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Record Group Number 47Rising Sun Lodge of KeeneCompiled by Alan F. Rumrill December 1985 The Rising Sun Lodge of Keene was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts on March 11, 1784. The charter members of the Rising Sun Lodge were Asa Dunbar, Daniel Jones, Alexander Ralston, Samuel Smith, Prentice Willard, Luther Earnes, and Jonas Prescott. The Lodge eventually surrendered its charter on October 23, 1805. During its brief life the Lodge made two important contributions to freemasonry. First, it was one of the two lodges which participated in the organization of the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire. Furthermore, on December 27, 1790, Thomas Smith Webb was made a Master Mason. Webb, at that time a Keene bookbinder and stationer, went on to become one of the greatest masons in history. He was founder of the system of work practiced in the American York Rite Degree and the New Hampshire Blue Lodge Ritual. He left Keene in 1792 and subsequently wrote "The Free Mason's Monitor" and organized the General Grand Chapter of the United States. A new masonic temple was built in 1797 at the corner of Main and Dunbar Streets. The building was later moved and remains today as a residence at 110 Court Street in Keene. A deputation of the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire was formed in 1805 to inspect the records of every lodge in the state. The deputation arrived in Keene on September 18, 1805 and, during the investigation, many "glaring, flagrant and insufferable offences, errors and irregularities were discovered, not only against their own by-laws, but in direct violation of the established laws of the Grand Lodge and the Constitution of Masonry." It was found that the funds of the Lodge had been squandered and misappropriated. Consequently, the Rising Sun Lodge was forced to surrender its charter and on October 23, 1805 the charter was mutiliated and destroyed by the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire. This record group consists of the record book of the Rising Sun Lodge from 1784 to 1805. The records are filed in one archive box and are arranged chronologically. The materials were photocopied by the Historical Society from the original record book in December of 1985. The records were loaned to the Society for this purpose by Stanley Johnson of Keene and of the Grand Lodge of New Hampshire. Box 1, Folders 1-9  |
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