Grand Lodge of North Carolina

Its parent affiliation is unknown, but suggested to be the Grand Lodge of Scotland, possibly due to density of Scottish immigrants who settled in the area throughout the 18th century.

Nonetheless, Montfort styled his signature "G.M.A.," meaning "Grand Master, America," and indeed chartered a lodge outside the Province of North Carolina.

"[30] The letter called that a convention of delegates be held in Fayetteville on 24 June, being the day of the Feast of Saint John the Baptist.

This convention rechartered the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina on 12 Dec 1787.

Minutes are not clear why, but may suggest masonic landmark differences from the Ancients and Moderns schism or incongruent charters from other grand jurisdictions.

[52] Grand Master William R. Davie laid the cornerstone for the first public university in the country, the University of North Carolina (now UNC-Chapel Hill), near New Hope Chapel in Orange County in 1793 just several weeks after George Washington laid the cornerstone for the United States' Capitol in the newly rising Federal City.

[53] Wanting to continue this partnership of masonry and education in the state, the Grand Lodge resolved to create a masonic school.

In 1850, various lodges across the state made various offers of cash and real estate to secure the physical plant for the new Seminary of Learning.

Four large recitation rooms, two elegant halls designed for the use of the two Literary Societies, a spacious chapel, with a gallery surrounding, capable of seating conveniently twelve hundred persons.

However, instead of selling, Brother John H. Mills proposed that it be converted to an "asylum for the protection, training, and education of indignant orphan children."

The Grand Lodge constructed its very first building on northeast corner of Morgan and Dawson Streets in downtown Raleigh.

The Panic of 1873 and ensuing Long Depression created financial difficulty for the fraternity and the Grand Lodge liquidated the property before construction began.

The Grand Lodge met in an upper floor of the newly completed Fisher Building at 219 Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh from 1875 to 1878.

The Grand Lodge met on the 3rd floor of the newly completed Holleman Building at 210 Fayetteville Street starting in 1879 with a five year lease with an annual rent of $175.

[81][82][83] The architect of the Governor's Mansion and the Baptist Female University downtown (now Meredith College near I-440), Adolphus Gustavus Bauer, had his office in the same building.

[86] Land parcels were assembled on the north-east corner of the intersection of Hargett and Fayetteville Streets, within a block of the Holleman Building, the State Capitol, and the site of one the first meetings of masons in Raleigh, Peter Casso's Inn.

According to the program, which was sealed into the cornerstone box, there was a long parade, the NC State College Band marched around several city blocks, and a host of dignitaries and attendees were at the construction site.

The Grand Lodge opened a Special Communication at Metropolitan Hall at 227 Fayetteville Street for the purposes of laying the stone.

William Stuart Primrose, Grand Auditor, gave remarks before the procession to the site: "It is fitting that the Grand Lodge of North Carolina should have a home of such proportions and of such high grade of architecture as to entitle it to the respect of all men, whether masons or not, and it is safe to say that it will recommend our noble Order to all who have not sought its benefits.

The Hargett Street Facade contained a south facing entrance to the Raleigh Savings Bank, a sidewalk level stair that provided access to the basement which contained the Masonic Temple Barber Shop, and another tenant space at the east end of the building that opened towards the new Raleigh Times Newspaper building.

[92] The cornerstone was laid at street level on the left side of the arched limestone opening closest to the State Capitol.

Since the northeast corner would then be up against the adjacent existing building and located at the block's interior and inaccessible, it was decided to place it next to the entrance, where a practical ceremony can be performed.

From its entry in the National Historic Registry:"The decorative skin of the building is a rather two-dimensional interpretation of classical detailing commonly favored by Beaux Arts practitioners.

According to the historic nomination form for the building, the ground level west and south facades were heavily modified several times by stakeholders in the late 20th century.

40, along with other appendant bodies in the building moved to the Raleigh estate of Josephus Daniels, colloquially named "Wakestone," for its use of local stone from a Wake County Quarry near Lassiter Mill.

[100] Boney and his three sons were all graduates of the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (now NC State University).

A special feature of the lobby will be the bronze emblem of the Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina.

Painter Allyn Cox (1896-1982) was commissioned to design and paint two long murals inside the main hall that portrayed the history of Masonry in the state.

[106] The murals were painted specifically for the main hall as the shadows in each align with the expanse of glass and light emanating from the rear of the building.

The mutual recognition compact was formalized on 21 Nov 2008 at the North Carolina Capitol in Union Square in Raleigh.