Benjamin Franklin Lodge #83, Madison, WI

On Friday, March 5, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting up with two fine Masons and Masonic Society members, Marc Conrad and Mike Poll, in their home city of New Orleans. New Orleans, particular during the months of March to June, is one of my favorite places to visit. Its rich and diverse culture, expressed so vibrantly in its food, architecture, and music, never fails to deliver a great time. For Masonic historians and ritualists, however, New Orleans has the added bonus of holding some of America’s most interesting lodges and Masonic structures.

Before setting out on our impromptu Masonic tour, Marc, Mike, and I had lunch at Mandina’s on Canal Street, a casual place which serves up some fine Creole cooking. A few Abitas, and a fried oyster po-boy for me, we were off. Freemasonry in New Orleans, much like a good gumbo, is the product of diverse ingredients and traditions. A Loge de Parfaits d’Ecosse, or Rite of Perfection lodge working 25 degrees, may have been the city's earliest Masonic body. It was organized in 1763 (making it the first lodge working the so-called haute grades of Masonry in North America). Shortly thereafter, France ceded control of New Orleans to the Spanish and Freemasonry was forced to go underground. Freemasonry, as a result, really did not begin to develop in New Orleans until the 1790s.

Today there are 10 symbolic lodges operating in New Orleans (composing the 16th District of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana, F. & A.M.) which reflect the diverse cultural/ethnic background of the city: Etoile Polaire No. 1 (French 1794); Perserverance No. 4 (French 1810); Cervantes No. 5 (Spanish 1842); Germania No. 46 (German 1844); Kosmos No. 171 (German 1864); Union No. 172 (English 1865); Dante No. 174 (Italian 1866); Galileo Mazzini No. 368 (Italian 1917); Albert Pike No. 376 (English 1919); Paul M. Scheidau No. 391 (English 1921). All of these lodges worked and continue to work in variations of the French or Modern Rites of Masonry (first three Scottish Rite degrees), though meetings are now conducted in English.

Our first stop was a visit to Germania No. 46’s temple building which was constructed in 1930.

In 1944, its last meeting was opened in German and closed in English. We passed by, but did not stop at, the Masonic cemetery as I had already visited it on a previous trip. The cemetery was founded in 1865 by the Grand Lodge of Louisiana, F. & A.M. It is in two section and remains in active use. As with virtually all cemeteries in New Orleans, bodies are placed in above ground vaults (at least, as the local rule goes, for "a year and a day" after which whatever remains can be pushed further in and someone else given the space). There are individual mausoleums and lodge plots where ashes can be spread.

We next drove by the old Grand Lodge of Louisiana headquarters, which is now The Hilton - St. Charles. Its cornerstone was laid in 1926, the period of grand Masonic building in America, and the building was completed around 1929. It served as the Grand Lodge headquarters until the mid-1980s. I am told that some of its former rooms have been preserved by the hotel for conferences and banquets. Moving on to the historic French Quarter, Bro. Marc pointed out some curious Masonic ironwork on one of the many balconies gracing this area. As he is writing a paper on this item, I can say no more other than it is indeed Masonically significant. I did not get to go in, but had the pleasure of seeing from the outside the Scottish Rite Cathedral in New Orleans.

The main structure dates to 1850 when it served as the First United Methodist Church. It was purchased by the Grand Consistory of Louisiana in 1905.

The high point of my Masonic visit to New Orleans this time was my chance to view Etoile Polaire No. 1’s temple building. Etoile Polaire No. 1, as previously mentioned, was chartered in 1794 by French and Creole settlers. This lodge has operated under several different charters including the Grand Orient of France (pictured) and the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania before helping organize the Grand Lodge of Louisiana. Its building is located in the Faubourg Marigny district of New Orleans, many of whose original residents were French refugees from Saint Domingue (modern-day Haiti). The temple dates to around 1850 and its lodge room lay out is decidedly different than that of a typical York Rite lodge in the United States. I cannot disclose the contents of Etoile Polaire’s “chamber of reflection,” but should you have the opportunity to view it, do so. Behind the temple is a building that used to serve as a guest house for visiting brothers. Sadly, a large low-income housing project is now being constructed next to this historic building and will soon overshadow it.

New Orleans is a remarkable city. Its Masonic history is no less so. I look forward to my next visit when, hopefully, I’ll be able to sit in a lodge and perhaps peak around the old Grand Lodge building. Thanks again W.Bros. Marc and Mike!

S & F

Robert Blackburn