Forrest Masonic Lodge No. 19, A. F. & A. M.
Huntsville, Texas
Forrest Masonic Lodge No. 19 was chartered by the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas on January 11, 1844. Forrest Lodge has continuously served the Huntsville and Walker County, Texas, community for over 168 years. Pictured above left is the first meeting place of the lodge, which was on the second floor of the first brick building constructed in Huntsville. The building was built by Alexander McDonald the first Worshipful Master of Forrest Lodge. Pictured above right is the present lodge building, which was built in 1908, and has been designated by historical architects as one of three historic structures located on the downtown Huntsville square. Forrest Masonic Lodge has approximately 220 members.
Huntsville, Texas, is located in the piney woods of Southeast Texas. It is on Interstate 45, approximately 70 miles north of Houston, 170 miles south of Dallas, and 55 miles east of Bryan/College Station. It is the location of the headquarters of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (Texas Prison System) and Sam Houston State University. The population of Huntsville is approximately 30,000.
Forrest Masonic Lodge is located on the downtown Huntsville square at 1030 12th Street and meets each Monday evening at 7:00 P. M. The regular Stated Meeting (Business Meeting) is held on the first Monday evening of each month. Dinner is served beginning at 6:15 P. M. The lodge is handicap accessible from the st
Meeting Schedule May
Monday - May 20 - 7:00 pm - Master Mason
Degree - Dinner 6:15
Monday - May 27 - Lodge Dark - Memorial Day
(Please Note: Floor Work Practice each Monday evening at 6:00 pm)
Lodge Officers - 2012-2013 Masonic Year
Worshipful Master:
Michael Dowden Senior Deacon:
Brandon Lipe
Senior Warden: Neill
Hodges Junior
Deacon: Forrest LeBlanc
Junior Warden:
Bobby Wells Senior Steward:
Harry Sturgeon, Past Master
Treasurer:
Steven Rich, Past Master Junior
Steward: Larry Fuchs, Past Master
Secretary: J. D. Dickenson, Past Master - E-Mail Marshal:
Keith Armstrong
Tiler:
Scotty Kyle, Past Master
Master of Ceremonies: Justin Cockcroft
Chaplain: George Steed, Jr., Past Master
Lodge Officers - 2012-2013
Left to Right: J. D. Dickenson, Secretary;
Brandon Lipe, Senior Deacon; Neill Hodges, Senior Warden
Scotty Kyle, Tiler;
George Steed, Chaplain; Michael Dowden, Worshipful Master
Harry Sturgeon, Senior Steward, Justin Cockcroft, Master of Ceremonies
Bobby Wells, Junior Warden; Larry Fuchs, Junior Steward;
Steven Rich, Treasurer; Keith Armstrong,
Marshal
Remember Our Brethren Who are Ill
Charles Watson M. B. Etheredge
Charles Tackett Frank Robinson Don Crosby Jack Townley
T. J. Burdett Doug Bertling Al Bettis J. I. Wood
All E-Mail inquiries concerning Forrest Lodge No. 19 should
be
addressed to: J. D.
Dickenson - Secretary
Forrest Lodge No. 19 Brochure On-line
Forrest Lodge No. 19 has a Tri-Fold Brochure available which gives information about Freemasonry in general, plus information about Forrest Lodge, and the many projects in which we participate and support. Members can obtain copies of the brochure from the Lodge Secretary. This brochure can be viewed and printed on-line.
Please Note: You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer
to view and print this brochure. If you do not have this Reader, it is a free
download from Adobe at: 
To View the Brochure
Click Here
View Pictures of Past Masters of Forrest
Masonic Lodge
Click Here
For A Complete List of Past Masters of Forrest
Lodge
Click Here
On-Line Pictures of Forrest Masonic Lodge No. 19 Activities
2011 Awards Presentations
Click
Here
2010 Awards Presentations
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Here
2009 Awards Presentations
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2008 Awards Presentations
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2007 Awards Presentations
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2007 Golf Tournament Presentation
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2006 Awards Presentations
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2005 Awards Presentations
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2004 Awards Presentations
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Flag Presentation
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2003 Golf Tournament Presentation
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Picture of 4th of July Parade
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Forrest Masonic Lodge Temple
Exterior View
of Temple with New Canopy
Exterior View of Temple Constructed in 1908
Lodgeroom of
Forrest Lodge No. 19
Sign Showing
Organizations Meeting in the Masonic Temple
Following the formation of the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas in 1837, that Grand Lodge body chartered 25 lodges before Texas became a state in 1846. Following statehood, the Grand Lodge name was changed to the Grand Lodge of Texas, A. F. & A. M. The headquarters of the Grand Lodge of Texas is located in Waco, Texas.
In January1844, a group of nine Master Masons living in the Huntsville area petitioned the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas asking that a lodge be established in Huntsville and also asking that the lodge be named Forrest Lodge No. 19. Through extensive research, it has not been determined why the lodge name was spelled with two "r", but the petition specifically designated that spelling. On January 11, 1844, Forrest Lodge No. 19 was granted a charter and began with those nine Master Masons being the charter members of the lodge.
Throughout its 168 year history, Forrest Lodge has been privileged to have
as members several Texas heroes and statesmen. Among those are one Past Grand
Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas and two Texas Governors. General Sam Houston,
who presided at the formation of the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas in
1837, was President of the Republic of Texas, Governor of Texas, and Governor
of Tennessee as well. Sam Houston, who took his Masonic work in Tennessee, became
a member of Forrest Lodge No. 19 in 1854. Governor George Tyler Wood
became a member of Forrest Lodge in 1847, and that same year was elected Governor.
During his administration, the State Penitentiary in Huntsville, and
State Library, in Austin, Texas, were created. Henderson Yoakum, who
wrote the first definitive history of the State of Texas, served as Worshipful
Master of Forrest Lodge in 1850.
136 men have served in the highest office of the lodge, that of Worshipful Master.
A list of these men and their years of service is located at Past
Masters.
The high point in the history of Forrest Lodge
came with the affiliation of William Martin Taylor. William Martin Taylor
served as Worshipful Master of Forrest Lodge in 1849, and went on to serve as
Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas in 1854. Taylor was elected
a State Senator in 1855 and 1857, and also served as a District Judge. Recognized
as an outstanding Masonic scholar, William Martin Taylor was appointed by the
Grand Lodge of Texas to create a Uniform Masonic Ritual for the State
of Texas. That uniform ritual was officially adopted in 1858, at a Grand Lodge
communication held in the Lodge Hall of Forrest Lodge No 19. Because of his
love, efforts, and achievements for Freemasonry, William Martin Taylor is known
by Texas Masons as the "Father of the Texas Work".
Forrest Lodge No. 19 has had four meeting places during its 168 year history.
The first meeting place was on the second floor of the first brick building
constructed in Huntsville, which was built by Alexander McDonald, who
served as the first Worshipful Master of Forrest Lodge No. 19. The first Lodge
Temple was constructed in 1849 on the north side of the downtown square. That
building was destroyed by fire in 1881, and a new Lodge Temple was built in
approximately the same location. The Lodge moved into its present lodge building
in 1909.
In honor of the150th anniversary of Forrest Lodge in 1994, a Complete History was published in a book authored by Past Master J. D. Dickenson entitled, "Forrest Masonic Lodge No. 19 Huntsville, Texas - 150 Years - 1844-1994". A copy of this book can be purchased by contacting Dickenson Research, P. O. Box 387, Huntsville, Texas 77342-0387. The price of the book is $20.00 plus $3.00 postage. Further information can be obtained at the home page above or by E-Mail.
In honor of its 150 year anniversary in 1994, Forrest Lodge No. 19 had a Commemorative Coin minted to note this historic event. The lodge still has some of these coins available. The coins are 1-9/16 in diameter and may be ordered from the address below.
Often researchers seek information concerning the possible Masonic affiliation of an ancestor. In TEXAS, the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas has instituted rules as to what Masonic Records are available to the general public. The Grand Lodge Library and Museum staff, time permitting, will perform a Masonic Record Search using the Grand Lodge of Texas Archival Membership Index File. There will be a $10.00 fee for each individual search. This fee goes toward the support of the Grand Lodge Library and Museum. Please allow up to 8 weeks for a response to your inquiry.
This search will provide Membership Information Only. It will show what Texas Masonic Lodge the person belonged to and will show if the person was an officer of a Texas Masonic Lodge, or an officer of the Grand Lodge of Texas. There is No Biographical Information in these files. Once you find what Masonic Lodge a person belonged to, you will then need to contact that Lodge directly to inquire as to what may be in that member's file. To find an address of a Texas Masonic Lodge, you can contact the Secretary of any Texas Masonic Lodge and he will be able to furnish you with this information.
Please Note! The Grand Lodge of Texas will not furnish any information on a living member.
Click Here to get the necessary order form for such inquiries.
If you are trying to locate the Masonic record of an ancestor who possibly belonged to a Masonic lodge in a state other than Texas, go to the following link: "Masonic Grand Lodges - United States and Puerto Rico".
Address all Correspondence to:
J. D. Dickenson, Secretary - E-Mail
Forrest Masonic Lodge No. 19, A. F. & A. M.
Post Office Box 1004
Huntsville, Texas 77342-1004
Telephone 936.295.5551
Send All Inquiries and Comments Concerning this Website to:
Webmaster
Some of our favorite Local links:
Dickenson Research - Professional
Genealogists
Huntsville-Walker County, Texas, Genealogical
Society
Some of our favorite Texas Masonic links:
28th Masonic District Lodges (Walker and Montgomery Counties):
Conroe Masonic Lodge No. 748 -
(Conroe)
Grand Lodge of Texas, A. F.
& A. M. - (Waco)
Texas Masonic Lodges
Texas Masonic Related Organizations
Other Masonic Links:
National and States Masonic Links
