Freemasonry Returns to Spartansburg

Freemasonry is making a formal return to Spartansburg, Pennsylvania, this fall with the newly constituted Spartanburg Traditional Lodge No. 817, a significant milestone after a 50-year absence from the community.

The announcement came during a ceremony at the Spartansburg Volunteer Fire Department on Jan. 11, when Brother Derrick P. Cross was installed as the new District Deputy Grand Master for Masonic District 56.

R.W. Grand Master Larry A. Derr presided over the ceremony, officially constituting the new lodge on June 28.

“It means a lot to me to be a member of a lodge that my grandfather and great uncle were members of,” Derrick said. “If they were still alive today, they would be ecstatic that the lodge was reopening.”

Spartansburg Traditional Lodge No. 817 is unique in that it’s deeply rooted in tradition, meeting four times a year on the night of a full moon. It was common practice in the 18th century for lodges to be held during the full moon, as members traveled by horse and carriage without any lighting. There are 14 other Moon Lodges operating in Pennsylvania.

Lodge No. 817 currently meets in Corry on a temporary basis. But the plan is to return to the historic Sparta Grange Hall, the building where the lodge originally met, this fall. The Spartansburg Community Foundation (SCF) acquired the Grange Building in 2019 and started renovations in 2021. The building had been vacant for several years and needed major repairs. Masons and other members of the community supported these efforts through donations and fundraisers, Derrick said. When Masons are not meeting at the building, it will be used for classes, community events and other activities, said Laurie Patterson, SCF president.

“We will be able to lend a hand in community projects and help with whatever endeavors the Spartanburg Community Foundation deems necessary,” Derrick said.

Discussions about re-establishing the lodge in Spartansburg began in January 2023, when Derrick reached out to Laurie about the idea. Earlier, he had received a phone call from the Union City Historical Society about some original furniture from the lodge they had found. Once the furniture was returned, Derrick and Ryan Knopf, Past District Deputy Grand Master of District 56, discussed potentially bringing the lodge back to the area. The SCF was receptive to the idea, and it was later formally presented and accepted by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.

“It was my goal to re-establish a Masonic presence in Spartansburg,” Ryan said. “Historically, there was a pretty strong presence.”

The lodge will cap its membership at 50 brothers until there is a vacancy. This will create a more intimate and meaningful fraternal environment, Derrick said.

“We didn’t want to take away from the other lodges in the area,” he said. Therefore, to join Spartansburg Lodge, a petitioner must be a member in good standing of another Pennsylvania lodge (his home lodge) in order to apply as a plural member.

Brethren who petition the lodge will be expected to test proficient in certain areas of Freemasonry before they can join.

“Everyone will be on a level playing field,” Ryan said. “We want to make sure all our members know what they’re talking about to better educate new members. From elections to opening and closing the lodge, everything will be done in the exact traditions of the fraternity.”

Derrick, whose home lodge is Corry Lodge No. 365, said there is a lot of enthusiasm among the 36 or so members who petitioned to join Spartansburg Lodge. The inaugural meeting was Oct. 7.

“Everything is going really well,” he said. “This is a big deal. Our guys are really excited about it.”

All officers are required to serve two-year terms and will be installed on the same officer schedule as the Grand Lodge. When they take their oaths and obligations, they will do so on the same Bible that was used in the 1800s, Ryan said.

“Once we started this project and word got out, we heard from many people who had historic items from the original lodge,” he said. “It was cool when people started coming out of the woodwork bringing items back to Spartansburg.”