Monticello Masonic Lodge history
History of Monticello Lodge No. 532, F. & A. M.
Wor. David S. Starr, First Master of Monticello Lodge #532


The above photograph of Wor. Bro. David Starr, the first Master of Monticello Lodge No. 532, which formerly hung in the Tyler's room of the Lodge hall in Monticello, now resides in the Lodge room of the Liberty Masonic Building.

Monticello Lodge No. 532 of Free & Accepted Masons, which convenes regularly on the third floor at 5 Eagle Drive, Liberty, New York, began meeting in Monticello during the year 1862; immediately succeeding Sullivan Lodge No. 460 which was chartered in 1858. The area's initial Masonic Temple, atop the old Curley Hotel at the current site of the Nowhere Bar across from Village Hall (Broadway & Pleasant St.), housed Sullivan Lodge #272, upon which construction commenced in 1805 -- only months after the first house here was completed. The first Temple, demolished in the blaze of 1909 which took much of the village, was replaced by the present structure that same year. Freemasonry is engrained in the local culture.

The earliest recorded lodge in Sullivan County was Sullivan No. 272 which was warranted at Monticello, January 2, 1817. This Lodge and Bloomingburg Lodge No. 310, which was warranted June 24, 1818, both existed during James Monroe's "Era of Good Feeling" and enjoyed prosperous days until the Morgan affair and Anti-Mason groups caused membership to dwindle and interest to wane, to the extent that Sullivan Lodge failed to report to Grand Lodge after June, 1829. Four years before Bloomingburg made its last report. Grand Lodge was patient and waited until June 1835 before it passed a resolution for forfeiture of the Sullivan charter, and June 1833 before it took similar action with the Bloomingburg Lodge.

These were the only lodges to exist in Sullivan County until 1858 when Lodge 460, the one to which Monticello Lodge No. 532 is the successor, was chartered. Callicoon Lodge No. 521; Mongaup Lodge No. 816 (which merged to form Liberty Lodge No. 521); Delaware Lodge 561, Livingston Manor Lodge 791, and Fallsburg Lodge No. 1122 all originated since that time.

Requests for genealogical information concerning deceased members of lodges in the Grand Lodge of New York may be made through the Livingston Masonic Library.


Published Works.

Dot History of Early Masonry In Monticello and Sullivan County, A.O. Benton, et al., 1942 Download Here
Lodge History Is Now In the Hands Of the Printers, The Gavel, October 1942.
Monticello Lodge's History Contains Interesting Facts, The Gavel, October 1943.
Dot Souvenir of Monticello Masonic Fair and Carnival, July 20-23, 1920.
Monticello Lodge #532, F.&A.M.
Village of Monticello History
Old Photos of Monticello
Carnival and Fair Program
Carnival and Fair Committees
 Republican Watchman display ad

Lodge History.
Dot Keeping Up With The Joneses A Daunting Task, founders of Monticello's first Masonic lodge.
Dot Sit Lux Et Lux Fuit, text of the Warrant of Monticello Lodge #532, F.&A.M., June 11, 1863.
Dot Local man was Kansas governer at age 23, was Worshipful Master, 1872-1874.
Dot Excerpts from old Treasurer's account book, survived the great fire, 1896 to 1901 shown.
Dot Monticello in flames, conflagration decimated Monticello, including the Masonic Temple, August 10, 1909
Dot Mason Sanford Case left mark on Sullivan County, artisan, stonemason, carpenter, builder new
Dot "Hidden woman' became a national scandal, hanky panky in the Masonic Building?
Dot Bro. William B. McMillen, treasurer for 30 years, portrait and Masonic history, raised 1866, died 1926.
Dot Two District Deputies for Delaware-Sullivan Area Proposed for Efficiency, The Gavel, March 1942.
Dot Masonry Speaks, by Wor. Bro. Alvin O. Benton, March-April 1943.
Dot Remarks by County Judge George L. Cooke, at Monticello Masonic Temple, May 28, 1943.
Dot Redistricting Studied By R.W. Newkerk at Utica Conference, The Gavel, March 1945.
Dot Convention here April 18, The Gavel, March 1945.
Dot Three Candidates Receiving Degrees, The Gavel, March 1945.
Dot Wor. John Brown 50 Years A Mason, The Gavel, March 1945.
Dot Proposal of Joining Sullivan's Six Lodges and Warwarsing into one District Studied, The Gavel, March 1945.
Dot Outstanding Ritualists Take Office for 1948, The Gavel, February 1948.
Dot Master's Message, by Wor. Hugh R. Richmond, The Gavel, April 1948.
Dot Brotherhood Fund Off To Flying Start, The Gavel, February 1948.
Dot Callicoon Lodge Building Burned to the Ground, The Gavel, April 1948.
Dot Monticello Masons Never Too Old To Learn, The Gavel, April 1948.
Dot Installation Night Hi-Lights, The Gavel, February 1950.
Dot Thanks for Loyalty Says Wor. Bro. Stackhouse, The Gavel, February 1950.
Dot New Secretary, Wor. Bro. Charles Horton, The Gavel, February 1950.
Dot Bro. Blake Bates To Receive Lodge Service Medal, The Gavel, February 1950.
Dot A Hammond Organ May Soon Grace Lodge, The Gavel, February 1950.
Dot Masons to Join With Resort Owners In Honoring Sullivan, The Gavel, February 1950.
Dot James Rose, Williams Reynolds To Speak On Benevolance, Feb. 10th, The Gavel, February 1950.
Dot Bro. Rose Speaks at Area Meeting, The Gavel, February 1950.
Dot Fellowcraft Club To Direct Social Programs, The Gavel, February 1950.
Dot Historical remarks by Wor. Bro. Alvin O. Benton, at mortgage burning ceremony, October 1951.
Dot Masons clear Temple debt, The Republican Watchman, October 19, 1951.
Dot Bro. Blake Bates, organist for 34 years, portrait and Masonic history, raised 1899, died 1952.
Dot Masonic Building to have new face, Newsreel, October 1956.
Dot Monticello Lodge Donates Blood Bank Refrigerator to Monticello Hospital, The Gavel, November 1960.
Dot Old Timers' Night Great Success!, remarks by R.:W.: Bro. Alvin O. Benton, March 27, 1961.
Dot Centennial Celebration May 18-19-20, Sullivan District event, The Gavel, May 1962.
Dot The Gavel, style of Monticello Lodge's trestleboard for over 20 years; November 1963 shown.
Dot $1,000 In World's Fair Tickets Bought By Lodge, The Gavel, November 1963.
Dot Masonic Service Pins For Locals In Sunny Clime, The Republican Watchman, March 18, 1971.
Dot R.:W.: Bro. Alvin O. Benton personal and Masonic history, raised 1937, died 1993.
Dot Presentation of historic centennial trowel by Delhi Lodge #439, F.&A.M., June 13, 1998.
Dot Monticello Mourns the Passing of Chief Judge Lawrence H. Cooke, 1914-2000 recipient of DeWitt Clinton Masonic Award
Dot History of the Monticello Lodge, published in A Masonic Portrait of the Empire State, written January 7, 2001.
Dot Certificate of Apppreciation, to R.:W.: Burton Ledina from Monticello Lodge for many years of ritual assistance, March 11, 2001.
Dot Certificate of Apppreciation, to Port Jervis Lodge #321 for years conducting Monticello's installation of officers, June 25, 2001.
 Dot Introduction to Prince Hall Masonry, remarks by PM Edward Scott, Bethany Lodge #101; Certificate, November 26, 2001.
Dot Retired CIA agent spoke to a packed hall at Monticello Lodge, The Sullivan County Democrat, November 8, 2002.
Dot Eight new Master Masons raised in Monticello Lodge at Grand Master's one-day class in Newburgh, March 29, 2003.
Dot Historical records returned to Monticello Freemasons, membership ledgers, Black Book, and more, July 26, 2003.
Dot Herman and Alfred Reinshagen honored for 60 years of Freemasonry, October 27, 2003.
Dot Three Freemasons raised in Sullivan area lodges, new members of Monticello, Liberty, Fallsburg lodges, March 12, 2004.
Dot Freemasonry from Monticello's earliest days, submitted for inclusion in Monticello's bicentennial journal, written April 4, 2004.

Masonic Veterans.
Dot Monticello Lodge war memorial, oak plaque in Lodge hall.
Dot Allen D. Seaman Gets All Degrees Within One Week, The Gavel, October 1942.
Dot Grand Master's War Chest, 1942 display ad.
Dot Lodge Votes to Remit Dues of Men in Service, text of resolution, The Gavel, March 1944.
Dot On the Fighting Fronts, letters from Masonic soldiers, The Gavel, February-March 1944.
Dot Lt. John C. Crawford killed in Viet Nam, Sullivan County Democrat, May 23, 1967.
Dot Monti Masons Honor Community Servants, Sullivan County Democrat, May 20, 1997.
Dot Freemasons pay tribute to Sullivan County's veterans, The Towne Crier, November 19, 2002.

A Matter Of Grave Concern.
Dot Order of events at St. John's Cemetery, Monticello, August 12, 1996 [PHOTOS].
Dot Welcome by Bro. Anthony Lubniewski on behalf of the Worshipful Master, August 12, 1996.
Dot Introduction by Bro. Tom Rue at a ceremony in a Monticello cemetary, August 12, 1996.
Dot Keeping up with the Joneses, remarks by Hon. Burton Ledina, August 12, 1996.
Dot Building today's community, remarks by Dr. Bob Havlena, D.S.W., August 12, 1996.
Dot Proclamation of the NYS Senate, on the Joneses and local Freemasonry, August 12, 1996.
Dot Standing up the Joneses, The River Reporter, August 15, 1996.
Dot Graveside service for a founding family, The River Reporter, August 8, 1996.
Dot Letter from NYS Senator Charles D. Cook regarding John P. Jones, June 14, 1996.
Dot Account of a meeting on the restoration of historic graves, June 13, 1996.
Dot Genealogy of John P. Jones, early Master of the first Lodge in Sullivan County, 1779-1858.

General Masonic Interest.
Dot Masonic Emblem On Lottery Stamps, The Gavel, May 1942.
Dot Notes On Masonic Ritual and Symbolism, The Gavel, April 1948.
Dot Deduct Brotherhood Gifts From Tax Returns, The Gavel, February 1950.
Dot The Legend of the Third Degree, The Gavel, November 1960.
Dot Masonic Emblems on a $1 bill, The Gavel, November 1960.
Dot Junior Order of United American Mechanics, Monticello Council No. 63.

Local History Links (External).
Dot Village of Monticello history.
Dot Sullivan County Historical Society.
Dot Sullivan County GenWeb.