The North Carolina Mason

27th of February." This expression of gratitude was because Brothers McMains and Johnston braved the burning fires and successfully saved the jewels and regalia. Being dissatisfied with having to revert back to various meeting locations, on November 7, 1798, the lodge voted to purchase the current location, on the corner of Hancock and Johnson Street. On April 15, 1801, the cornerstone of St. John's Lodge No. 3 was officially laid and on June 10, 1809, the Masonic Temple was appropriately dedicated by a Masonic ceremony. In addition to Masonic Lodge Room, the building also contained a popular social/ballroom and a theater, which until 1974 proudly held claim to the oldest operating theater in the United States. In 1857, after an extensive renovation, the lodge commissioned a fresco artist and brother Mason named E.N. Medernach who skillfully and beautifully decorated the lodge room with indescribable, stunning Masonic symbols and artwork. Throughout the decades, past and present lodge members have taken immense pride and joy from watching the faces of new members or visiting brethren as they enter the lodge room and become overwhelmed with its beauty and historical attributes. In February 1862, as a result of the American Civil War, the Union Army captured New Bern. During this occupation time, the Union Army used the Masonic Temple building as a hospital for the wounded and our northern Masonic brethren used our lodge room to hold their Masonic meetings. These brethren left evidence of their occupation for many years as the southwest corner of the room bore the gouge marks from the bayonets on their rifles, as they would prop them up in the corner. The departure of the Union soldiers from New Bern would unveil a disheartening fact for New Bern Masons, as numerous Masonic articles within the lodge were stolen, one of which was graciously returned, some 130 years later. In 1994, after cleaning out a storage room in their lodge, the Schenevus Valley Lodge No. 592 in New York came upon a St. John's Lodge No. 3 membership printers' plate, dating back to the 1700s. Members of the lodge eagerly reached out to then-Master Doug Soltow Sr., who arranged for the return of the plate. It is said, that only three such plates exist in the world. St. John's Lodge No. 3 is a beacon of historical significance to New Bern and the evolution of Masonry in North Carolina. The lodge offers one the ability to peer into the past, understanding from where we came and where we are going as a fraternity. Knowing that you are in a place that some of the most distinct Masons and Americans have graced with their presence, such as Presidents and Brothers George Washington (1791) and James Monroe (1819) or New Bern native, Caleb Bradham, founder of Pepsi Cola. St. John's Lodge No. 3 is also proud of its contribution to the NC Grand Lodge, proudly claiming seven Grand Masters. As Past Grand Master Kafer has stated: "Let us never cease in our every effort to make Masonry a bulwark of moral and spiritual strength in this great land of ours. Thus, we shall be able to transmit this glorious institution, unimpaired, to those who will have every right to look at us as worthy reflectors of the indomitable spirit of those Masonic ancestors of ours who were there 'In the Beginning.'" If you are ever in or near New Bern, come partake in our hospitality and brotherly love, and witness history for yourself. Fraternally, your brethren in Masonry, St. John's Lodge No. 3. Sources: The Story of St. John's Lodge No. 3 Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons New Bern, North Carolina by William L. Dill; https://visitnewbern. com/historic-overview/ W I N T E R 2 0 2 2 | 9

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