Historical Notes

 

 

The following section was excerpted from the "History and By-Laws of Tarpon Lodge" (August 11, 1958), page 5:

"There were three occasions when we lost our greatest number of members. The first was in 1908 when we gave of our membership to form Sutherland Lodge No. 174, in Sutherland, (now Palm Harbor) Florida. The next time was in 1914 when we gave again of our membership to form King Hiram Lodge No. 68 in Elfers, Florida. It was a sad day when King Hiram Lodge became defunct in 1938. The third time was during the lean years 1928-36 when many members were suspended for non-payment of dues. This was indeed regrettable as neither the membership nor the Lodge were in such financial condition to carry those suspended."

J.C. Craver's store in Palm Harbor
(then 'Sutherland') in the late 1800's.
Craver was the Lodge's first Worhsipful Master.		 Downtown Palm Harbor, 1966
Florida Avenue from the West looking East
Sutherland Lodge is just left of center in the photo.
Photo courtesy of The Florida Photographic Collection Photo courtesy of The St. Petersburg Times

 

The following section was excerpted from "The Grand Lodge of Florida Free and Accepted Masons History, 1830 - 1988, Volume One - The Lodges" by J.Roy Crowther, PGM, Grand Historian. Copyright © 1988

Sutherland Lodge No. 174 was chartered January 21, 1909 to meet at Sutherland in Hillsborough County.

The chartering Grand Lodge Officers were:

Elmer Ellsworth Haskell - Grand Master
Louis C. Massey - Deputy Grand Master
Albert W. Gilchrist - Senior Grand Warden
George B. Glover - Junior Grand Warden
Wilber P. Webster - Grand Secretary

 

 

The three Line Officers at chartering were:

James C. Craver - Worshipful Master
D.A. Hendrix - Senior Warden
Carter O. Jones - Junior Warden

Sutherland Lodge No. 174 was chartered with twenty members, they came from Barrett Lodge Number 43, Bronson No. 7, Hillsborough No. 25, Star No. 78, Plant City No. 79, DeSoto No. 105, Tarpon No. 112 and Citrus No. 118, all Florida Lodges, and Zerubbabel No. 15 of Georgia. Four of these charter members had received their degrees in Sutherland Lodge while under dispensation.

These charter members were:
James C. Craver, W.M. (112) Henry M. Fulford (43)
D.A. Hendrix, S.W. (105) Walter P. Hartman (118)
Carter G. Jones, J.W. (7) Charles F. Wall (25)
William R. Campbell (112) E.W. McMullen (78)
Julius E. Ulmer (112) Isaac A. Vernon (79)
William M. Ulmer (112) Jesse C. Green (15)
George H. Smith (112) Craven Roberts (U.D.)
Reddin B. Hill (112) William D. Wood (U.D.)
Henry F. Penny (112) W.B.Thompson (U.D.)
Benjamin Burghstream (112) A.M. Meeks (U.D.)

 

 

 

This is the only lodge to use number 174 and is still an active lodge. This lodge now meets at Palm Harbor in Pinellas County.

 

 
Photo taken of the Lodge in 1933. Building originally constructed in 1888 and is the oldest standing structure in Palm Harbor.
Wood carving of Square and Compasses, also from the 1930's.
NOTE: Photo and wood carving courtesy of Mrs. Alice Walters of Palm Harbor.

 

Junior Deacon Jewel as used in
Sutherland Lodge in the early 20th century.
Jewel is on display at the Lodge.