The 1939 Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the Dedication of the Masonic Temple in Pelham, NY

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On November 6, 1939, a group of Pelham residents gathered to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the dedication of the Masonic Temple "Winyah Lodge No. 866 - F. & A.M." A program prepared for the event contains a brief history of the formation of the Winyah Lodge and the dedication of the temple.

An image of the cover of the program appears immediately below. Today's Historic Pelham Blog posting provides an excerpt from the program detailing the early history of the Lodge.

Cover of Program for the 30th Anniversary Celebration

of the Dedication of the Masonic Temple in Pelham, New York.

Source:  Collection of the Author.

"A little over thirty years ago, a group of enthusiastic Pelham Masons met at the home of Brother Seth T. Lyman, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and First Street, where the old Post Office was then located, and decided that a Masonic Lodge would be a desirable acquisition for the Town of Pelham. After considering many names for the new Lodge, the unanimous decision was 'Winyah.'

'Winyah' is the name of an old Indian Tribe which used to live along the coast of South Carolina. The Bay near Georgetown, S. C., is named 'Winyah' after it.

In the year 1847 Colonel Richard Lathers of Georgetown, S. C., bought several hundred acres of land in the Villages of New Rochelle and Pelhamville extending to Fifth Avenue, including what is now known as Pelhamwood. Colonel Lathers named his homestead 'Winyah Park,' and it was from this park that the name 'Winyah' was taken. It might be of interest here to state that there was another Lodge named 'Winyah'; this was 'Winyah Lodge' of Georgetown, S. C., whose Charter dates from 1743. It was one of the oldest Lodges of Colonial times.

After deciding upon 'Winyah' as the name of the new Lodge, the twenty Masons petitioned the Grand Master for a Dispensation to conduct a lodge in Pelham. The following names appear on the petition:

SETH T. LYMAN
LOUIS C. YOUNG
HARRY A. ANDERSON
G. I. KARBACH
GEORGE C. RUPERT
H. ELLIOTT COE
ISAAC C. HILL
W . ' . JOHN T. LOGAN
HENRY L. RUPERT
CHARLES E. BOSS
JOHN H. YOUNG
GEORGE STEAD
EMIL ERICSON
DAVID B. ALGIE
W. F. C. TICHBORNE
CHARLES R. WALLANDER
A. WILBUR CRANE
EDWARD THURNAER
JOSEPH J. WHITE
CHARLES A. BARKER

The Dispensation was duly granted by the Grand Master M . ' . W . ' . S. Nelson Sawyer, and on November 17, 1908, 'Winyah Lodge' met at the old Lodge Rooms of Hiawatha Lodge No. 434, F. & A. M., in Mount Vernon, with Seth T. Lyman, Master; H. Elliott Coe, Senior Warden, and Louis C. Young, Junior Warden, for the purpose of receiving from R . ' . W . ' . Frank V. Millard, District Deputy, the Dispensation empowering the above twenty Masons to conduct 'Winyah Lodge' in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Grand Lodge and their own By-Laws. On May 6, 1909, the Grand Lodge, assembled in New York, decided that the necessary requirements were fulfilled and thereupon granted a Charter constituting 'Winyah Lodge No. 866, F. & A. M.' It is that event which we are tonight commemorating.

The first Stated Communication of 'Winyah Lodge No. 866, F. & A. M.,' was held on June 1, 1909, in the Lodge Rooms of Hiawatha Lodge No. 434, Mount Vernon, N. Y., and upon that occasion the Master, Seth T. Lyman, received the Charter from M . ' . W . ' . Edward M. L. Ehlers. The Officers of the 'Winyah Lodge' at that time were as follows:

SETH T. LYMAN. . . . . . . . . . . . Master
H. ELLIOTT COE. . . . . . . . . . . .Senior Warden
LOUIS C. YOUNG. . . . . . . . . . . Junior Warden
ISAAC C. HILL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Treasurer
JOSEPH W. STONE. . . . . . . . . . Secretary
ALBERT L. LOGAN. . . . . . . . . . Senior Deacon
EDWARD M. C. LOGAN. . . . . . .Junior Deacon
JULIUS A. NELSON. . . . . . . . . .Senior Master of Ceremonies
JOHN ROHRS, JR. . . . . . . . . . . .Junior Master of Ceremonies
REV. HERBERT H. BROWN. . . Chaplain
SAMUEL J. ADLER. . . . . . . . . . .Senior Steward
HORACE E. BURNETT. . . . . . . .Junior Steward
WALTER R. HARRIS . . . . . . . . . Marshal
FRED W. CASE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tiler

Trustees

WILLIAM R. MONTGOMERY
WALTER F. C. TICHBORNE
A. WILBUR CRANE

The above Officers with the following Brethren, constituted the thirty-five Charter Members of 'Winyah Lodge No. 866, F. & A. M.':

DAVID B. ALGIE
HARRY A. ANDERSON
CHARLES E. BOSS
EDWARD M. BRAY
BARTHELEMY G. DONZEL
EMIL ERICSON
LUDWIG W. EISINGER
CHARLES FISTERE
ALBERT D. FROST
ANDREW HEISSER
GEORGE C. RUPERT
HENRY L. RUPERT
GEORGE STEAD
EDWARD THURNAER
JOSEPH J. WHITE
JACOB A WIRTH
CHARLES R. WALLANDER
JOHN H. YOUNG

'Winyah Lodge' up to this time had no home of its own, holding the various meetings at Hiawatha Lodge No. 434, Mount Vernon, N. Y., and Huguenot Lodge No. 46, in New Rochelle, N. Y. Many of the members of 'Winyah Lodge' with a few non-Masons formed the Hutchinson Realty Co., and built the present Temple. The first meeting held in the new Temple was on October 30, 1909, when the final arrangements for the dedication of the Lodge Room were made. The Temple was duly dedicated on November 6, 1909, by M . ' . W . ' . Edward M. L. Ehlers, assisted by the Grand Lodge Officers. Upon this occasion R. ' . W. ' . Charles G. F. Wahle directed the choir of the Church of the Redeemer in the rendition of appropriate music. It was the largest Masonic gathering ever held in Pelham, and many Masons were unable to gain admission. After the dedication a banquet was served in the Club Room, and there were about 250 guests.

Winyah Lodge received many gifts - too many to note them all here. The Holy Bible was presented by W . ' . John T. Logan, and the Square and Compasses by R . ' . W . ' . and Mrs. Charles G. F. Wahle. Both these gifts are still in use on the Altar.

The first election of Officers of 'Winyah' as a Charter Lodge took place at the Sixth Stated Communication, held December 21, 1909.

Seth T. Lyman was re-elected Master; H. Elliott Coe was re-elected Senior Warden; Louis C. Young was re-elected Junior Warden; Isaac C. Hill was re-elected Treasurer, and Joseph W. Stone was re-elected Secretary.

The first Public Installation of Officers was held on January 4, 1910. R . ' . W . ' . Charles G. F. Wahle acting as Grand Master, and W . ' . John T. Logan as Grand Marshal.

This Public Installation was greatly enjoyed by the Brethren and their friends, and for many years afterward was a yearly feature with 'Winyah.'

Space does not permit us going further into details regarding the early life of Winyah Lodge, but we would be unappreciative if we did not at this time, pay our humble tribute to the invaluable services so faithfully performed and so cheerfully given by

R . ' . W . ' . CHARLES G. G. WAHLE
W . ' . JOHN T. LOGAN
W . ' . ADOLPH WADE

Before concluding we must express our appreciation for the work of those who labored so unceasingly for the Lodge in its early days, especially our beloved first Master,

R . ' . W . ' . SETH T. LYMAN 'The Father of Winyah'

In The East

1909 R . ' . W . ' . SETH T. LYMAN
1910 R . ' . W . ' . SETH T. LYMAN
1911 W . ' . HARRY E. COE (Deceased)
1912 W . ' . ALBERT L. LOGAN
1913 W . ' . LOUIS C. YOUNG (Deceased)
1914 W . ' . HENRY E. R. STACEY
1915 W . ' . JOSEPH W. STONE (Deceased)
1916 R . ' . W . ' . WILLIAM R. MONTGOMERY
1917 W . ' . GEORGE N. RICE
1918 W . ' . JACOB A. WIRTH
1919 W . ' . EDGAR H. LAING (Deceased)
1920 W . ' . WILLIAM S. CAMPH (Deceased)
1921 W . ' . GUSTAVE A. WEIDHAAS (Deceased)
1922 W . ' . HAROLD S. ARCHER
1923 W . ' . FRED BERMAN
1924 W . ' . FREDERICK M. WIRTH
1925 W . ' . JOHN P. W. CEDER
1926 W . ' . BRICE W. TAYLOR
1927 W . ' . UEL R. PERSALL (Deceased)
1928 W . ' . BENJAMIN W. HOBSON
1929 W . ' . WALTER B. ROBINSON (Deceased)
1930 W . ' . J. M. CLAYTON SHINN
1931 W . ' . SIDNEY C. SMITH
1932 W . ' . EDWIN J. LYON
1933 W . ' . ALBERT H. PAYNE
1934 W . ' . KNEELAND S. DURHAM
1935 W . ' . HERBERT L. DOEPEL
1936 W . ' . HARRY F. MELA
1937 W . ' . RALPH W. PIERSALL
1938 W . ' . EARL M. CAMERON
1939 W . ' . JAMES L. CORRICAN"

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