Saint George Lodge was founded on January 24, 1877, by a group of twenty Masons of the Brockton area. This lodge was primarily instituted to serve the needs of Campello Masons.

The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Massachusetts officially chartered Saint George Lodge on March 13th 1878. The Most Worshipful Charles A. Walsh, Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts presented the Charter.

The first meetings were held in Campello at Good Templar’s Hall and also at Goodock Block. A permanent home was established in Kingman block on January 20th 1866 and meetings were held there until the purchase of the former Salvation Army building on Nilsson Street in 1957. Click Here

The first Master of Saint George Lodge was Harvey N.P. Hubbard who founded a long line of distinguished Masters, public officials and members of the fraternity. Saint George is a lodge of notable Masons and public figures such as Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts Roger Keith, Grand High Priest of the Royal Arch Chapter Ralph Copeland, U. S. Congressman Hastings Keith and five Mayors of Brockton including it’s first Mayor Cibna Keith, followed by Charles Williamson, John S. Burbank, Roger Keith and Fred D. Rowe.

By the mid 1900’s Brockton was beginning to become highly industrialized. Brockton’s industry was mainly in the production of boots, shoes and other leather products. Most of the shoes and boots that were used during WWI and WWII were manufactured in Brockton. Even today, Brockton is widely known as “Shoe City USA.”

To supply the hungry demands of industry during the early 1900’s immigrants came from many countries to work and hopefully attain the American dream. A number of Swedish immigrants settled in the Campello area of Saint George lodge and most of them attended South Congregational Church. Many times a man would work with others in a factory, attend lodge that evening and attend South Congregational Church in Campello on Sunday with those same men.

The church has been replaced by a retail store; however, the bell of the church rests at the site of the old church on the corner of Perkins Ave. and Main St.

Regrettably, the once thriving shoe industry no longer exists in Brockton, having been displaced by foreign competition.

Saint George Lodge moved to larger headquarters shortly after 2000 and now has its home at the Brockton Masonic Building located at 279 Prospect Street.

Fraternally,

Bro. Peter A. Del Sette
District Historian