The conception of a Masonic Lodge in the village of Riverside originated in the heart and mind of our first Worshipful Master, Brother James G. Whitehouse. Now, who was James G. Whitehouse? He was a summer resident of Riverside for many years, coming early in the Spring and staying late in the Fall. He attended St. Mark’s Episcopal Church and was engaged in the jewelry enameling business. He was the founder and promoter of a secret order known as the Royal Society of Good Fellows, which flourished for many years.

Brother Whitehouse talked the matter over with Brother Frederic W. Cady, who was also a member of the Episcopal Church, and found in him a valuable assistant. Worshipful Brother Cady was a business man in the City of Providence, a stair builder by trade, and during his life-time held many important Town and State offices.

Brother William Richmond was next interviewed and he was heartily in favor of the proposition. Brother Richmond was a real estate dealer with offices in Providence and was a resident of East Providence.

Brother John C. Kingsford was the fourth Brother to play an important part, so far as his occupation would permit, in the formation of the lodge. He was employed in the Providence Post Office, his home was in Riverside and he attended the Congregational Church.

These four men were active members of What Cheer Lodge No. 21, A.×.F.×.&A.×.M.×., Providence. They interviewed the Grand Secretary, R.×.W.×.Brother Edwin Baker, of the Grand Lodge, and acquainted him with what they were intending to do and received very little encouragement from him, as he firmly believed that the territory was well taken care of by the Rising Sun Lodge No. 30, of East Providence, and that it would be impossible for a Lodge in Riverside to be successful.

The Brothers sought to find some influence which would overcome the objections of the Grand Secretary, and I feel that the influence was found in the person of Brother James G. Armington, a member of St. Johns Lodge, for they found upon the next visitation to the Grand Secretary that his opinion had changed materially. So much so that he agreed to bring the matter to the attention of the Grand Master, M.×.W.×.(Gen.) Elisha Rhodes, who invited the Brothers who contemplated the formation of Saint Andrews Lodge to meet with him. After that meeting, the Most Worshipful Grand Master expressed the opinion that the member brothers should be encouraged in their undertaking.

The Grand Master gave them permission to solicit Master Masons in this district who were in favor of the proposition and the following men were solicited and signified their willingness to join in the enterprise, in addition to the four brothers already mentioned:

William Smith........................Lexington Lodge No. 310, Brooklyn, New York

Fred I. Chaffee.......................Rising Sun Lodge No. 30, East Providence, R.I.

George N. Campbell..............Rising Sun Lodge No. 30, East Providence, R.I.

Anthony R. Barney................Rising Sun Lodge No. 30, East Providence, R.I.

William E. Hibbard (M.D.)................................Hackensack, New Jersey

Charles A. Hanson.................Bronson Lodge No. 70, Florida

George Blackwell..................Mount Hope Lodge, Fall River, Massachusetts

James Dennis.........................Mount Vernon Lodge No. 4, Providence, R.I.

In order that this matter might come before the Grand Master properly, it was necessary that a petition should pass through the hands of some Masonic body petitioning the Grand Master for permission to form such a Masonic Lodge. Through the good offices of Brother James G. Armington, a petition was presented to Saint Johns Lodge in Providence asking that the said Brothers be allowed to form a Lodge in Riverside to be known as Saint Andrews Lodge No. 39, A.×.F.×.&A.×.M.×.. This permission was received and granted by the Grand Master and on November 29, 1894, the aforementioned twelve men held the first meeting of Saint Andrews Lodge at the home of Frederic W. Cady. At this meeting, the first three members of What Cheer Lodge (Messrs. Cady, Whitehouse and Richmond) were designated by the Grand Master as the first three officers of Saint Andrews Lodge.

At the same meeting, a building site for the future home of the Lodge was given by W.×.Brother James G. Whitehouse. This site was located on the corner of Turner Avenue and Arnold Street.

Also, at this meeting a Charity Fund was created and Brother James G. Armington made a generous donation to the fund.

The next eleven meetings of the Lodge were held at the summer home of Brother Whitehouse which was located on the water front directly opposite the present home of Mr.. E. C. Penniman. Applications began to come in to the Lodge which necessitated the search for suitable quarters for a Masonic Body in Riverside. The members were unable to find any and were obliged to remove to the Grange Hall where the first meeting was held on February 21, 1895; they remained there until February 11, 1909, a period of fourteen years.

On May 20, 1895 the Grand Lodge issued a Charter and approval of a code of By-Laws. The charter members number 21. On November 30, 1896 the Lodge was incorporated under the laws of the State of Rhode Island.

On Thursday evening, May 30, 1895 the members assembled at the Grange Hall with Most Worshipful Grand Master Edward P. Louden for the purpose of regularly constituting the Lodge. Collars and Cuffs for the occasion were loaned by Orpheus Lodge No. 36, of Providence. The address, the subject of which was "Saint Andrews" was delivered by the Rev. (Worshipful) Henry W. Rugg, Grand Chaplain.

A special Deputy was in charge of the Lodge while it was under Dispensation and Worshipful Brother William H. Scott was the appointee.

During the year 1895, nine members were added to the original twelve, who might be likened to the Twelve Disciples of Christ, so that the total charter membership of the Lodge was twenty-one on October 10, 1895.

During the years we met in the Grange Hall, we worked under very adverse conditions. The building was unfinished so far as any decorations were concerned; the lighting was furnished by small sized electric lights which projected from the side of the wall, with no overhead lighting whatever. The chairs were of the cheapest, unpainted material. The heating apparatus was an old fashioned furnace; it was not of sufficient capacity to properly heat the room and it was not unusual for most of the members, during the winter months, to be seated in the south end of the room. Rehearsals were held many times when the officers were obliged to wear their overcoats and even their mittens. This was partially the fault of the Lodge because of the extreme economy practiced by the members. The initiation fee was $40.00 and the dues were $4.00 yearly.

The Altar, upon which lay the holy writings, was said to have belonged to a clandestine Lodge of Masons. It was discovered in the upper part of the building on Weybosset Street, which is now occupied by the Weybosset Pure Food Market.

The only chairs, other than the regular common chairs, were those occupied by the Worshipful Master and the Wardens and they were of the cane-seated type. The pedestals at the stations of the Senior and Junior Wardens were ordinary six inch drain pipe standing upon the coupling end, and Worshipful Brother Fred Cady, who was a genius, manufactured a wooden top fitting into the piping, thus forming the top or table of the pedestal.

At that time, the Master was supposed to have always in his possession the Charter of the Lodge over which he was Master. The Master and another officers, perhaps the Senior Deacon, upon closing the Lodge, climbed up the ladder into the garret of the Grange Hall and there stowed away, in some secret place, the valuable documents. At the opening of Lodge, the Master had to bring the same documents down. This procedure continued until we were able to purchase a safe for them.

The Lodge continued to grow rapidly until the year 1908 when it had reached a membership of about eighty. All during the fourteen years we occupied the Grange Hall there was but one thought in the members’ minds and that was when we would be located in Riverside and have a home of our own. Many nights during the Fall and Spring those who were located or lived in Riverside would be so busy talking and thinking of ways to start that we would lose the last car down and rather than break into the conversation, we walked two miles home, many times reaching our homes when the street lights were out.

In 1908 the younger members of the Lodge insisted that we should take some action and Worshipful Master H. W. Remick appointed a Committee, consisting of Brothers Browning, Cady, Balkcom, Barney, Martin and White, to consider the advisability of the erection of a home in Riverside. This Committee gave careful consideration to the matter and recommended the erection of a building and they were constituted a Building Committee with power to act. Brother James G. Whitehouse was later added to this Committee. The Committee met weekly, generally at the home of Brother L. B. White. Plans were drawn by Brother M. Mason; the expense of the plans was donated by Anthony R. Barney.

The lot on Turner Avenue and Arnold Street, which had been donated on the formation of the Lodge by Brother Whitehouse, was sold and the proceeds used toward the purchase of another lot upon which the present Masonic Temple stands. This change was made so that the Lodge could be located nearer the center of the Village and also because of the fear that a ledge would be struck in excavating the cellar.

The cornerstone was laid by Most Worshipful Grand Master William L. Chatterton, with appropriate exercises on October 3, 1908.

Before the cold weather set in, the building was well under way and roofed. The first meeting was held on February 11, 1909 (just fourteen years from the time we started in the Grange Hall) with a bare floor, without any decorations and the plastering only partially dry. However, what we lacked in decorations - we made up in enthusiasm.

The building was ready for occupancy at our Regular meeting in May, 1909, at which time it was turned over to the Lodge by the Building Committee. The building was dedicated on May 13, 1909.

In the year 1913, to meet the requirements for a larger hall, it was found necessary to enlarge our lower hall. An addition was made to the building, extending over and on to land purchased by the Lodge the previous Spring.

From 1909 to 1912 the membership had grown and on the 25th Anniversary, in 1919, had increased from twelve to two-hundred and twenty-six members.

In 1920 the Lodge burned two mortgages held by the Providence Royal Arch Chapter and was entirely free from debt, a condition which the Brethren had long sought.

In 1922 the Lodge again enlarged the building at an expense of Twenty-Thousand Dollars. This was necessitated by the growth of the Lodge which at that time had reached large proportions.

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The following letter from Worshipful Brother Walter S. Balkcom which was delivered in lodge

in February, 1938.

"Per Ardua, Ad Astra"

"Through Difficulties to the Stars"