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In 1873, the railroad industry established a
division terminal in the village of Collinwood, and with it, a switching yard,
engine house, yard office and a passenger station. This brought workmen into the
area, as well as businesses and hotels. The town prospered and by 1899 had a
population of about 3,800. The Masons who lived in the area petitioned the Grand
Lodge of Ohio at its annual communication in Toledo on October 25, 1899. Many of
the petitioners approached Grand
Master Edwin C. Gulliford personally, and a charter was awarded to them
immediately. A building was secured in the Smith Block (now 774 E. 152nd St.)
and the first meeting was held on October 29, 1899. The first Worshipful Master
elected by the lodge was Charles T. Raymer, after whom one of our sister lodges
was named. Grand Master Gulliford presented the lodge with his Knight Templar
sword, which is on display in the case outside the lodge door.
In 1917, the rent on the building was doubled, and the lodge was forced to move.
A Post Office was being constructed at 14709 St. Clair, and the lodge convinced
the building’s owner to add a second story for the lodge to use. The lodge
would meet there from 1917 until 1940.
On October 25, 1938, Collinwood Lodge purchased a parcel of land near the corner
of E. 147th and St. Clair, where they constructed a new lodge building. The
cornerstone laying and consecration of the building occurred on September 7,
1940.
It was preceded by a parade of some 200 brethren from the old temple to the new.
The parade, as well as the construction of the building was captured on a film,
which has been converted to DVD. The first meeting in the temple was held on
December 10, 1940.
On May 27, 1969, the lodge approved a resolution to sell the temple and build a
new one. The new temple was never built, but Collinwood Lodge moved into the
current temple in 1977, where the first meeting was held on November 29, 1977.
Collinwood Lodge #582 is one of several Masonic lodges in the state of Ohio
that is known to be considered a "Railroad Lodge", due to its heritage of members
who worked on the railroad. The other lodges are Evergreen Lodge #222 in Conneaut,
and Bellevue Lodge #273 in Bellevue, Ohio.
Thanks to Roman Vaynshtok, PM, for his research
into our Lodge history.
Worshipful Brother Vaynshtok is our Lodge historian, and maintains the
archives of Collinwood Lodge artifacts.
(If a link is broken, please notify our webmaster.)
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