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CHARTER
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At a quarterly meeting of the Grand Lodge of Georgia, held at Savannah on Tuesday, December 9, 1817--M.W. George Jones being Grand Master; R.W.M. Wm. B. Bulloch, D.G.M.; A. S. Roe, S.G.W.; John Pearson, Grand Treasurer and Paul P. Thomason, Grand Secretary, on the reading of the petition of sundry Brethren, asking for the erection of a new lodge at Milledgeville it was:
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Resolved: That a Constitution do forthwith issue to the said new Lodge, by the name of Benevolent Lodge No. 32, in conformity with the dispensation of the Grand Master, on the payment of the usual fee to the Charity Fund of the Grand Lodge. (MSS. Minutes of the Grand Lodge of Georgia for 1817, P. 14.)
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HISTORICAL SKETCH
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In 1827, Benevolent Lodge was No. 9 in the list of Georgia Lodges. In December, 1829, the Grand Lodge constitution was amended, and, from that date, this Lodge became No. 6 and continued so until November 17, 1838, when the number was changed to No. 3. It appears from the records that in 1827 there were two Blue Lodges in this place--Benevolent No. 9 and Fraternal No. 20. In October, 1828, these, by mutual agreement, became merged into Benevolent No. 9.
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In November, 1828, it was voted to undertake raising sufficient funds, by lottery, to build a Masonic Hall in Milledgeville, and Bros. W. Y. Hansell, S. Grantland, F. V. DeLauney, I. S. Calshoun, Wm. Greene, Leonard Perkins, B. F. Owens and John Manning were appointed as a committee to draft a bill authorising this. Bro. R. K. Hines was added to this committee. The Lodge, at this time, met in the Darien Bank Building.
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An act of the General Assembly of this State was passed on December 9, 1828, wherein certain persons therein named, were constituted commissioners and authorised to raise, by lottery, the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, to be appropriated to the building of a Masonic Hall in the town of Milledgeville, and, by an act of the General Assembly of this Sate, passed December 26, 1831 with Wilson Lumpkin being Governor, Asbury Hall, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Thomas Stocks, President of the Senate--Seaton Grantland, R. K. Iverson L. Harris, Samuel Rockwell and William Y. Hansell, and their successors, were constituted and created a body corporate and politic, by the name and style of "The Trustees of the Masonic Hall in the Town of Milledgeville."
The cornerstone for the Masonic Hall was laid June 25, 1832, by R. W. Samuel Rockwell, D.G.M., assisted by the following: William I. Davis, W.M.; Thomas F. Greene, S.W.; E. H. Pierce, J.W.; P. T.; P. Wright, Treasurer, P. T.; John Miller, Secretary; Drury Murphy, S.D.; John W. L. Mitchell, J.D.; and William R. Hill, Tyler.
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The building was completed and ready for occupancy in June, 1834, Judge Iverson L. Harris was the first W. M. to serve in the new Lodge building.
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On June 25, 1932, a Bronse Tablet commemorating the 100th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone was placed at the front entrance of the building. M.W. Joseph A. Moore, Grand Master of Georgia presiding, being at the same time G.H.P. of the Grand Chapter of Georgia. W.B. Wood was W.M of Benevolent Lodge No. 3, H.P. of Temple Chapter No. 6, and I.M. of Georgia Council No. 4.
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The Trustees whose names appear on this tablet are: Dr. T. M. Hall, Chairman, P.M., '04, P.H.P. and P.C. (his grandfather Judge Iverson L. Harris was first to serve as W.M. in the new building 1834); H.S. Jones, Secretary, P.M. Benevolent Lodge No. 3, 1909, P.H.P. Temple Chapter No. 6, P.C. Plantagenet Commandery No. 12, P.G.C., K.T. of Georgia; J. F. Bell, Sr. P.M. Benevolent Lodge No. 3, 1906, P.H.P. Temple Chapter No. 6, P.C. Plantagenet Commandery No. 12, P.G.H.P., R.A.M. of Georgia; R. H. Wootten 3', R.A.M., K.T.; E. E. Bell, P.M. Benevolent Lodge No. 3, 1908, R.A.M., K.T.; W. L. Ritchie, 3', R.A.M., P.C. Plantagenet Commandery No. 12 and Joseph A. Moore, Sr., P.M. Benevolent Lodge. No. 3, 1915 and 1921, P.H.P Temple Chapter No. 6, P.C. Plantagenet Commandery No. 12, P.G.M. Grand Lodge of Georgia, F.&A.M., P.G.H.P. Grand Chapter of Georgia, R.A.M. and P.G.C., K. T. of Georgia.
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* This document was transcribed as it was originally created.
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