Vital Volunteers – July 2025
THE JACKSONVILLE MASONIC LODGE, aka, Warren Lodge #10, is the oldest continuous fraternal organization in Jacksonville. As such, the lodge is intricately tied to the early history of Jacksonville. Many of the early settlers in Jacksonville had been members of a Masonic lodge before arriving and wished to continue this association. In addition, since the Masons rely on a strong moral code, being a Mason was a way of showing that you were an upstanding citizen and above the often-bad conduct of the roaring gold mining town inhabitants. While many men applied for membership, early records show that many were rejected, as it took only one negative vote to deny membership.
The early Jacksonville lodge was even tied to Jackson County law enforcement as their goals for a safe, morally proper and stable town were the same. In the old Lodge minutes, which are well preserved, the date of the first meeting was March 15, 1855. The Lodge was named after Joseph Warren, a Revolutionary War General who was killed in battle. Initially, the meetings were held in a building opposite the present-day Jacksonville Inn. Subsequently, the Lodge moved to another building owned by Frank Cluggage, a Lodge member. Frank and his brother are credited with discovering gold in the area. By 1858, the Lodge had outgrown this building and in a joint venture they moved to the second floor of the newly constructed, original Jackson County Courthouse. The Courthouse/Lodge was located just north of the second Jackson County Courthouse which is now Jacksonville City Hall.
Eventually, the Jackson County government grew to the point that they needed the second story space of the Courthouse for county business, so in 1867 the Masons were paid $700 in gold coin for the second floor, and the Lodge started making plans for another meeting room. With the $700 in hand as well as an increase in dues to $12 a year, and with seventy members, they started accumulating cash. An 1873 fire destroyed the buildings between the Table Rock Saloon and the corner of California and Oregon streets, leaving three vacant lots. Through a series of real estate deals, the Masons were able to purchase the lots which were to become the Masonic Temple in 1875, with the second floor for the exclusive use of the Masons. The financing of this building was aided by the Worthy Master, Cornelius C. Beekman, of Jacksonville banking fame.
With this brief Lodge history in mind, Past Master and 54-year member, Jim Westerfield, can provide the 2025 perspective. “The Masons, while a non-profit, are not a service club but rather a fraternal organization. We meet on the second Tuesday of every month and accept members from anywhere in Oregon. Men must believe in a Supreme Being and be of solid moral fiber.” The Masons adhere to the “moral fiber” requirement by now doing background checks much like the police do for recruits. Steeped in ritual, there are three degrees that a member progresses through: Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft Mason and Master Mason. The Masons were originally a quasi-trade organization tied to the masonry occupation and the visual symbols of the Lodge such as a chisel, plumb bob, aprons, and a gavel (hammer) are still very much part of the Lodge’s pageantry today. Mr. Westerfield relates that the Masons are, “a system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.”
While the Masons are a fraternal organization, they also have a philanthropic bent even though they do not do fundraisers. Westerfied goes on to say, “Our Lodge likes to help support Jacksonville causes and needs. We periodically give out college scholarships, help support the Victorian Christmas festivities, made a nice donation to the Jacksonville Community Center, support the Masonic section of the Jacksonville Cemetery and especially support the Beekman Bank Museum as Beekman was a past Master of the Lodge.”
When asked how they can maintain the Lodge with no fundraisers and only dues, he explains, “We are fortunate to be able to lease our downstairs to three businesses, the barbershop, La Boheme and Jefferson Farm Kitchen. This provides the funds to maintain our facility and invest in the community. Unfortunately, we are now at a spot where we must do major maintenance work on the building such as a new roof. We do not have the funds to support this, so we are pursuing grants for historic buildings to assist us.
The upstairs meeting room of Warren Lodge No. 10 is a historic gem for Jacksonville and the Lodge’s 170-year history is one for the record books.