History

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and usages of Ancient York Masonry.

At a Special Communication held in Front Royal, Virginia on Wednesday Evening, January 18, A. D. 1871, A. L. 5871, the first officers of Unity Lodge were elected and installed as follows:

Brother Thomas R. Ashby, Worshipful Master
Brother Charles W. Fisk, Senior Warden
Brother Thaddeus Haynie, Junior Warden
Charles A. Brown, Senior Deacon
Thomas Almond Ashby, Junior Deacon
G. B. Samuels, Secretary
George W. Leache, Treasurer
David W. Jones, Tiler

Charter Members

Section II

The following is a brief report of the organizational activities of the Lodge since it was granted its Charter in 1870.

The first and foremost project in the minds of the Brethren was to purchase a permanent building or to erect a Masonic Temple. The following events took place before we finally purchased the present building.

(1) First meetings were held on the third floor of the Academy Building and continued to be held there from March , 1870 until March 8, 1873.

(2) Several committees were appointed by the W. M. to locate a suitable room or rooms to be used to hold their stated communications, but each committee reported negative results, as they could not locate anyone willing to rent a room for their exclusive use.

(3) From March 8, 1873 to April 1, 1877, a committee managed to rent a room in the Free School Building, but this room was also used by the Friends of Temperance, Oddfellows and Red Men and was not too satisfactory as the rent was split between the three organizations with Unity Lodge having to collect the rent and being responsible for it being paid to the School Trustees.

(4) Another committee finally located a room in Union Hall in September, 1880 and meetings were held there until August of 1896.

(5) A room was finally built on the third floor of the Free School Building and title held by Unity Lodge. This room was also used by

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