Solomon's Lodge, Savannah

Not to be confused with Solomon's Lodge, Charleston.

Solomon's Lodge, officially Solomon's Lodge, No. 1, Free and Accepted Masons (F. & A. M.), located in Freemasons' Hall, Savannah, Georgia, is a Masonic lodge established in 1734 by James Lacey and General James Oglethorpe.^[1] It is believed to be the oldest, continuously operating, English-constituted lodge in the Western Hemisphere, a title also claimed by St. John's Lodge, Portsmouth, established in 1734 or 1736.^[2]

Solomon's Lodge

Main façade of Freemasons' Hall in Savannah
Named after	Solomon
Established	February 21, 1734 (291 years ago) (1734-02-21)
Founders	James Lacey James Oglethorpe
Type	Masonic lodge
Location	100 East Bay Street, Savannah, Georgia
Coordinates	32.0811610°N 81.089883°W / 32.0811610; -81.089883
Region served	Chatham County, Georgia
Parent organization	Grand Lodge of Georgia, Free and Accepted Masons
Website	solomonslodge1.com

History

Solomon's Lodge is the mother lodge of the Grand Lodge of Georgia, Free and Accepted Masons, and between 1734 and 1785 was the only lodge in Georgia.^[3] It was not called Solomon's Lodge until 1776, previously being known as "The Lodge at Savannah."^[4] It occupies the former Savannah Cotton Exchange building. The first person to be initiated into the lodge was the settler and plantation founder Noble Jones.^[4]

Notable members

Many members of Solomon's Lodge have held prestigious positions throughout history in the armed forces, government, and public service. Several prominent members of the Lodge are listed below.

Name Notability References Archibald Bulloch 1st Governor of Georgia (1776–1777), delegate from Georgia to the Continental Congress (1775) [5][6] William Bellinger Bulloch U.S. Senator from Georgia (1813–1813), 12th Mayor of Savannah, Georgia (1809–1811, 1811–1812), president of the State Bank of Georgia (1816–1843) [6] Samuel Elbert 18th Governor of Georgia (1785–1786), brigadier general in the Continental Army [5][6] Thomas Gibbons 2nd Mayor of Savannah, Georgia (1791–1792, 1794–1795, 1799–1801), plaintiff in Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) [5] James Gunn U.S. Senator from Georgia (1789–1801), brigadier general in the Georgia Militia [6] James Habersham Acting governor of the Province of Georgia (1769–1772), credited with opening the first direct trade between Savannah, Georgia and London [5][6] John Habersham Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation (1785) [5][6] Joseph Habersham 3rd United States Postmaster General (1795–1801), 3rd Mayor of Savannah, Georgia (1792–1793) [5] Lyman Hall 17th Governor of Georgia (1783–1784), delegate from Georgia to the Continental Congress (1775–1777) [6] George Handley 21st Governor of Georgia (1788–1789) [5][6] John Houstoun 10th Governor of Georgia (1778–1779, 1784–1785), 1st Mayor of Savannah, Georgia (1790–1791), delegate for Georgia in the Second Continental Congress (1775) [5][6] William Houstoun Delegate representing Georgia at the Constitutional Convention (1787) [5][6] James Jackson 23rd Governor of Georgia (1798–1801), U.S. Senator from Georgia (1793–1795, 1801–1806), member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1789–1791) [6] George Jones U.S. Senator from Georgia (1807–1807), 14th Mayor of Savannah, Georgia (1812–1814) [6] Noble Jones One of the first settlers of the Province of Georgia [5] Noble Wimberly Jones Delegate to the Continental Congress in 1781 and 1782 [5][6] John Martin 16th Governor of Georgia (1782–1783) [5][6] Matthew McAllister 1st U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia (1789–1797), 7th Mayor of Savannah, Georgia (1798–1799) [5] Henry Osborne Georgia Chief Justice (1787–1789), member of the Georgia General Assembly (1786–1788) [5] Nathaniel Pendleton U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Georgia (1789–1796), Attorney General of Georgia (1785–1786) [5][6] William Pierce Delegate representing Georgia at the Constitutional Convention (1787) [5][6] William Stephens U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Georgia (1801–1818), 4th Mayor of Savannah, Georgia (1793–1794, 1795–1796) [5] Samuel Stirk Attorney General of Georgia (1782) [5] Josiah Tattnall 25th Governor of Georgia (1801–1802), U.S. Senator from Georgia (1796–1799), member of the Georgia House of Representatives (1795–1796) [5][6] John A. Treutlen 9th Governor of Georgia (1777–1778) [5] George Walton U.S. Senator from Georgia (1795–1796), Acting Governor of Georgia (1789–1790), delegate representing Georgia at the Constitutional Convention (1787) [5][6]

Archibald Bulloch James Habersham Joseph Habersham William Houstoun Noble Wimberly Jones