Grand Lodge of Indiana

Part of a series on

Freemasonry

Overview

* Grand Lodge
* Masonic lodge
* Masonic lodge officers
* Grand Master
* Prince Hall Freemasonry
* Regular Masonic jurisdiction
* Anglo-American Freemasonry
* Continental Freemasonry

History

* History of Freemasonry
* Liberté chérie
* Masonic manuscripts

Masonic bodies

Masonic

* Masonic bodies
* York Rite
* Order of Mark Master Masons
* Holy Royal Arch
* Royal Arch Masonry
* Cryptic Masonry
* Knights Templar
* Red Cross of Constantine
* Scottish Rite
* Knight Kadosh
* Societas Rosicruciana
* Order of Royal and Select Masters
* Grand College of Rites
* Swedish Rite
* Order of Saint Thomas of Acon
* Royal Order of Scotland
* Order of Knight Masons
* Research Lodge
* Corks

Side degrees

* The Shrine
* Royal Order of Jesters
* Tall Cedars of Lebanon
* The Grotto

Masonic groups for women

* Women and Freemasonry
* Order of the Amaranth
* Order of the Eastern Star
* Prince Hall Order of the Eastern Star
* Co-Freemasonry

Masonic youth organizations

* DeMolay
* A.J.E.F.
* Job's Daughters
* International Order of the Rainbow for Girls

Views on Masonry

* Anti-Masonry
* Anti-Masonic Party
* Grand Anti-Masonic Exhibition
* Masonic conspiracy theories
* Christian attitudes towards Freemasonry
* Papal ban of Freemasonry
* Taxil hoax

People and places

* Masonic Temple
* James Anderson
* Prince Hall
* William Preston
* Thomas Smith Webb
* Albert Mackey
* Albert Pike
* John the Evangelist
* John the Baptist
* William Schaw
* Elizabeth Aldworth
* List of Freemasons
* Lodge Mother Kilwinning
* Freemasons' Hall, London
* Mark Masons' Hall, London
* House of the Temple
* Solomon's Temple
* Detroit Masonic Temple
* List of Masonic buildings

Related

* Masonic ritual and symbolism
* Great Architect of the Universe
* Square and Compasses
* Pigpen cipher
* Eye of Providence
* Hiram Abiff
* Chamber of Reflection
* List of Masonic Abbreviations
* Sprig of Acacia
* Masonic Landmarks
* Pike's Morals and Dogma
* Propaganda Due
* Dermott's Ahiman Rezon
* Volume of Sacred Law

By country

* Barbados
* Belgium
* Canada
* China
* Croatia
* Denmark
* France
* Finland
* Germany
* Iceland
* India
* Indonesia
* Israel
* Italy
* Japan
* Lebanon
* Luxembourg
* Malaysia
* Malta
* Mexico
* North Macedonia
* Philippines
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* Scotland
* South Africa
* Spain
* Sri Lanka
* Sweden
* Thailand
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* Venezuela
* United States

* v
* t
* e

Meeting room where the Grand Lodge of Indiana was formed, at the Schofield House in Madison, Indiana

The Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Indiana is one of two statewide organizations that oversee Masonic lodges in the state of Indiana. It was established on January 13, 1818. In 2016 the number of Freemasons in the Grand Lodge of Indiana was 55,553 amongst its 394 separate lodges, currently making it the sixth largest Masonic jurisdiction in the U.S.[1] The Grand Lodge of Indiana's offices and archives are located in the Indianapolis Masonic Temple. The historically black Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Indiana F&AM is the second regular Masonic grand lodge in the state, and it was originally established in 1856 as the Independent Union Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Indiana (National Compact). The two grand lodges agreed to mutual recognition in May 1998, and they jointly share sovereignty over the Masonic fraternity in Indiana.[2]

## Pre-1900

[edit]

The first Lodge in Indiana was created by residents of Vincennes, Indiana. They sought a dispensation to create the Lodge from Louisville, Kentucky's Abraham Lodge #8 in 1806. One was granted in 1807, but due to the distance, they were not able to constitute the lodge. After a second dispensation was sought in 1808, a lodge was formed on March 13, 1809, and the officers were initiated. Other lodges in the Indiana Territory founded by the Grand Lodge of Kentucky were Madison (1815), Charlestown (1816), Melchizedek in Salem (1817), Pisgah in Corydon, Lawrenceburg, Rising Sun, and Vevay (1817). On May 9, 1817, the Grand Lodge of Ohio granted a dispensation for Brookville Harmony Lodge in Brookville, Indiana; this lodge would remain under the Grand Lodge of Ohio for two years following the founding of Indiana's Grand Lodge.[3]

After Indiana attained statehood, it qualified for its own Grand Lodge. While attending the annual meeting of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky in September 1817, members of several lodges within the new state agreed to meet in Corydon with representative from all lodges and discuss the viability of forming a Grand Lodge with the State of Indiana. On December 3, 1817, discussion began as to whether a Grand Lodge for Indiana should be formed, 354 days after Indiana gained statehood. Eleven Freemasons from the various lodges in Indiana met in Corydon, and decided to initiate the new Grand Lodge. Amongst these was the first Lieutenant-governor of Indiana, Christopher Harrison. Thus, the Grand Lodge of Indiana was chartered on January 13, 1818, at the presently-named Schofield House, owned by Alexander Lanier, father of James Lanier and a Freemason as well, in Madison, Indiana. Only three Freemasons attended both meetings. The first Grand Master of Indiana was Alexander Buckner of Charlestown, who would later become a United States senator from Missouri.[4][5][6]

The Grand Lodge would have its first annual meeting in Charlestown, and would alternate between several southern Indiana towns until its 1828 meeting at Indianapolis, where it has remained ever since.[7]

Indiana would not escape the anti-Masonry hysteria of the 1820s-1840 that was touched off by the unexplained disappearance of William Morgan in upstate New York in 1826. In 1828 there were 33 lodges in Indiana; twenty of them had closed by 1835. In 1834 there was talk of dissolving the Grand Lodge, and by 1837 there were only twelve lodges left in Indiana. In many of the years between 1828 and 1842, the Grand Master did not even attend the Grand Lodge meetings. But by 1842 the anti-Masonic panic had waned, and American grand lodges slowly began to grow again.[8]

Following the American Civil War, Freemasonry in the U.S. dramatically increased in popularity, along with the establishment of hundreds of new, similarly modeled fraternal organizations. The period from the late 1860s until the Great Depression of 1929 became known as the 'Golden Age of Fraternalism'. Between 1860 and 1870, Indiana's Masonic membership more than doubled, from 9,727 to 23,308.[9]

## Post-1900

[edit]

In 1916 the Grand Lodge opened the Indiana Masonic Home to support elderly Masons, the widows and orphans of Master Masons, and older members of the Order of the Eastern Star. The Home still exists in Franklin, Indiana and changed its operating name to Compass Park in 2016.[2]

Similar to the post-Civil War expansion, the years straddling World War I saw Indiana's Masonic membership dramatically increase from 54,710 in 1910 to 129,380 by 1930.[9]

By 1957, there were more than 4 million Freemasons in the United States. The Grand Lodge of Indiana had its highest membership at that time with 546 lodges and 185,211 members, or 4% of the state's total population of 4.5 million.[9] Indiana at that time was the fifth largest Masonic jurisdiction in the world.[2] Indianapolis is also home to the two largest Masonic appendant body chapters in the U.S.: throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the Indianapolis Valley of the Scottish Rite at the Scottish Rite Cathedral has been the world's largest Scottish Rite Valley; and the Murat Shrine has been the largest body of Shriners International.[2]

Beginning in the early 1960s, the Grand Lodge of Indiana began erecting historical markers at sites with great Masonic significance. By 2022, 28 of these plaques had been placed across the state.[9]

In 1987, the Masonic Library and Museum of Indiana was established to preserve and protect historical items and records of Indiana Freemasonry. Much of the initial collection was amassed for the 1968 sesquicentennial celebration of the Grand Lodge's founding, but that mission has continued and expanded. The MLMI is located today in the Indianapolis Masonic Temple, which is also the headquarters of the state's fraternity. It is open to the public.

There are also 24 active predominantly African-American, Prince Hall Affiliated (PHA) Masonic lodges in Indiana administered by the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Indiana F&AM, which was established September 16, 1856. The two Indiana grand lodges officially declared mutual recognition in 1998 and enjoy reciprocal visitation.[10] In 2024 there were under 800 Prince Hall GL members of Indiana.[11]

Famous Freemasons from Indiana include John Tipton, Oliver P. Morton, Lew Wallace, General Charles Cruft, Eugene V. Debs, Harvey Weir Cook, Art Nehf, Birch Evans Bayh Sr., Red Skelton, William H. Hudnut, Thomas Taggart, Dan Burton, Samuel Ralston, Colonel Harland Sanders, Dave Thomas, Chapman Jay Root, Caleb B. Smith, David Goodnow, Paul Page, Gus Grissom, and Carl Erskine.

## Gallery

[edit]

* Schofield House, where the Grand Lodge was started

* The Indianapolis Masonic Temple, also known as Indiana Freemasons Hall, is the headquarters of the Grand Lodge of Indiana.

* Early-20th Century Masonic Temple in Jeffersonville, Indiana

* Corydon Lodge Hall, where many Masons who were initial state leaders of Indiana met.

* Scottish Rite Cathedral, Indianapolis

## References

[edit]

1. ^ 2016 List of Lodges Masonic, Pantagraph Printing & Stationery Co.
2. ^ a b c d Hodapp, Christopher L., Heritage Endures: Perspectives On 200 Years Of Indiana Freemasonry, p. 179-180
3. ^ Smith, Dwight L. Goodly Heritage (Grand Lodge F. & A.M. of Indiana, 1968) pg.6,8,9,11
4. ^ Smith pg.18, 42-44
5. ^ "Indiana Freemasons Online". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2015-02-21.
6. ^ Morris, Martha. Christopher Harrison, Indiana Magazine of History Volume 100, #2. (Indiana University Dept. of History, 1920) pg.107
7. ^ Mackey, Albert. The History of Freemasonry (The Masonic History Co., 1898) pg.1458
8. ^ Smith pg.78,79
9. ^ a b c d Hodapp, p. 73-108
10. ^ Hodapp, p. 325-347
11. ^ Advanced Proceedings of the 68th Annual Grand Communications. Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge F&AM of Indiana. 2024.

* Official site

* v
* t
* e

Freemasonry

Fraternal organisations with origins in the United Kingdom in the 18th century, sorted by bodies, lodges, locations and rites

General|

* Abbreviations
* Chamber of Reflection
* History
* Grand Lodge (List)
* Landmarks
* Manuscripts
* Music
* Masonic myths
* Rites
* Ritual and Symbolism
* Lodge
* Research lodge

Square and
Compasses

Freemasons' Hall,
London,
headquarters (1775/1933-)
of the
United Grand
Lodge of England (1722-)

Anglo-American
Freemasonry|

| Eurasia|

| British Isles|

* United Grand Lodge of England
* Grand Lodge of Scotland
* Grand Lodge of Ireland

|

Swedish Rite|

* Swedish Order of Freemasons
* Danish Order of Freemasons
* Icelandic Order of Freemasons
* Norwegian Order of Freemasons
* Grand Lodge of Spain
* Grand Landlodge of the Freemasons of Germany

|

* Armenia
* Belgium
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Finland
* France
* India
* Germany
* Italy
* Regular Grand Lodge
* Grand Orient
* Luxembourg
* North Macedonia
* Malta
* Netherlands
* Philippines
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* Switzerland
* Turkey

Australia and New Zealand|

* United Grand Lodge of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory
* Grand Lodge of New Zealand

|

Americas|

| United States|

* Alabama
* California
* Connecticut
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Missouri
* Nebraska
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Pennsylvania
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Virginia
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin

| African-American|

* Prince Hall Freemasonry

|

Canada|

* Manitoba
* Newfoundland and Labrador
* Ontario

Latin America|

* Brazil
* Chile
* Costa Rica
* Dominican Republic
* Mexico
* Venezuela

Continental
Freemasonry and
Co-Freemasonry,
including CLIPSAS|

| Eurasia|

* Le Droit Humain (several countries)
* Belgium
* Grand Orient
* Female Grand Lodge
* Grand Lodge
* Denmark
* Spain
* Catalonia
* France
* Grand Orient
* Mixed Grand Lodge
* Greece
* Ibérico
* Italy
* Grand Orient of Italy
* Grand Lodge
* Female Grand Lodge
* Malta
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Turkey

|

Americas|

* Universal Co-Masonry
* Venezuela
* United States
* Canada
* Mexico

Appendant Orders|

| Non-Denominational|

* Allied Masonic Degrees
* Grand College of Rites
* Holy Royal Arch (Anglo-European)
* Royal Arch Masonry (American)
* Order of Athelstan
* Order of Knight Masons
* Order of Mark Master Masons
* Order of the Scarlet Cord
* Order of the Secret Monitor
* Order of Royal and Select Masters (Anglo-European)
* Cryptic Masonry (American)
* Royal Ark Mariners
* Shriners

|

Christian Only|

* Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests
* Knights of the York Cross of Honour
* Knights Templar
* Masonic Order of the Bath
* Order of Saint Thomas of Acon
* Red Cross of Constantine
* Reformed and Rectified Rite
* Royal Order of Scotland
* S.R.I.A.
* Royal Order of Eri
* Societas Rosicruciana
* Sovereign Order of Knights Preceptor
* York Rite Sovereign College

Ancient and Accepted
Scottish Rite|

* USA
* Northern Jurisdiction
* Southern Jurisdiction
* Supreme Council of Louisiana

People|

* List of Freemasons
* A–D
* E–Z
* monarchs
* US presidents
* Freemasonry and women

Places|

* Masonic Buildings
* Libraries

Anti-Masonry|

* Anti-Masonry
* Conspiracy theories
* Judeo-Masonic conspiracy theory
* Morgan Affair

* Category

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template