Some months ago, I was on a Masonic internet discussion group and noticed the signature of one participant was “Bro. Jim, Devotion Lodge #160 in Lexington, KY” so I naturally sent him my fraternal greetings and have since corresponded with him and another Devotion 160 Member- Bro Bruce. Jim is Devotion’s Master Elect and Bruce SW Elect for the 2011 Year. Installation is January 10th, 2011. At Devotion 723’s November Meeting, I gave apologies from these two Brethren from America.

 

 

History of Devotion Lodge #160

F&AM Kentucky

 

Devotion Lodge #160 F & AM is one of only two lodges in Lexington today that has survived the civil war and dates from the year 1847.

 

With the termination of the Mexican War and the return of many brothers to Lexington coupled with the rending of the financial panic, a wave of prosperity in Masonic lines was evident in Lexington as the brothers felt the necessity for another lodge.

 

Oliver Anderson, a veteran of the War of 1812 and a founder of Templar Masonry in Lexington, Missouri, gathered around him a band of brothers and organized Devotion Lodge No. 160 F & AM having the date of its charter being September 2, 1847 with the following officers:

Oliver Anderson – Master,

Richard B. Parker -- Senior Warden,

David S. Goodloe -- Junior Warden,

H. B. Frankin – Secretary,

W. S. Berkey – Treasurer,

R. P. Hunt -- Senior Deacon,

E. W. Dowden -- Junior Deacon,

James Mann - Tyler

 

along with twenty-three members and six initiations.

 

It is not certain where the first meetings of the newly formed Devotion Lodge #160 F & AM were held as the first minute book extant dates from December 27, 1858.  At that time the meeting place was a large room on the second floor of City Hall, on the north side of Church Street between Limestone and Upper.  This building is known as the old Methodist Church, built in 1822 at a cost of $5,000.  Throughout the Civil War Devotion Lodge #160 F & AM continued to meet in this church and notice of one of its meetings is so given:

 

Devotion Lodge No. 160 MEET in their lodge Room, over the City Hall on Church street the 1st and 3rd Tuesday nights each month.  Al Bretheren in good standing are invited to attend.

J. G. Lendel, W. M.,

J. F. Thompnson Sec'ry

 

Devotion Lodge #160 F & AM lined up with the Federal cause during the Civil War and frequent initiations were held for officers and soldiers of the 46th Indiana Volunteers and the 48th Pennsylvania Infantry stationed in camps in and around Lexington, and some from the Federal recruiting camp at Camp Nelson in Jessamine Country.

 

Devotion Lodge #160 F & AM, with the exception of Daviess 22, held more meetings and initiated more soldiers than any of the six in Lexington and Fayetter Country during the four years of the war.

 

After the close of the war, the brothers became dissatisfied with their quarters in the City Hall and moved to the hall of Good Samaritan Lodge No. 174 which was on the third floor of the old brick court-house and meetings continued here for the next three years.

 

On December 17, 1872 Devotion Lodge #160 F & AM moved into the Odd Fellows Hall on the southeast corner of Main and Broadway where they continued to occupy until the hall burned on January 15, 1886. 

 

About this same time the numbers of Devotion Lodge #160 F & AM were greatly strengthened by the addition of members from the recently defunct lodges Daviess 22 and Good Samaritan 174.

 

Other meeting places of Devotion Lodge #160 F & AM have been in the Lancaster building on Main Street, the Skillman building on Short Street, the Masonic Temple of North Broadway and the present location of 4085 Harrodsburg Rd.

 

From www.devotion160.com/history