Mountain Masonic Lodge No. 140 was organized on March 15, 1878. The first meeting place is unknown. It is presumed to have been in a private home or a store building. The first elected officers were as follows:
P. D. Grove Worshipful Master
C. G. Hill Senior Warden
Alex Trenor Junior Warden
W. C. Mann Treasurer
S. C. McGuire Secretary
N. N. Ripley Senior Deacon
J. A. Lee Junior Deacon
William Stonehauser Chaplain
E. T. Myers Tiler
The members were Jeremiah Ross, George Lugan and James Mann. They met under dispensation until December 10, 1878, at which time they received their charter. The Master was Worshipful P.D. Grove. The Lodge became inactive in 1886, was declared suspended in 1887, and revived on May 23, 1888.
The first Lodge was built in the Sinking Creek Section of the county where the Hall Road (named Hall Road due to the fact that it had a Masonic Hall located on the road) from Route 621 from Upper Craigs Creek joins Route 42 on Sinking Creek. The meetings were held on the third Friday in the beginning, but were later changed to the first Saturday after the full moon in each month, except when the moon was full on Saturday, in which case they met on that Saturday.
The Lodge increased in membership on Sinking Creek until December 1937, at which time they voted to consolidate with the Door of Virtue Lodge No. 163 at New Castle, but retain their name. The move to New Castle came about because an equal amount of money, $1,643.00 each, was left to the two Lodges for the purpose of erecting a suitable Lodge to further Masonry in the county. This request was in the will of Brother Miles Givens. Committees from the two Lodges agreed that the best plan would be to consolidate and build one Lodge in New Castle, this being the central location in Craig County.
The new lodge building was built in 1940 at 255 Main Street, New Castle, VA. The Lodge was originally built to be self-sustaining. The bottom level housed the New Castle Movie Theather. The upper floor was used as a dance and social hall on the Weekends. The Daughters of the American Revolution were the primary renters of the Social Hall.
The theatre was closed in the 1960s and converted into a Social Hall for the use of the lodge and Eastern Star functions. Mountain Lodge No. 140 continued to improve the facilities and in 1978, the social hall on the ground floor was completed to include kitchen facilities. This was accomplished with great financial support from Mountain Chapter No. 168, Order of the Eastern Star.
The upper level is now a Masonic Lodge Room, where many men were initiated, passed and raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason. The building is still in use by the Mountain Lodge No. 140 and has been designated as one of the “historically significant” buildings in the Historical District of New Castle.
In October 1978, the Lodge celebrated its one hundredth anniversary, with Most Worshipful Robert Randle Kennedy, Jr., Grand Master of Masons in Virginia as guest speaker. Because the Lodge had some problems, and needed to be revived on May 23, 1888, Most Worshipful G. Hunter Jones, Jr., Grand Master of Masons in Virginia presented a second anniversary plaque in 1988.
Door to Virtue Lodge No. 109, chartered December 13, 1854 was located in the town of New Castle over what is now the Farmers and Merchants Bank of Craig County; Worshipful Clifton G. Hill was the first Master. Door to Virtue No. 109 went inactive in 1871, was suspended in 1875 and closed December 11, 1877; Worshipful C.G. Hill being the Master at closing.
Door to Virtue Lodge was re-chartered as No. 163 on December 10, 1878 with Worshipful Clifton G. Hill as Master. It closed November 9, 1937 when it consolidated with Mountain Lodge No. 140, Worshipful Charles P. Ferrell being the Master of Door of Virtue at the time of consolidation.
Simmonsville Lodge No. 49, chartered December 11, 1877 with Worshipful Samuel H. Taylor as Master. On February 15, 1932, with Worshipful H.E. Echols as Master, the charter was surrendered as the lodge had been inactive for some time; membership being at 14.
by: Worshipful James W. Holtman - Mountain No. 140, 2013
P. D. Grove Worshipful Master
C. G. Hill Senior Warden
Alex Trenor Junior Warden
W. C. Mann Treasurer
S. C. McGuire Secretary
N. N. Ripley Senior Deacon
J. A. Lee Junior Deacon
William Stonehauser Chaplain
E. T. Myers Tiler
The members were Jeremiah Ross, George Lugan and James Mann. They met under dispensation until December 10, 1878, at which time they received their charter. The Master was Worshipful P.D. Grove. The Lodge became inactive in 1886, was declared suspended in 1887, and revived on May 23, 1888.
The first Lodge was built in the Sinking Creek Section of the county where the Hall Road (named Hall Road due to the fact that it had a Masonic Hall located on the road) from Route 621 from Upper Craigs Creek joins Route 42 on Sinking Creek. The meetings were held on the third Friday in the beginning, but were later changed to the first Saturday after the full moon in each month, except when the moon was full on Saturday, in which case they met on that Saturday.
The Lodge increased in membership on Sinking Creek until December 1937, at which time they voted to consolidate with the Door of Virtue Lodge No. 163 at New Castle, but retain their name. The move to New Castle came about because an equal amount of money, $1,643.00 each, was left to the two Lodges for the purpose of erecting a suitable Lodge to further Masonry in the county. This request was in the will of Brother Miles Givens. Committees from the two Lodges agreed that the best plan would be to consolidate and build one Lodge in New Castle, this being the central location in Craig County.
The new lodge building was built in 1940 at 255 Main Street, New Castle, VA. The Lodge was originally built to be self-sustaining. The bottom level housed the New Castle Movie Theather. The upper floor was used as a dance and social hall on the Weekends. The Daughters of the American Revolution were the primary renters of the Social Hall.
The theatre was closed in the 1960s and converted into a Social Hall for the use of the lodge and Eastern Star functions. Mountain Lodge No. 140 continued to improve the facilities and in 1978, the social hall on the ground floor was completed to include kitchen facilities. This was accomplished with great financial support from Mountain Chapter No. 168, Order of the Eastern Star.
The upper level is now a Masonic Lodge Room, where many men were initiated, passed and raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason. The building is still in use by the Mountain Lodge No. 140 and has been designated as one of the “historically significant” buildings in the Historical District of New Castle.
In October 1978, the Lodge celebrated its one hundredth anniversary, with Most Worshipful Robert Randle Kennedy, Jr., Grand Master of Masons in Virginia as guest speaker. Because the Lodge had some problems, and needed to be revived on May 23, 1888, Most Worshipful G. Hunter Jones, Jr., Grand Master of Masons in Virginia presented a second anniversary plaque in 1988.
Door to Virtue Lodge No. 109, chartered December 13, 1854 was located in the town of New Castle over what is now the Farmers and Merchants Bank of Craig County; Worshipful Clifton G. Hill was the first Master. Door to Virtue No. 109 went inactive in 1871, was suspended in 1875 and closed December 11, 1877; Worshipful C.G. Hill being the Master at closing.
Door to Virtue Lodge was re-chartered as No. 163 on December 10, 1878 with Worshipful Clifton G. Hill as Master. It closed November 9, 1937 when it consolidated with Mountain Lodge No. 140, Worshipful Charles P. Ferrell being the Master of Door of Virtue at the time of consolidation.
Simmonsville Lodge No. 49, chartered December 11, 1877 with Worshipful Samuel H. Taylor as Master. On February 15, 1932, with Worshipful H.E. Echols as Master, the charter was surrendered as the lodge had been inactive for some time; membership being at 14.
by: Worshipful James W. Holtman - Mountain No. 140, 2013