More than 190 Years
of Making Good Men Better
Atlas Pythagoras Lodge No. 10 F&AM, as we know it today, has a very impressive background that extends back to 1826. Our current impressive and respectful Masonic status and reputation is a result of some of the mergers that took place throughout the years. Below is a historic background snapshot of how Atlas Pythagoras No. 10 F&AM came to existence.
Franklin lodge No. 10 was constituted on November 14, 1826
First WM was Joseph W. Camp
Century lodge No. 100 was constituted on January 20, 1870
First WM Joseph T. Clark
Pythagoras lodge No. 118 was constituted on January 19, 1871
First WM Luke Morris Consolidated with Atlas Lodge No. 125 on April 29, 1982
Atlas Lodge No. 125 was constituted on January 18, 1872
First WM William A. Macquoid
Hillside Lodge No. 241 was constituted on May 8, 1922
First WM Louis R. Wallack. It merged with Atlas Pythagoras Lodge No. 118 on April 25, 1985
Mayflower Lodge No. 284 was constituted on May 21, 1932
First WM L.P. Longobardi. It merged with Atlas Pythagoras Lodge No. 118 on April 29, 1982
Vailsburg Lodge No. 278 was constituted on April 16, 1930
First WM John Haller
Scotchwood Lodge No. 295 was constituted on April 16, 1958
First WM William I. Gill. It merged Pythagoras Lodge No. 118 on April 17, 1997
Franklin Lodge No. 10 and Century lodge No. 100 merged on April 22, 1972.
Franklin-Century Lodge No. 10 merged with Vailsburg Lodge No. 278 on April 29, 1976.
Franklin-Century No. 10 merged with Atlas Pythagoras Lodge No. 118 on March 30, 1993, creating Atlas Pythagoras Lodge No. 10 F&AM.
The first elected Worshipful Master of Atlas Pythagoras Lodge No. 10 after the merger was
R.W. Nicholas L. Pagnetti PGC.
In 1871, a group of Masons, residing in Westfield and the Union County area established a Masonic Lodge in Westfield. It was formally chartered on January 18, 1872, as Atlas Lodge No. 125 by the Grand Lodge of New Jersey.
The first man that was initiated into the Lodge was Luther M. Whitaker, the Westfield Postmaster and Chairman of the Republican Party.
Over the years, a number of Mayors, Town Councilmen, Congressmen, business owners, attorneys, doctors, and civic minded individuals joined the Lodge to make it what it is today.
The Lodge initially met in Ferris Hall for six years before moving temporarily to the upper room of the Prospect Street School. Shortly afterward they moved to Aeolian Hall situated at the Southeast corner of Broad and Prospect Streets until the building was destroyed by fire fourteen years later.
Meetings were then held briefly in Etta Hall, better known as Love Hall, until they were able to rent the top floor of the First National Bank Building (Suburban Trust) on the corner of Broad and Elm Streets. Subsequently, this bank was torn down by Suburban Trust and a new one erected on the same site which is now the Wells Fargo Bank. When the bank was demolished the Lodge moved their headquarters to Royal Arcanum Hall at the northwest corner of Broad and Elm. This building remains today.
During this period a special meeting was held at the Westfield Theater to accommodate the huge crowd when the Lodge initiated its 300th new member. Two years later the 400th member was initiated in the Parish House of St. Paul's Episcopal Church.
Also, during this period, the Lodge started planning to erect a Lodge building of its own. This plan came to fruition when the Lodge acquired the Lincoln School property on Academy Place, now known as Temple Place.
The cornerstone of the new building was laid on October 6, 1928, with a parade of one thousand Masons including the Governor of New Jersey, A. Harry Moore, Westfield Mayor, William M. Beard, Senator Arthur N. Pierson, members of the Town Council, the town clergy, and numerous other dignitaries. The Lodge members enjoyed this beautiful structure until it was consumed by fire in February 1970. The Lodge met at the Scotchwood Lodge in Scotch Plains until a new Lodge building was erected and dedicated in 1976 at 1011 Central Avenue in Westfield, New Jersey.
The Lodge is noted for its charitable and civic activities, some of which include:
- Free Annual Child Identification Program
- Annual financial donations to local First Aid squads, local hospitals, local schools for handicapped children, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Children's Dyslexia Center, Sheriff Froelich's Christmas program for the needy, etc.
- Quarterly blood drives
- Assistance at the War Veterans Home at Menlo Park.
The Lodge is now called Atlas Pythagoras Lodge No. 10 as over the years a number of other Lodges merged with us. The number 10 comes for Franklin Lodge which was established in 1826 and merged with us. To sum it up, the Masons strive to help others in need while enjoying the company of each other in all our various activities.