Reston Masonic Lodge # 104

The flat front white building in the middle of this picture was Jackson Hall, later Mennie Hall where th Masons met until the construction of their hall in 1928. Photo thanks to the Olenicks.

 

Reston Masonic Lodge #104 started on July 6, 1906 with 14 charter members. These men had been affiliated with a lodge at their former homes mostly in Ontario and decided to start a local lodge here. The Masons have been described as the oldest social network in the world. The first Worshipful Master was Brother Frank Manning, editor of the Reston Recorder.  For the first 2 decades, meetings were held on the second floor of  the building pictured above on the southeast corner of First Avenue and Fourth Street. With larger attendance at the meetings, a bigger space was needed.  It may be that the soldiers returning from the First World War were seeking a sense of brotherhood like they had overseas. 

Picture dated 1912 taken from Trails Along the Pipestone

Brother Thomas Mutter and Worshipful Brother Ralph Shippam brought forward the motion in 1926 that they build a new Masonic Hall.  At that time, the Lodge was 130 members strong. Two years later, in March of 1928, work began.  A location beside the Baptist Church at the corner of Fourth Street and Third Avenue was chosen.  It was across the corner from the R.M. of Pipestone building.  A two storey stucco  building 26 x 60 feet was built at a cost of $5000 with plenty of volunteer labour from the members. Planning was put in the capable hands of Worshipful Brothert Doctor A.B. Chapman.  Brother John "Jack" Ludy was the head contractor of the construction.  Brother Arthur Bushby and Brother McIvor (or perhaps McIver?) did the main carpentering and plastering.

The June 4, 1928 laying of the cornerstone brought the entire Lodge on parade from their meeting room in Mennie Hall up Fourth Street to the new building. It would have been a much larger group than in the 1912 picture above and would have been an impressive sight.  A banquet was held afterward. At the special opening meeting in December of 1928, there were 177 members attending. 

The basement of the Masonic Hall was used for community gatherings and dances before the building of the Memorial Theatre across the street.  It was also meeting spot for other groups but the upstairs would have been reserved for the secret society’s meetings and rituals. (Full listing of the past masters is on page 521 of Trails Along the Pipestone (1981).  The Reston Oddfellows Lodge No. 59 and the Bluebell Rebekah Lodge No. 30 held their meetings there as well until both clubs folded in 1940.  The Orange Lodge No 2849 were very popular at one time and were known for their celebrations on July 12 every year. The Legion Ladies met in the Lodge as well. 

The Masons began in Manitoba in the Red River Settlement in 1813. Their website says 43 Lodges can still be found in Manitoba today. From the Manitoba Historcal Society website:

Freemasonry is the oldest, and estimated to be one of the largest male fraternal organizations in the world. Freemasonry is dedicated to promoting improvement in the character of its members. A Freemason, or Mason, is taught to be a good citizen of good character, to care for those less fortunate, and to give back to his community. Freemasonry traces its roots to the Middle Ages. It is from the guilds of operative, or stone masons, who built the cathedrals, castles, and monasteries of Europe from where the fraternity evolved. These guilds eventually began to accept members who were not actual working, but speculative Masons. At that time they adopted the term “Accepted” Masons, and Freemasonry was born.

In 1981, the Reston Masonic Lodge #104 had 94 members. The following picture from the collection of John and Verna Olenick captured the final meeting a decade later at the closing of the Lodge.  Any help with correcting and filling in names would be very welcome! 

October 8 1992 -  Last Meeting of Reston Masonic Lodge #104 in Lodge Hall

1  Reg Yeo                           2 Bill Coleman            3   ?                               4 ?

5  ?                                       6  ?                              7 Jim Forsyth                8 John Rainnie

9  John Thordarson            10 Francis Giles          11 Dennis Smith             12 Bert Pierce

13  Vern McConnell           14 Neuf Olenick         15  ?                                16 Frank Patmore

17  ?                                    18 Vern Murray           19  ?                                 20 Earl Halls

I have seen the special "throne" chairs from the Lodge in the Reston Museum along with pictures of the Masters.  A friend's father-in-law was a Mason and he always wore the Mason's ring.  He also said you can always tell a fellow Mason by their handshake. You can see more here.  Secret Handshakes began in Scotland as a way for Masons to identify themselves to each other and give proof you knew the masonry trade. The regalia and aprons all had meaning and were worn proudly by the members. 

Since the Reston Lodge folded, the building was renovated for use as a shop for Shurvell Electric  and it was also a residence. It is one of those places where you wish that the walls could talk! 

The Reston Masonic Lodge in the winter of 2022