Prince Hall Freemasonry Collection

Organizational Note

Prince Hall Freemasonry began in the late eighteenth century when a group of free black men, led by Prince Hall (d. 1807), petitioned and were made members of a Masonic lodge attached to an Irish regiment stationed in Boston, Massachusetts. By 1784 the group had formed their own lodge and received a charter from the Grand Lodge of England. Since that time, Prince Hall Affiliated Freemasonry, with a predominantly black membership, has developed in a parallel evolution with so-called mainstream (i.e., predominantly white) Freemasonry in the United States. This is the case with the affiliated and appendant bodies as well, such as the Scottish Rite, York Rite, Eastern Star, and Shriners.

The first Prince Hall Masonic Lodge established in Columbus was Bradwell Lodge no. 4 (now Lewis Hayden Lodge no. 6) on 24 June 1871. Since 1871 seven additional lodges, as well as three Chapters of the Order of Eastern Star, have been established in Columbus. Many pillars of the community have belonged to Prince Hall Masonic bodies in the Columbus area. Martin Luther King, Jr., gave a speech at the Prince Hall building in July 1958.

Scope and Content

This small collection consists of one box of materials related to Prince Hall Freemasonry in Columbus, Georgia (1951-2013).1 box (.33 linear feet)

Permission to Publish

Permission to publish material from the Prince Hall Freemasonry Collection (MC 356) must be obtained from the Columbus State University Archives at Columbus State University. Use of the following credit line for publication or exhibit is required:

Prince Hall Freemasonry Collection (MC 356) Columbus State University Archives Columbus, Georgia

See also

Prince Hall Grand Lodge materials at The King Center

Box and Folder List

Box 1

• Folder 1 - Columbus Prince Hall History Tour booklet, n.d.
• Folder 2 - 100 Years of Light: Mt. Pisgah Lodge #53 F. & A.M. Centennial (December 11, 1988)
• Folder 3 - Grand Lodge of Georgia Programs
  • This folder contains:
    • Souvenir Program, The 91st Annual Communication, Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons / The 61st Annual Communication, Prince Hall Grand Chapter Order of Eastern Star Jurisdiction of Georgia (June 14-16, 1960), held at Albany State College Proceedings, 99th Grand Lodge Communication of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons Jurisdiction of Georgia (June 1968), held in Columbus, Georgia
• Folder 4 - Photos
  • This folder contains:
    • 89th Annual Session Prince Hall Grand Lodge F. & A.M. (June 10-11, 1958), Atlanta, Georgia; John Wesley Dobbs, Grand MasterGrand Lodge Officers (1951); John Wesley Dobbs shaking hands with Grand Master Amos T. Hall of OklahomaJohn Wesley Dobbs, n.d.John Wesley Dobbs, Imperial Potentate, AEAONMS, wearing fez, n.d.Unidentified photo (United Supreme Council, Scottish Rite?) October 15, 1951, Birmingham, Alabama59th Annual Session, Prince Hall Grand Chapter Order of the Eastern Star (June 9-12, 1958), Atlanta, Georgia
• Folder 5 - Other Programs
  • This folder contains:
    • Souvenir Program, Conference of Prince Hall Grand Masters (May 2-4, 1955), held in Atlanta, Georgia95th Grand Session Holy Royal Arch Masons / 17th Grand Session Heroines of Jericho (June 13-15, 1998), held in Savannah, Georgia
• Folder 6 - The Prince Hall Masonic Review, Official Organ of the M.W. Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons, Jurisdiction of Georgia (First Quarter 1961)
• Folder 7 - The Open Door, Published by the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Free and Accepted Masons of Georgia
  • This folder contains:
    • Fifth edition 1996Third edition 1997Second edition 1998Third edition 1998First edition 1999Second (?) edition 1999
• Folder 8 - Phylaxis
  • This folder contains:
    • Vol. XX, no. 2Vol. XXI, no. 1Vol. XXXVII, no.2Vol. XXXIX, no. 4
• Folder 9 - Pyramid, Official Journal of the Imperial Council Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine of North and South American and its Jurisdictions, Inc. Vol. 70, Issue 1 (May 2013)