The History of Arlington 58
Throughout our 125-year history, and in spite of many detours along the way, the
members of Arlington Lodge #58 have persevered, never losing site of the vision our
forefathers left for us. It is because of the realization of this shared vision, and the
dedication and commitment of our Masonic brothers, both past and present, that has
allowed us to continue this long. A
rlington Lodge #58 has had a long and rich history, with many of our Masonic
brethren making outstanding contributions that have had a far-reaching impact, not only in Masonry, but in the community at large and society in general. Since it would be impossible to do justice to this 125-year history in a few short paragraphs, we shall
briefly refer to "From whence we came, masonicly, and the historical formation of
Arlington Lodge #58." In 1845, 17 years before the Emancipation Proclamation, Universal Lodge #1 in
Alexandria became the first lodge to be organized by black men in the state of Virginia. Thus Arlington Lodge was granted a charter in October 1888, and was given the number "58." The first officers were:
Henry L. Holmes Worshipful Master Edmund C. Secretary
Tibbett Allen Senior Warden Robert E. Deacon
S. Thompson Junior Warden Abraham Pinn Jr. Deacon
James Tunston Treasurer Henry Thomas ChaplainJohn Alexander Tiler
Henry L. Holmes, first Worshipful Master, also served as Commissioner of Revenue
for Arlington County from July 1, 1876 to December 31, 1903 (27 1/2 years without
interruption). In addition to holding this official post, he was a member of the Grand
United Order of Odd Fellows, Stevens Lodge 1435 for 32 years. He was also a member
of Mt. Zion Baptist Church and, later, became of one of the founders of St. John Baptist
Church. Together with W. Butler, he developed the Butler-Holmes subdivision in the
area now known as Central Arlington. He died on April 13, 1905 at the age of 55. In
recognition of Bro. Holmes' outstanding work and tradition of community service, a
building that was originally located at 2100 N. 14th Street was named in his honor. For a number of years after the death of Brother Holmes, Arlington Lodge #58
continued to meet at Stevens Lodge Odd Fellows Building (located on the site where the
Sheraton Hotel stands today). In 1963, fire destroyed the building and much of the
written history, including many books and irreplaceable records. Fortunately, several
ledgers were saved from the fire and are now permanently housed in the Virginia Room
of the Arlington County Central Library, as part of the Edmund C. Fleet, Jr. collection. Brother Edmund C. Fleet, Sr., donated the original Tiler's sword to Arlington Lodge
in 1888. This sword too, would have been lost in the 1963 fire, had it not been for the
quick thinking of Brother Edmund C. Fleet Jr. You need only to look at the handle of the sword to see the great risk that Brother Fleet took in order to save this Masonic symbol for future generations. Bro Fleet's widow, Mrs. Alice Fleet returned this sword to Arlington Lodge #58 at its building dedication service in 1994. We were very grateful to her for the care and safekeeping that she provided during the time that she cared for one of Masonry's most symbolic possessions -- the Tiler's Sword. Arlington Lodge #58 has functioned masonicly for more than 116 years, except for the
period during World War II. At the end of the war, in 1945, the lodge was reorganized
with the help of Lincoln Lodge #11 of Alexandria. On July 19 of that year, a
dispensation was granted to elect officers; Brother John Galloway was elected Master. On September 7, 1945, Arlington Lodge #58 adopted as its appendant body, Arlington
Chapter #173, Order of the Eastern Star. This newly formed organization consisted of
the wives, mothers, widows, sisters, and daughters of Freemasons. Sister Gladys Scott
Payne was the first Worthy Matron, and Bro. George Gee was the first Worthy Patron. Each year, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Virginia host the "Jewel
Contest", and subordinate lodges from throughout Virginia compete to see which lodge is the most proficient on floor and ritualistic work. In 1981, Arlington Lodge #58 won this most coveted award. On September 18, 1986, Past Master William F. Milton was elected Right Worshipful
Junior Grand Deacon for the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Virginia, in
effect, becoming Arlington Lodge's first member ever in the Grand Line. In 1996, Bro. Milton became Most Worshipful Grand Master of Prince Hall Masons for the jurisdiction of Virginia. W.E.B. Dubois is quoted as saying, "Throughout history, the powers of single black
men flash hare and there like falling stars, and sometimes die before the world has richly gauged their brightness." Fortunately, the seeds of "brightness" planted in 1775 by Prince Hall, our first Masonic Grand Master and his original 14 brothers, continue to illuminate and guide the more than one-half million Masons from around the globe. We, the members of Arlington Lodge #58, being historically linked to Prince hall, feel both a sense of pride and humility, as we commemorate another milestone in the history of our lodge. We attest by our continued presence and participation, that from the labors of our first Master, Henry L. Holmes, and his 12 craftsmen, to the labors of our present Master, Larry Hawthrone and his 105 craftsmen (including 23 active Past Masters and three life members) that this work has not been in vain. Many of our worthy brethren who laid the visionary foundation for the building are no longer among us; however, they can rest in peace knowing that "the attentive ear is still receiving the sound from the instructive tongue, " and that Arlington Lodge #58, 123 years after its inception, is still seeking to promote the highest type of manhood based on the practice of brotherly love, community service and the Golden Rule.
