was likely Noah Alexander McNiel, who died in 1920. He is buried at Enon Baptist Church, which is also located at Goodway, a short drive from Uriah.

D.C. Mims was the first Worshipful Master of Blacksher Lodge No. 593. The lodge’s other original officers included L.B. Farish, Senior Warden; J.F. Lambert, Junior Warden; W.H. Pearce, Treasurer; W.T. Dees, Secretary; J.A. Brown, Senior Deacon; H.R. White, Junior Deacon; and C.S. Dees, Tyler. No doubt these men probably have many descendants still living in the Uriah area today.

Blacksher Lodge is still an active lodge today with Barry “P.B.” Etheridge as the current Worshipful Master. The present-day members take a lot of pride in their lodge and enjoy carrying on the tradition of being the last remaining “Moon Lodge” in Alabama. I strongly suspect that the lodge’s original members would be proud to know that what they started so many years ago continues to this day.