Capital Roots 

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Hiram Lodge No. 10

Jerrold A. Wohlfarth, 32°

Hiram Lodge No. 10 in Washington, D.C., has a particularly historic past.

We California Freemasons rarely consider that many of the constituent Lodges of the Grand Lodge of California were previously under different Masonic jurisdictions from somewhere "back East." Two examples are California Lodge No. 1 which was California Lodge No. 13 under the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia and Tahama Lodge No. 3 which was Connecticut Lodge No. 75 under the Grand Lodge of Connecticut.

 A historically significant Lodge from whose jurisdiction the Grand Lodge of California was, in part, formed was Hiram Lodge No. 10, now Hiram–Takoma Lodge No. 10, under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia.
I am a dual member of Hiram Lodge No. 10 and have been impressed with the brotherly love of its members. In addition, I am interested in this D.C. Lodge because I have had several relatives whose membership in Hiram Lodge spans over 100 continuous years. In 1887, my great-grandfather Edward Wohlfarth petitioned Hiram Lodge, followed in 1915 by my grandfather Hiram Wohlfarth, and in 1973 by my brother Hiram Wohlfarth III, Past Master, who remains active in Hiram Lodge today.

The District of Columbia was formed by an act of Congress on July 10, 1790. This act established the seat of the Federal Government in a tract of land ten miles square lying on the Virginia and Maryland sides of the Potomac River. In 1846, Virginia was given back her original contribution of land. The District of Columbia now comprises about seven square miles along the east bank of the Potomac River.

The first recorded Masonic activity in the District of Columbia took place on April 13, 1791. It involved the laying of the cornerstone of the District of Columbia near Alexandria, Virginia. The stone was placed by Alexandria–Washington Lodge No. 22. Worshipful Brother George Washington was Master of the Lodge three years earlier.

On October 13, 1792, another significant Masonic event took place in the history of the District of Columbia. It involved the laying of the cornerstone of the White House. The cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol was laid September 13, 1793, by W.B. George Washington, then President of the United States. On many occasions, Masons took an active role in public affairs. One of these was the funeral of Brother George Washington in 1799. Lodges of the District of Columbia united to form a Funeral Lodge that occupied a prominent place in the procession.

The Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia was officially constituted on January 8, 1811. It consisted of seven Lodges that had been operating under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Maryland or Virginia. Two additional Lodges in the District received their Charters during 1824. Hiram Lodge No. 10 received its Charter, January 8, 1828.

Hiram Lodge No. 10 was formed with only 22 members. In 1998, Hiram Lodge celebrated its 170th birthday with a membership of 256. At the end of 1998, there were 31 Constituent Lodges including a Lodge of Research operating under the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia.

Because Hiram Lodge is located in the nation's capital, its members have the opportunity to participate in public ceremonies of national significance. Notable among these  was the June 1845 funeral of General and former President Brother Andrew Jackson, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Tennessee. Also, many Freemasons, including the members of Hiram Lodge, participated in the laying of the cornerstone of the Washington Monument on July 4, 1848.

On July 15, 1881, Hiram Lodge raised John Philip Sousa a Master Mason. Little did those present realize the 26-year-old candidate was destined to become one of the world's leading  conductors and its greatest composer of marches. He was still a member of Hiram Lodge at the time of his death on March 6, 1932.

Hiram Lodge has frequently had visitors of distinction. On March 17, 1905, Vice President Charles Fairbanks visited, and on November 6, 1947, President Harry S. Truman, 33°, Past Grand Master of Masons in Missouri, made a surprise visit. Brother Truman addressed the Lodge prior to the conferral of the Third Degree and personally raised two Missouri Brethren. Also present that evening were Brother and Brigadier General Wallace Graham, personal physician to the President, and Brother and Captain Thomas Burns, assistant White House physician. The following month, Brother Truman was elected an Honorary Member of Hiram Lodge.

In 1992, officers of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, with members of Hiram Lodge participating, hosted the Cornerstone Bicentennial Celebration for the White House, with M.W. Jerold J. Samet, 33°, Grand Master, officiating, and in 1993,  Freemasons participated in the Cornerstone Bicentennial Celebration for the United States Capitol, M.W. George R. Adams, 33°, Grand Master, officiating.

Similarly, on July 18, 1998, Brethren of Hiram Lodge joined M.W. Eldon J. Brown, 33°, Grand Master, Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, and a large number of other Masons, guests, representatives of the National Park Service, and the general public to celebrate the Sesquicentennial of the Washington Monument cornerstone ceremony of July 4, 1848, when M.W. Benjamin B. French, 33°, presided. Each reenactment attracted a sizable audience and national media attention. The Grand Lodge officers of the District of Columbia recreated the original ceremonies with 18-century pomp and circumstance. Several historic items were placed on the altar. The St. John's Lodge Bible on which George Washington, and later George Bush, took the oath of office as President, was carried by hand from New York City to Washington, D.C. The trowel used at the cornerstone-laying ceremony of the U.S. Capitol in 1793 was also used.

At the occasions noted above—and many more—the Brethren of Hiram Lodge have shared Festive Boards similar to those our ancient Brethren celebrated. Our early Brethren would break bread and have fellowship with one another after a full day of toil. Since the advent of Speculative Freemasonry in the early 1700s, it is quite probable that the custom of a Festive Board was born out of necessity, for doubtless many members of early Lodges came considerable distances on horseback or on foot to attend meetings. It was absolutely necessary that they should be provided with refreshment before setting out on their return journey.

At Hiram–Takoma Lodge No. 10, as at many other Lodges, the chain of fellowship is never broken, and the mystic Masonic tie, though invisible, is as strong as steel. 

Jerrold A. Wohlfarth  is a Past Master of Vista Lodge No. 687, Vista, Calif., and a Captain, U. S. Marine Corps (Ret.). He served as the Junior Grand Deacon, Grand Lodge of California (1995–96) and as a District Inspector. He currently serves on the California Grand Lodge Public Schools Committee and the Masonic Education Committee. He is a Past President of Camp Pendleton Chapter National Sojourners; Past Commander, Heroes of ’76; Past President, San Diego and Imperial County, Past Masters Association; Past President, North San Diego County Scottish Rite Association; and a member of the San Diego Valley Scottish Rite Bodies, York Rite Bodies, Royal Order of Scotland, Allied Masonic Degrees, and the Southern California Research Lodge.