A secret history in plain site

By Jennifer Weymark/Archivist

What do Henry Ford, Tim Horton, Sir John A. MacDonald and Phil Collins have in common? They, along with many other notable figures throughout history, have aligned themselves with the age-old fraternity known as the Freemasons.

Shrouded in superstition and generally misunderstood, the oft-called “secret society” has been actively involved in bettering communities behind the scenes for centuries This tendency to fly under the radar and reject credit for the many projects and initiatives it undertakes has partly led to many of the misconceptions perpetuated by popular culture over the years.

Freemasonry is the world’s largest and oldest (3,000 years old) fraternal organization with over 3.2 million members worldwide, with 46,000 of those in Ontario.

While it is not a “secret society,” it does have some secrets all related to historic tradition. Its modes of recognition, opening and closing ceremonies, and rituals for conferring the Degrees of Masonry are kept secret. Thousands of works discussing Masonic history, traditions, craft and proceedings are widely available to the public.

The historical origins of Freemasonry date back to the middle ages in Scotland, England and France, where stone mason guilds were developed to train men to construct buildings and enforce a higher standard of workmanship. Passwords and handshakes were developed to protect trade secrets and quickly identify members. Knowing a password gave a stone mason instant credibility in the field.

In the 17^th century, there was a decline in the rate at which cathedrals were constructed, leading to many of the stonemason guilds to begin accepting members who were not masons. These members were called “speculative” or “accepted” masons. From there, membership grew and the focus of the organization shifted.

While the group’s focus no longer remains on the construction of cathedrals, members do continue to quietly play an important role in the community.

The first Masonic lodge in Canada was located in Annapolis, Nova Scotia. The first mention of Freemasonry in Oshawa was prior to 1850. At the time, the village of Oshawa did not have a lodge of its own. Unity Lodge held its first meeting in Whitby on Jan. 9, 1826. This lodge was home to members from various surrounding communities, including Oshawa. The lodge met frequently in either in Whitby or Pickering until 1842, when the lodge split by dissension into two groups which continued to meet separately in Whitby on the regular night. One of the groups moved to Pickering and the other to Oshawa.

The Oshawa group met at the Oshawa House, the hotel operated by Richard Woon and located at the north west corner of King and Centre Streets. Unity lodge never recovered from the split and accumulated debt with the Provincial Grand Master. They held their last meeting on May 15, 1851.

The new Oshawa lodge was named Lebanon Lodge No. 139. and was officially formed in 1861 after a petition was put forth in 1860. Lt.-Col. Silas B. Fairbanks was its first Worshipful Master and their first meeting was held at the Sons of Temperance Hall, located on the west side of Simcoe Street South between John and Lloyd Streets. The lodge slowly grew under the leadership of Fairbanks. In 1864, he was installed as Worshipful Master for a third term, as it oversaw its first inititation of Mr. Patrick Duffy.

As with many organizations, disagreements lead to a division and the creation of another lodge in 1872 when the Cedar Lodge was formed. The Masons continued to grow and saw two new lodges, Temple Lodge and Parkwood Lodge, added in 1928 and 1958 respectively.

The Freemasons continue their work in the community with each lodge now holding its meetings at the Masonic Temple. For more information on the Freemasons in Oshawa, visit the Oshawa Museum and enjoy our latest exhibit Freemasonry: A History Hidden in Plain Sight.