Hackenburg Mt. Moriah Masonic Lodge Number 19 - 1 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

A Brief History of Hackenburg-Mount Moriah Lodge No. 19: The First 50 Years
Compiled by Bro. Dion Eckenrode, S.W. & Bro. Neil Bender, W.M.

Lodge Origins

Hackenburg-Mount Moriah Lodge No. 19 has merged five times during its long and illustrious history. Originally, our Lodge was known as Montgomery Lodge No. 19. or “Old 19.” Montgomery Lodge No. 19 has been heavily involved in Pennsylvania Masonry since its inception, has played a critical role in Pennsylvania Masonry’s separation from the mother Grand Lodges in England, has played a role in our nation's War of Independence, and continues to be impactful in Pennsylvania Freemasonry to this day.

It is still a matter of debate as to when exactly our beloved Lodge had its humble origins.

Although we no longer have our original warrant from England, it is believed that our first warrant was issued sometime before 1760. Although verification of these claims is not possible, rumors persist that our Lodge began as British Lodge No. 4, originally under the jurisdiction of the (”Modern”) Premier Grand Lodge of England. This Lodge’s original warrant traveled with the British military during the French & Indian War and journeyed back to England after the campaign. We were re-issued a military, or travelling, warrant by the Ancient or “Antient” Grand Lodge of England as Lodge No. 19 sometime after 1760; our Lodge’s number having increased due to the formation of other Lodges in the region. If this account is accurate, it would make us one of the oldest Lodges in the Philadelphia area, second only to Lodge No. 2.

Although the above claim cannot be substantiated, it is well accepted that our Lodge is much older than the date of our present warrant. Proof of this statement is that on June 20, 1764, Lodge No. 19 was on record as one of the founding Lodges of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania established by the Antient Grand Lodge of England in 1761. It is believed by Alexander H. Morgan, the author of History of Montgomery Lodge No. 19 &c., that the newly

constituted Antient Provincial Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania issued several new warrants to existing Lodges in the region. Lodge No. 19, as one of its founding Lodges, “must have surrendered the original Warrant under which it was working” to be re-issued a new one. The earliest documented record for Lodge No. 19 is a military warrant dated May 18, 1779 by the Antient Grand Lodge of England.

Lodge No. 19 & the Military

The first mention of “Old 19” in active military service is in connection with the expedition commanded by General William Sullivan against the British and Indians in the Wyoming Valley during the spring of 1779. Two of the officers, Captain Davis of a Pennsylvania Regiment and Captain Jones of a Delaware Regiment, were killed during this expedition and their remains were buried with Masonic ceremonies at what was then Old Fort Wyoming. Following the expedition’s return, the Lodge members joined the main body of the American Army in winter quarters at Morristown, New Jersey. Lodge No. 19 at that time was composed principally of officers and enlisted men in Thomas Proctor’s Continental Artillery Regiment.

It is important to note the distinction in Pennsylvania between “Modern” Military Lodges which were composed mainly of British Loyalists and “Antient” military Lodges which were composed primarily of American Revolutionaries. The Modern Lodges only accepted officers at their meetings, while the Antient Lodges accepted both officers and enlisted men.
Our Lodge, being one of the Lodges under the jursidiction of the Antients, provided an opportunity to traverse the miliary separation between the officers and the enlisted men by offering them an acceptable place to meet “on the level” with their brethren.

In 1779 on Saint John’s Day, Generals George Washington and Thomas Proctor, and several of the brethren, gathered and opened a Lodge where a committee was appointed to consider the state of Freemasonry in the new Republic. The committee met on February 17, 1780 and issued a report to the existing Provincial Grand Lodges in America. That report outlined the necessity for change in Masonic governance in the newly-established Republic. This was the first organized step toward declaring independence from the Grand Lodge of England, and Lodge 19 was heavily involved.

During the winter of 1779-1780, while the American Army was encamped at Morristown in New Jersey, the members of Lodge No. 19 met as regularly as their military posting permitted. Washinton and many of his officers were frequent visitors at these meetings. This opportunity for engagement not only provided a social outlet, but also produced an insight into the condition and morale of the army that the decorum of the time otherwise prevented. It was during one of these meetings that George Washington conferred Degrees on General Gilbert du Mortier, Marquis de Lafayette. The minutes of St. John’s Lodge in Newark, New Jersey show that in December 1779, their jewels, aprons, and other furniture were loaned to the military Lodge encamped at Morristown for the purpose of initiating General Lafayette. Many famous military generals and enlisted men have been members of “Old 19” or have passed through our Lodge doors. In addition to boasting Washington and Lafayette as visitors, our Lodge can claim General Elias Dayton, General Edward Hand, and General William Maxwell as sometime members.

Under the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania Following Independence

Lodge No. 19’s warrant was subsequently surrendered to the Antient Grand Lodge of England on December 27, 1783 in consequence of the political contentions that the War of Independence was causing. In September 1786, thirteen Lodges convened in Philadelphia. A vote was held and it was decided that the connection to the Antient Grand Lodge of England was to be severed, and that an independent Pennsylvania Grand Lodge was to be established. On October 16, 1786, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania announced its independence and subsequent separation from the Antient Grand Lodge of England. It requested that all existing Pennsylvania Lodges surrender their warrants and have new warrants issued under the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania’s jurisdiction. On December 26, 1786, the decision was made to grant a new warrant to Montgomery Lodge No. 19 to replace their surrendered warrant and on January 2, 1787, the Grand Lodge issued its first warrant following its separation from the Grand Lodge of England to Lodge No. 19.

One could make the argument that an entirely new Lodge was constituted since it had surrendered its warrant almost three years prior; however, this argument would then have to be applied to the founding date for the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. Continuity was retained in Lodge No. 19 with the same Worshipful Master and Wardens remaining under the new warrant—Bro. Thomas Proctor being named as Worshipful Master, Bro. Charles Young as Senior Warden, and Bro. John Melbeck as Junior Warden. Thomas Proctor was a Colonel of the Fourth Battalion of Artillery, commissioned on April 21, 1780. He would eventually be promoted to the rank of Major General on April 12, 1793. Charles Young went on to serve as Worshipful Master of the Lodge in 1788. John Melback held the office of Junior Warden in 1787, but did not advance. In 1784, he was a Private in the Sixth Company, Fourth City

Battalion. In 1786, he was transferred and became a member of the Light Infantry Company of Philadelphia County. On September 11, 1786, he was elected Ensign in the Fifth Company, Third Philadelphia Battalion of Militia.

The death of George Washington occurred on December 14, 1799. Two months later a national memorial service was held at German Lutheran Zion Church (today known as Old Zion Lutheran Church) in Philadelphia, then located at Fourth & Cherry Streets, where the brethren of Lodge No. 19 were well-represented. On August 17, 1800, Lodge No. 19 reported 176 members on its rolls. This ranked among the largest Lodge membership rolls at that time. Stated Meetings were held twice a month on the First and Second Thursdays; Extra Meetings for conferring degrees were held on separate days. Instead of paying annual dues, each member and visitor paid fifty cents when attending a meeting. In today’s dollars that would be roughly equivalent to $12.50. If a brother were to attend every stated meeting for that Masonic year, in today’s dollars, that would be approximately equivalent to paying $250 in annual dues.

Another point of interest is that, through the months of June and July in the year 1811, there were a total of eight Stated and Special meetings. In addition to the conferral of Degrees, much of this extra labor had to do with work preparatory to move to the new hall on Second & Chestnut Streets. Two of these Meetings opened at 6 a.m., thus showing the dedication and industriousness of our brethren in that era. At the stated meeting on June 2, 1836, an application was made to the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania to change the name of the Lodge from “Lodge No. 19” to “Montgomery Lodge No. 19” after Revolutionary War hero Major General Richard Montgomery.

Hackenburg Mount-Moriah Lodge No. 19 traces its roots through mergers of the following Lodges: Montgomery Lodge No. 19, whose name is explained above; Mount Moriah Lodge No. 155, named after the site of King Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem; E. Coppée Mitchell Lodge No. 605, named after a Past Grand Master of Pennsylvania; William B. Hackenburg Lodge No. 703, named after a Past Grand Treasurer of Pennsylvania; and Bayse Newcomb Lodge No. 745, also named after a Past Grand Master.

It is necessary to point out that our Lodge has been heavily involved in the work of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania since its inception: it was the Lodge where Brother Washington and others played an instrumental role in Pennsylvania Masonry’s separation from England; it was the common ground between generals and enlisted men alike, having an impact on military operations and troop morale during the Revolutionary War; and I have an unquestioning belief that this Lodge will continue in this tradition and be impactful in Pennsylvania Freemasonry in the years to come.

References

Dorman, W.A. Newman. “The Second Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry.” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 45, no. 3 (1921): 257-291.

Morgan, Alexander H. History of Montgomery Lodge, no. 19, F. & A. M., from its earliest records as a provincial lodge: also an account of the centennial celebration of the present warrant, biographical sketches of past Masters, and a list of officers and members of the lodge. Philadelphia: Inquirer Printing & Publishing Company 1887.

Sachse, Julius Friedrich. Old Masonic Lodges of Pennsylvania, "Moderns" and "Ancients" 1730-1800 Which Have Surrendered Their Warrants or Affiliated with Other Grand Lodges, Compiled from Original Records in the Archives of the R. W. Grand Lodge, R. & A.M. of Pennsylvania, Under the Direction of the Committee on Library. Lancaster, Pa.: New Era Printing Company, 1913.