East Nashville Lodge #560 was granted a warrant or dispensation by the Grand Lodge of Tennessee on January 29th, 1891, and worked under tat dispensation until the meeting of the Grand Lodge in 1892, when a Charter was granted on January 27th, 1892, and it became a full fledged Masonic Lodge.
The Charter members were as follows:
W. Crutcher S. M. Price
B.F. Cunningham. J.W. Ruffin
J.G Eubank. D.C. Scales
F.A. Gear. J.A. Sharpe
R.M. Green William Shook
A.N. Grisham G.W. Stephenson
J.H. Hales W.A. Sharpe
F.M. Hamilton J.A. Thomas
W.A. Jackson W.A. Waggoner
J.G. Junk S.M. Wene
J.B. Mitchell William Wene
J.B. Paschal A.S. Williams
From time to time the Lodge acquired stock in the Cherokee Hall Association until August 13th, 1938, at which time all remaining interest in the building was purchased. The Lodge continued to own and meet at this location until 1962, at which time the property was purchased by the Nashville Housing Authority for $25,000.
A new location was selected at 360 Ewing Lane consisting of approximately two and one-half acres at a cost of $4,500. Plans for a new building were selected and a contact was let at a cost of $69,983.46 to Marr & Holman, Architects, and Hardaway Construction Company, Contractor.
On May 25th, 1963, the cornerstone was laid by Brother Ralph Worthy, Deputy Grand Master, acting Grand Master, assisted by Brother Phelan Douglas, Grand Inspector of the York Rite Bodies, acting Deputy Grand Master.
The Lodge held its first meeting in the new Hall on September 2nd, 1963, with Luther Yates, W.M., John R. Gibbs, S.W., Lawrence Biggs, J.W., Ward Robinson, Treasurer, William J. Yates, Secretary, and Kenneth N. Gibbs, Tiler. Eighty-seven members were present at the first meeting. On October 17th, 1964, the Lodge was dedicated by Brother Ralph Worthy, Most Worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Tennessee, with the assistance of the corps of Grand Officers.
Buena Vista Lodge #639 was organized March 7th, 1906, in Bader's Hall, corner of Cheatham Street and Ninth Avenue North.
The most prominent Masons of North Nashville were present at this meeting and effected the organization of the Lodge by a dispensation from the Grand Lodge of the State of Tennessee.
The officers named in the dispensation were: Brothers W.G. Lewis, W.M., Edgar Drake, S.W., and Needham Eaton, J.W.
The following brethren were petitioners for the dispensation: Alfred Aldred, J.C. Ambrose #8, W.H. Cook, J.R. Atnip, J.B. Dobson, Edgar Drake, Needham Eaton, W.G. Lewis, A.W. McMurtry, W.H. Peebles, T.M. Teasley, J.C. Ewingle #254, Joe C. Hood #293, C.H. Bader, J.T. Griffin, E.C. Bruce, W. C. Birthright #414, M.M.Maler, J.L. Smith #424, C.H. Holderfield, R.H. Smith, W.L. Teasley #560.
The Grand Lodge issued the Lodge's Charter on February 1st, 1907.
On September 30, 1919, the Lodge purchased the Bader building, corner of Cheatham and Ninth Ave North. In the spring of 1920, the Lodge Hall was remodeled and refurnished, and in 1925, an addition was added to the original building.
The Lodge continued to meet in that building until 1996 when the building was sold.
The Lodge met at the West Nashville Masonic Lodge at 4409 Charlotte Ave. through December 2002. Since January 2003, the Lodge has met at the East Nashville Masonic Lodge Hall at 360 Ewing Lane until the consolidation of the two lodges on August 7, 2007.
The first officers of this Lodge, who were named in the dispensation and who filled their stations during the year 1891, were:
A.S. Williams, W.M.
S.M. Price, S.W.
J.G. Eubanks, J.W.
S. M. Wene, Treasurer
T.W. Crutcher, Secretary
W.A. Waggoner, Tiler
When the charter was granted on January 27th, 1892, the Lodge was empowered to elect officers for the ensuing year. All the above officers were reelected except the Secretary, Brother T. W. Crutcher, who declined due to pressure of business. Brother Clarence R. Jackson, whop had been raised to the M.M. Degree on July 20th, 1891, was elected Secretary, and continued in that office (except 1896-7) until 1918.
A building ate the N.W. corner of Third and Foster Streets was the meeting place of the Lodge until 1963.. The building was originally known as Cherokee Hall and was owned by Cherokee Hall Association. A dining room, parlor, and preparation rooms were added to the main building in the spring of 1904 at a cost of only $1,690. Upon completion of the addition there was a picnic during the day of June 24th, 1904, at Walnut Grove, about one mile north of the Lodge building. After the picnic the brethren assembled in the Lodge Hall and further celebrated the occasion with literary entertainment.
A petition was framed and signed by several brethren and presented to the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, Nashville, Tennessee, October, 1855, asking for a dispensation to constitute a Lodge. Dispensation was granted and the Lodge worked under Dispensation until October 1856, when a Charter was granted in he name of Edgefield Lodge #254 F. & A.M. Its membership consisted of some of Nashville's most prominent men, prompt in attendance, diligent, hard workers, and who watched the interests of the Lodge with an eye singled to the perfection of the work. This heritage continues today as our membership is composed of men with the same dedicated purposes.
Edgefield Lodge #254 is he mother of five (5) different Lodges that meet in or adjacent to the city of Nashville. It furnished the majority of the charter members for East Nashville Lodge #560, Buena Vista Lodge #639, Observance Lodge #686, John B. Garrett Lodge #711, and Jere Baxter Lodge #742.
In 1956 the Urban Renewal Plan, which is a cooperative effort of the Federal government and the local government, was introduced to the East Nashville area .his plan included the site of our present Lodge Hall. Negotiations were made by the Trustees of Edgefield Lodge #254 with the U.S. Government for the sale of our 5th and Woodland property in 1960. Under Urban Renewal Plans, our Lodge property will be used for widening Woodland Street and 5th Street.
After diligently searching the East Nashville area for approximately three years, a building site was selected at the Southeast corner of Eastland Avenue and Fourteenth Street. This property was acquired and a building was erected and the Lodge moved December 27th, 1961.
On the date of August 20th, 2007, a Dispensation by the Grand Lodge of Tennessee was issued permitting Buena Vista #639 and East Nashville #560 to consolidate and have their first stated meeting on September 4th, 2007. The new Lodge is BV-EN Lodge #560 F. & A.M.
The first officers of BV-EN Lodge #560 were:
Donnie Craig Fults- W.M.
Herb Crowson- S.W.
Gary Wayne Pirtle- J.W.
John Patrick Stevens- Treasurer
James Calvin Green- Secretary
Winfield Scott Robinson II- Chaplain
Robert Eugene Gourley- S.D.
Thomas Eugene Babbs- J.D.
Billy Ray Hudspeth- S.S.
Kevin Wayne Lovell- J.S.
Joe Henry Crowder- Tiler
Trustees:
Charlie Walker- 3yr
Wayne Romans- 3yr
Larry Spurlock- 2yr
Johnny Bratten-2yr
Waymon Spurlock- 1yr
All past Masters- 1yr
Ionic Lodge #254 is the consolidation of Buena Vista- East Nashville Lodge #560 and Jere Baxter-Edgefield Lodge #254. The Lodge was chartered on July 4th, 2017.
The Consolidation Committee consisted of Larry Davis, P.M., Odie Gregory, P.M., Joe Nelms, PM (replaced Bill Henderson by W.M. Howard Rodriguez), Gary Pirtle, P.M., H. Paul Tomlin, Jr., and Bobby Joe Vaughn, P.M.
The first stated meeting of the committee of January, 2017.
Also in attendance:
Derek Davis 2016 W.M. #560
Dick Hitch 2017 W.M. #560
Howard Rodriguez #254
Guy Whitley, P.M. 2017 Treasurer #254
Walter Seifert, P.M. 2017 Secretary #560
Neal Barnhill, P.M. 2017 Secretary #254
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.
We are glad you are here. Contact us with any questions.
