THE HISTORY of PACIFIC LODGE NO. 233

Pacific Lodge, No. 233, was founded in New York in 1851. This Blue Lodge has lived through a century and half of vicissitudes which might have overcome other institutions, but through good report and bad, it has steadily developed, and as we now look back and review the many accomplishments it has performed, we can easily understand why Pacific has been recognized as one of the outstanding lodges in the country.

Our Fire Hazard

The beginnings of Pacific Lodge are still shrouded in a certain amount of mystery. Much of this mystery, of course, is due to the fact that the records of the first ten years of the Lodge were destroyed in a fire which not only robbed us of very interesting information which would be invaluable at this moment, but robbed the Lodge of all its jewels, properties and paraphernalia. A very great loss, indeed. But the spirit of Pacific which we very well know, asserted itself at that early date, as it has done on numerous accessions since then. Only three books escaped this fire. They survived because they were in the possession of the tiler. And the treasurer and were not kept in the lodge room. It seems that in this era, it was the duty of the tiler to keep record of the addresses of the Lodge members to inform them personally and by word of mouth, of meetings, as well as to collect the dues for the treasurer. The entries in this book are in pencil and are in the hand of our first tiler, Cornelius Torrey. Then there is the original cash book. It was burned around the edges, but still contains the entries of our first few meetings. The last book is the register, with first hand signatures. Apparently it was not started until 1856. These books are extraordinarily interesting.

Why the Name Pacific

Most of the mystery about the beginning of our Lodge, the significance of the name “Pacific” ad the activities of the formative period and the first years of its activity are, of course, due to the aforementioned fire. The great mystery is the reason for the name “Pacific”. Tradition has been handed down from hand to mouth and has been perpetuated by historians. This tradition ascribes the selection of the name “Pacific”, to the interest which its members had in the trans-Atlantic steamship Pacific, which was launched just prior to the institution of the Lodge. The tradition implies that the men who formed Pacific were either seafaring men or shipbuilders, or in some way interested in the financial aspect of the early queen of the seas. In support of this contention, let us quote from the excellent history compiled by W. Brother Mindil: “In 1850 an new line of ocean steamships was organized by Americans to compete with British interests for trans-Atlantic traffic. It was a matter of keen interest to the men active in the organization of this lodge, many of whom were also important factors in the establishment of the new line and in the construction of its ships. The pioneer vessel of the lines was named “The Atlantic”, while her sister ship, which followed closely, was naturally called “The Pacific”. The latter made the ocean record of her, nine days, nineteen hours and twenty-five minutes, holding her supremacy during her life, but unfortunately being lost in 1856 with 186 passengers aboard.”

Ship Legend Questionable

That is a good explanation, and it may be the correct one. The fact that we have a picture of the good ship Pacific on our seal adds authenticity to the theory. However, the earliest use of the ship seal that we find is in the year 1868. In view of this fact, it may be that this explanation of the name is an after-thought, although it is a mighty good one. Since this is a historical sketch, let us for a moment considers the names and occupations of the charter members, of whom eight were mentioned in the petition to the Grand Lodge. It is interesting to not that five of them were members of Munn Lodge, No. 190, when they signed this petition.

Pacific Meeting Places

Pacific was instituted in the old Masonic Building at the northeast corner of Broome and Crosby Streets. The masons all moved out of it in 1872-74, when the new Masonic Building at 23 rd Street and 6 th Avenue was completed. The date of this institution is not certain, but the first meeting of Pacific Lodge took place at the corner of Second Avenue and 20 th Street and the Lodge met there both under dispensation and as a regularly constituted lodge, until 1854, when it moved to Gramercy Hall on the northwest corner of 3 rd Avenue and 20 th Street, over a saloon kept by one William O’Donnell. For some reason, Pacific Lodge and Chancellor Walworth Lodge were on extremely friendly terms and while we were occupying these premises, Chancellor Walworth was having difficulties with its landlord and we invited them to share our lodge rooms with us, which they did from February 22 to April 26 of the year 1854. Since Chancellor Walworth was an outgrowth of a Temperance Society and for many years required a total abstinence pledge to accompany each application, as Brother Tansley, their historian says, “It must have been very painful to them to meet over a saloon, but since they did not drink, they were reasonably safe and set a good example to Pacific.” At any rate, the two lodges got on very well together and held several joint meetings.

Then Came the Fire

Late 1859, Pacific moved to 835 Broadway. It was only a temporary home since the elaborate work of fitting up No. 8 Union Square had delayed their moving in. In fact, they did not get into their new lodge room, of which they were inordinately proud, until December 20, 1860, and an March 14, 1861, this building was badly damaged by fire, during which almost all of our property and paraphernalia and, worst of all, our precious records, were burned up. While the lodge room was being rebuilt, the lodge occupied quarters on the third floor over the celebrated Helmbold Drug Store at 594 Broadway, right beside Niblo’s Gardens. Pacific stayed there until June 6 th, when it moved back to 8 Union Sq. In May, 1869, Pacific, together other lodges of New York moved into Booth’s Theatre Building at the southeast corner of 6 th Avenue and 23 rd Street. Edwin Booth, a very enthusiastic mason himself, had spared no pains or expense to make the lodge room here as splendid and ornate as possible. Of the lodge room Pacific occupied, a contemporary account states: “The new lodge room in Booth’s Theatre is the finest and most elegantly furnished in the city. The walls and ceiling are beautifully colored and frescoed in a very chaste and tasteful manner. The hangings are of rich scarlet cloth trimmed with velvet of the same color and the floor is covered with magnificent carpet. The furniture is remarkably solid in appearance and at each end of the room is a raised dais for the officers of the lodge. The cornices are massively yet elegant and the gas fixtures in good taste.” The room was fitted up by Edwin Booth under supervision of John A. Robinson, architect, and contained a very powerful organ. It was first opened by Prince of Orange Lodge on May 1, 1869.

The Two Temples

When the Masonic Temple, which we now speak of as the Old Masonic Temple, was completed at the northeast corner of 6 th Avenue and 23 rd Street, directly opposite Booth’s Theatre, Pacific moved in with the other Class “A” lodges of the district. This was in 1874, when Pacific played a conspicuous part in the laying of the cornerstone of the huge parade that signalized the dedication of the most costly and modern Masonic building in the world. They occupied the Corinthian Room, although their application had been made for the Ionic Room. Nine years later, these quarters were secure at 414 Sixth Ave. A few months later, the Lodge returned to the new Masonic Hall and this time it occupied the Ionic Room, which it had desired to occupy from the start. In September 1909, Pacific moved into the Renaissance room in this building. This was the pet lodge room of the temple, but even that wasn’t large enough for pacific on the Third Degree nights, when it used the Grand Lodge Room. Hence, twenty-five years later, upon the completion of the American Room on the top floor of the building, Pacific held its first meeting here on June 7 th, 1934. and is still using this room today.

Mother of Three Lodges

There is another aspect in which Pacific can justly claim to have made history. In the same way in which it may be said to have been the outgrowth of Munn Lodge, Pacific itself has been a mother of lodges. These have always come about in interesting ways. The first lodge to owe its being to Pacific is Ivanhoe Lodge No. 610. In 1866, W. Brother A. A. Valentine, who was master of the lodge tow years previously, declined to demit. Forty brothers demitted with him. These forty members started Ivanhoe Lodge No. 610, and our W. Brother Valentine was elected to honorary membership in Pacific Lodge. The second lodge to acknowledge Pacific as its parent is Carson City Lodge No. 1, Carson City, Nevada. A year after he had retired as master, in 1861, W. Brother J. Delavante asked for demit, for the express purpose of founding a lodge in the desert. Brother Delavante was a lawyer and he was a mason who took his masonry into his daily life, and lived it. It was just at the time of the Gold Rush to California, and many masons were trekking through the southern deserts to find gold in the various strikes which had been reported in California, Nevada and New Mexico. Brother Delavante felt that there was grave need of a Masonic lodge, not only to care for the wayfarers on this route, but to maintain Masonic connections for men who were established in the mining camps of Nevada. Brother Delavante was successful in establishing a very useful and vigorous lodge in Carson City. It was originally under the jurisdiction in of the Grand Lodge of California. When the State of Nevada was formed, a Grand Lodge appropriately was given the first number under that jurisdiction. In every way, Carson City No. 1, has been a credit to Pacific. On May 21, 1913, Brother Louis Patek demitted from Pacific Lodge and was the main instrument in the organization and establishment of Neterlan Lodge No. 904. Brother Patek was a splendid ritualistic and instructed many of the candidates of Pacific Lodge. He very modestly took office of Junior Warden in the new organization, which became Pacific’s third child. He was Master two years later.

Eras of Growth

To detail the various happening in the administration of the wonderful masters who have done so much for Pacific, would be constant repetition of praise. Many years have witnessed the celebration of important events, like the laying of the cornerstone of our two important temples and other public and private functions; many periods have seen remarkable activity. During W. Brother Hollis Cooley’s Masonic life there was a very decided change in the character of the membership. Brother Cooley was a theatrical man and an official of the Green Room Club. Almost all of his acquaintances were in the theatrical profession. It was only natural that his enthusiasm for masonry should have attracted men who were his associates in business or at least were his friends. It was during this period that Pacific Lodge gained prominence through its theatrical membership, its marvelous entertainments, and its rapidly increasing membership. During Hollis Cooley’s three years as master, it became necessary to hold special meetings before every communication, in order to take care of the large number of applications for membership presented to it.

Another period of great influx of membership were the years of 1918 and 1919, the war years. W. Brother Piatt, conducting the first Sea and Field lodges, felt the first ardor of the urge of the men in the service to become Masons, and this ardour was further ripened and consummated in the year 1919, when a total of one hundred and twenty-six members were raised in Pacific Lodge.