he Grand Lodge of New York hosted a Dinner in October, 1824, for the Marquis de Lafayette during his 1824 return visit to the United States. Four pages of The Albion newspaper covered the event, showing the seating at the dinner, and including Lodges and names of members. See the original artifact record in the Online Museum by clicking here.
“On Monday (20th) the Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons gave a grand banquet to their Brother La Fayette, at Washington Hall, which, for splendour (sic)and effect, may vie with any thing of the kind ever witnessed in this country. We have annexed a plan of the room, together with an engraved view of the splendid pavilion erected for the occasion in the east end of the Hall. The following description we copy from the New-York Statesman. There are in the city of New-York, thirty Lodges, embracing several thousand Brethren. Several excellent songs, composed for the occasion, were sung, and the Brethren, with the utmost harmony and conviviality, enjoyed the festivities of the day to a late hour.”
“The Lodges and their Masters, from the front of the room to the back of the room, with one Lodge from each table from North to South, were:
St. John’s, 1, W.B. Seymour, M,; St. Andrew’s, 7, W.B. Hart, M.; Hiram, 10, W. B. Ferris, M.; Holland, 16, W.B. Delafield, M.; St. John’s, 9, W. B. Largey, M.; I.R. Arch, 2, W. B. Pennell, M.; Trinity, 39, W.B. Finn, M.; L’Union Francaise, 71 [17], W. B. Millon, M.; Washington, 84, W.B. Weed, M.; Adelphi, 91, W.B. Scriba, M.; Abram’s, 83, W.B. Cheeseman, M.; Phoenix, 40, W.B. Stevenson,M.;
Albion, 107, W.B. Cleary, M.; La Sincerite, 122, W.B. Bouchaud, M.; Benevolent, 142, W.B. Spence, M.; Clinton, 143, W.B. Jones, M.; Mount Moriah, 132, W.B. Frazee, M.; Morton, 188, W.B. Curtis, M.; Mechanic’s, 153, W.B. Daukley, M.; Concord, 204, W.B. Chapman,M.; Hohenlinden, 338, W.B. Young, M.; Hibernia, 339, W.B. Copeland, M.; German Union, 322, W.B. Tieman, M.; New Jerusalem, 158, W.B. Flanagan, M.; Silentia, 360, W.B. Dunham, M.; Fireman’s, 368, W.B. Vandewater, M.; Minerva, 371, W.B. Wilsey, M.; La Fayette, 372, W.B. Brewer, M.; Manhattan, 370, W.B. Young, M.; York, 367, W.B. Timson, M.”
Note: Image and research by Catherine M. Walter, Curator