Lodge History

    ALEXANDRIA LODGE #297 RECEIVED ITS CHARTER ON JUNE 11, 1853 AND

WAS LOCATED IN PLESSIS NEW YORK. A FIRE IN OCTOBER 1865 COMPLETELY

DESTROYED ALL THE BELONGINGS AND CAUSED THE LOSS OF THE CHARTER.

A NEW CHARTER WAS ISSUED JUNE 8, 1866 FROM GRAND LODGE. THE FIRST

MEETINGS WERE HELD IN THE CROSSMAN HOTEL IN ALEXANDRIA BAY AND

THEN WAS MOVED TO REDWOOD NEW YORK WHERE IT STAYED FOR

APPROXIMATELY 1 ½ YEARS. THE LODGE THEN MOVED BACK TO ALEXANDRIA

BAY WHERE IT HAS REMAINED.

          A FIRE IN A NEARBY STRUCTURE IN SEPTEMBER 1893 CAUSED NO

SERIOUS DAMAGE, BUT IN FEBRUARY 1895 THE LODGE WAS TOTALLY

DESTROYED BY FIRE, BUT THE CHARTER WAS NOT. ON NOVEMBER 15, 1922

ALEXANDRIA LODGE #297 VOTED TO GIVE UP THE PROPOSITION TO BUILD A

TEMPLE AND PURCHASED THE WESCOTT BLOCK ON JAMES STREET IN

ALEXANDRIA BAY. THE BUILDING WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1890 AND PURCHASED

BY THE LODGE IN 1922 FOR $12,000.00.

          ON APRIL 4, 1963 AT 4:30 PM, FIRE BROKE OUT IN AN ADJACENT

STRUCTURE TO THE MASONIC LODGE AND WAS QUICKLY BROUGHT UNDER

CONTROL UNTIL A 350 GALLON FUEL OIL TANK EXPLODED ON THE SECOND

FLOOR AND SPREAD BURNING OIL THROUGHOUT THE STRUCTURE. SEVEN

OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENTS WERE CALLED TO ASSIST ALEXANDRIA BAY

FIREMEN. OVER 500,000 GALLONS OF WATER WAS PUMPED ONTO THE

STRUCTURE FROM 4:30 PM TO 10:45 PM WHEN THE FIRE WAS DECLARED BACK

UNDER CONTROL. SOME MASONS WERE ABLE TO ENTER THE LODGE AND

SAVE THE BIBLE AND OTHER RITUAL EQUIPMENT BEFORE THEY WERE DRIVEN

OUT BY THE HEAT OF THE FIRE. ALEXANDRIA LODGE #297 WAS REDEDICATED

ON SATURDAY MARCH 13, 1965.

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