Concord, Virginia
The beginnings of Reedy Spring Lodge No. 202 are somewhat fragmented. There seem to be no records of a petition for a new Lodge having been made to the Grand Lodge of Virginia, but evidently the Grand Master had granted such permission sometime early in 1865. On September 14, 1865, Reedy Spring Lodge met in a stated communication at Reedy Spring Academy, Appomattox County, Vi
rginia to conduct business. Elam presided as Worshipful Master with the other chairs being filled pro-tempore. A motion was made and carried that an election be held “to fill the vacancies in the Lodge” at the next regular communication. The election was held at a meeting on September 23, 1865, with the officers being elected as recorded in the minutes. At this meeting a motion was made by Brother Robert W. Pace (newly elected Senior Deacon) that Brother “William G. Coleman, who has taken his first and second degrees in Duke Military Lodge No. 210, be allowed to take the Master Masons degree in this Lodge”, on the payment of $5.00 and by being vouched for by Brother William S. Hannah (newly elected Senior Warden). The following is noted in the next paragraph: “I do certify that Brother William G. Coleman has taken the first and second degrees of Masonry in Duke Military Lodge No. 210. Given under my hand this 23rd day of September 1865.” Brother Hannah signed the statement and listed his title as Senior Warden of Duke Military Lodge No. 210. In Browns History of Marshall Lodge, he writes, “It may be remarked here that there were many military Lodges in the armies of both North and South during the War of Secession, the Grand Lodge of Virginia having chartered a number of them in various Virginia units. It is thought that several Lodges presently working in Virginia were actually successors to previously existing military Lodges. Monitor Lodge No. 197 at Phoebus and Lee Lodge No. 209 at Waynesboro, which were chartered by the Grand Lodge of Virginia in 1865 and 1866, are presumed to belong to this category.” We must assume then that Duke Military Lodge No. 210 fell into this same category. The bylaws of Laurel Lodge No. 112 were adopted by motion as the bylaws of Reedy Spring Lodge at the September 23, 1865, meeting. Curiously enough, Laurel Lodge No. 112 was first chartered as Amity Lodge at the Grand Lodge of Virginia, December 15, 1818 and was located in the Town of Fincastle in Botetourt County. Today, Lodge No. 112 is located in Barboursville, Virginia, having been founded December 14, 1887. Somewhere between 1818 and 1887, Amity Lodge No. 112 disbanded and gave up its charter. “Laurel Lodge” took the number 112 until it, too, disbanded and the number again was assigned to Barboursville Lodge No. 112 in 1887. A meeting was held November 11, 1865, to initiate two candidates whose petitions had been read at the September meeting and to raise Brother Coleman (previously mentioned). At the conclusion of the degree work, The Worshipful Master found it necessary to resign, due to moving his residence “30 or 40 miles distant.”
After the November meeting, no communication was held until April 7, 1866. This is the first meeting where the number A203" appears with the Lodge name. (Reedy Springs Charter is dated December 13, 1865 and is signed by Edward H. Lane, Grand Master of Masons in Virginia). The minutes indicate that even though he had “resigned”, John R. Elam was installed as Worshipful Master (by proxy, he was not present). A petition was voted on and a petition was read at this first meeting after being chartered. Also, a motion was made and carried that the regular communication be changed from the second to the first Saturday at 2:00PM. (Reedy Spring Lodge No. 203 now meets every second Tuesday at 7:30 PM). New officers were elected and installed at the June 2, 1886, communication. In early 1869, sentiment seemed to rise for the removal of the Lodge from Appomattox County, Virginia to Concord Depot, Virginia. Notification was made and a meeting was held April 17, 1869. The minutes read, “A motion was seconded that the order of this Communication be postponed till our next Regular Communication, which was lost. The ballot was then circulated upon the motion of the removal of this Lodge and upon examination was found unfair, therefore the Worshipful Master declared the motion of removal as finally rejected.” At the August 7, 1869, meeting, the motion to move to Concord Depot was again made and this time was passed. The October 2, 1869, Communication was held in the Lodge Room, Concord, Campbell County, Virginia. A petition was read at this meeting. Reedy Spring Lodge continued to be active throughout the remainder of the century. Many community-centered events are described in the minutes of the meetings. The Brethren of Reedy Spring Lodge No. 203 met and laid the cornerstone of Bethel Church (Methodist) in July 1892 as well as the cornerstone of the Appomattox County Courthouse in August that same year. The turn of the century found the Lodge active and prosperous. Many new candidates were raised and activities abound. Instances of daylong and into-the-night meetings being held to confer degrees are recorded. The Depression brought a period of despair to Reedy Spring Lodge. Many suspensions for non-payment of dues, demits and death took their toll of the membership. Expressions of gratitude to members of Marshall Lodge No. 39, Mackey Lodge No. 69, Hill City Lodge No.183, and Monroe Lodge No. 301 were extended for their help in sustaining the Lodge through the period. Membership and Lodge activity began to increase in the late 1940's and early 1950's. Inter-Lodge visiting seemed to be at an all-time high. On December 3, 1960, Reedy Spring Lodge held their first meeting in a new Lodge hall. The old quarters (second floor of the Church) were sold to Bethlehem Methodist Church. This lodge was sold in 2011 to the Concord Volunteer Fire Dept. The membership built a new one story lodge on Phoebe Pond Rd. in Concord, VA situated on the same grounds as the original lodge from 1869. Reedy Spring Lodge continues as an active, prosperous Lodge. After many years of service to our community and Freemasonry in the Commonwealth of Virginia, we are most proud that we, as a Lodge of friends and Brothers, have the honor to be called the “Mother Lodge” of Most Worshipful Glover Hunter Jones, Jr., the 140th Grand Master of Masons in Virginia, and Most Worshipful Glover Hunter Jones, III, the 161st
