Twillingate Masonic Lodge No. 7

The first Grand Lodge was formed in England on June 24th, 1717.  Freemasons in Newfoundland received their first warrant in 1746; and, from that date until 1824, there were at least 11 lodges formed in the colony but whatever records they kept were mislaid in moving about or destroyed by fire, particularly in St. John’s. It was not until November 29th, 1848, that Freemasonry was revived on the island with the formation of Saint John’s Lodge No. 579 with Samuel Archibald as its first Master.

Freemasonry became established in Twillingate in 1889, constituted as Twillingate Masonic Lodge No. 2364 under the United Grand Lodge of England and was formally dedicated on October 21st of that year.  The first Master was Andrew Gray. 

From 1889 to 1907, members met in the local court house. Concerned that their space might not always be available, the members decided to investigate the cost of building their own lodge. After a couple of false starts, construction of the new building began in 1906 with Joshua Roberts as builder. Several factors prevented the ceremonial laying of the cornerstone at the beginning of construction. Rather unusually, the rest of the wooden building was built around the gap and the cornerstone was put into place with proper Masonic ceremony during the dedication of the completed building on July 16th, 1907. The structure has served Masons in the Twillingate area ever since. 

Twillingate Lodge remained under the United Grand Lodge of England charter until November 1st, 1997 when it became one of the founding lodges under the Grand Lodge of Newfoundland and Labrador, henceforth being known as Twillingate Masonic Lodge No. 7.  The warrants of both Grand Lodges are hung on the east wall of the upstairs Lodge Room.

Our historic wooden structure, long a centrepiece of local architecture, was built in the Classic Revival tradition of many Masonic buildings. In 1998, the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador designated it as a Registered Heritage Structure due to its aesthetic, historic and cultural value. It is also designated as a Municipal Heritage Site by the Town of Twillingate.

The upstairs of the building is home to the Lodge Room where formal Masonic meetings are held. This room is open for guided tours from late June to late August each summer and is a must see for visitors and local residents who may not yet have come inside to view.  The Square and Compass Social Club occupies the first floor.  It is used for many types of functions, Masonic and not, and is available for public rentals throughout the year.