Devotion Lodge No. 160, F&AM
Devotion Lodge No. 160, F&AM meets on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month.
Meal served at 6:30 PM – meeting begins promptly at 7:30 PM
286 Southland Drive
Lexington, Kentucky 40503
A Brief History of Devotion Lodge No. 160, F&AM
175th Anniversary Celebration
September 2, 2022
In the long and winding history of Freemasonry in Lexington, Kentucky, three Lodges survive: Lexington Lodge No. 1, Robert M. Sirkle Lodge No. 954 and Devotion Lodge No. 160. There have been 12 regularly chartered craft Lodges in Fayette County during the past two centuries, several of which outlasted the ravages of the Civil War only to stagger and fall later. In our part of the Commonwealth, no Lodge is always the biggest, the smallest, the strongest or the weakest. We owe our current success to our forefathers, both near and far in time, members of Devotion Lodge and others who supported us over time.
The termination of the Mexican American War and the ending of the Financial Panic of 1837-1844 resulted in a wave of prosperity in Lexington, leading to the formation of Devotion Lodge No. 160 on September 2, 1847. The following Brothers were elected and installed as Officers for Devotion Lodge in 1847: W. Oliver Anderson – Master, Richard B. Parker – Sr. Warden, David S. Goodloe – Jr. Warden, H. B. Franklin – Secretary, W. S. Berkey – Treasurer, R. P. Hunt – Sr. Deacon, E. W. Dowden – Jr. Deacon and James Mann – Tyler. Twenty-three other members and six initiates joined them.
In the long and winding history of Freemasonry in Lexington, Kentucky, three Lodges survive: Lexington Lodge No. 1, Robert M. Sirkle Lodge No. 954 and Devotion Lodge No. 160. There have been 12 regularly chartered craft Lodges in Fayette County during the past two centuries, several of which outlasted the ravages of the Civil War only to stagger and fall later. In our part of the Commonwealth, no Lodge is always the biggest, the smallest, the strongest or the weakest. We owe our current success to our forefathers, both near and far in time, members of Devotion Lodge and others who supported us over time.
The Lodge’s first extant minute books date back to December 27, 1858. At that time, members met in a large room on the second floor of City Hall, on the north side of Church Street between Limestone and Upper Streets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month.
In 1866, Lexington Lodges No. 1, 22, 160 and 174 sent letters to other Lodges to assemble in Lexington to establish another Grand Lodge; the plan being to have two Grand Lodges of Kentucky: one in the Eastern and one in the Western part of the state. The Lexington Masons believed that the Grand Lodge had served them a gross injustice by moving to Louisville without consulting them and leaving them the Grand Masonic Hall which was “suited alone for the use of some very large and numerous body.” As the result of an invitation extended by Lexington Masons, the convention met in Lexington on September 17, 1868, but was declared “illegal and unmasonic” by Grand Master Elisha S. Fitch and forbid any members of Kentucky Lodges from taking part.
By the turn of the 20th century all of the Lodges, except for Lexington Lodge No. 1 and Devotion Lodge No. 160 had merged or surrendered their charters and passed out of existence. Even Devotion Lodge, in 1875, entertained formal efforts with Daviess Lodge and Good Samaritan Lodge to give up their charters and form a single, new Lodge. This movement quietly died with Good Samaritan Lodge and Daviess Lodge surrendering their charters in 1884 and 1886 respectively.
Late into the 20th century, Devotion Lodge was honored when Robert W. Davenport, PM was elected and installed to serve the Grand Lodge of Kentucky, F&AM as Grand Master for 1998-1999. While other members of Devotion Lodge have served the Grand Lodge as appointed Grand Lodge officers, District Deputy Grand Masters, Committee Members and Grand Representatives, Bro. Davenport is the only member of Devotion Lodge to serve as Grand Master.
Devotion Lodge has had many locations throughout its 175-year history. Following the Civil War, Devotion Lodge moved to the Hall of Good Samaritan Lodge No. 174 on the third floor of the old brick courthouse. Meetings there began on January 7, 1868 and continued for three years. The next home of Devotion Lodge was the Odd Fellows Hall on the southeast corner of Main and Broadway. Meetings were held at this location until the building burned on January 15, 1886. Other meeting places for Devotion Lodge have been the Lancaster Building on Main Street and the Skillman Building on Short Street. The incorporation of The Masonic Temple Association of Lexington Kentucky, Inc. (MTA) for financing, building and operating a new Masonic Temple in Lexington at 144 N. Broadway occurred in 1910 and currently owns the property we utilize today. The Lodge at Harrodsburg Road followed the Broadway location in July 1985. This is the property that many in Kentucky have known as the “Home of Devotion Lodge.” In January 2021, the property on Harrodsburg Road was sold and the current location at 286 Southland Drive was purchased. During the months while the new Lodge was under renovation, Devotion Lodge met in the Christian Hall at the Lexington Scottish Rite Consistory. The first meeting of Devotion Lodge on Southland Drive for the annual installation of officers was held on December 13, 2021.
Committee on Lodge History
Bruce D. Burton, PM
Tristan J. K. Root, PM