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Senior Warden - Ronald Earl Barrenger
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Junior Warden - Timothy Kent Evans
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Treasurer - John Horace Keene
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Secretary - Harvey Speight Evans
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Senior Deacon - Jack Bryan Wooten, III
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Junior Deacon - Keith Harold Brinson
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Steward - James Earl Farmer
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Steward - Jeffrey Elijah Barbour
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Chaplain - Floyd Walter Stewart
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Tyler - Gene Howard Phelps
A Brief History of Fellowship Lodge #84
Fellowship Lodge #84 is an older lodge with a great deal of history.
The first record of the Lodge is in 1825. Two previous Lodges were recorded in Smithfield.
Brotherly Love Lodge was started in 1811, but changed to Neuse Lodge #67 on December 6, 1816.
The Neuse Lodge #67 Charter was surrendered in 1821, and Fellowship Lodge was chartered
December 6, 1825 under the bylaws of Hiram Lodge #40. The Charter was forfeited in 1839.
The Lodge opened again December 9, 1840 under dispensation, and rechartered December 7, 1841
by Grand Master Simon James Baker. Membership was up and down in the 1800's.
The first known location of Fellowship Lodge is on North Second Street, approximately where the
Woman's Club is now located. The oldest building now standing is on North Second Street, which
is Yates Dobson's office known as the Brooks Building. The Lodge later was located in the Duncan
Building at the corner of South Third and Johnston Streets. In the early 1940's the Lodge purchased
property behind the Baptist Church. The Lodge was dedicated by Worshipful Thomas J. Haskins on June 6,
1940. The Lodge was constructed for a cost of $6,178. The building was sold in 1977 at a price of
$35,000.
The Lodge temporarily moved back to the Duncan Building. The present Lodge Building
location was purchased in 1972 for $22,000, and had previously been the Hunsucker
Inn Property. It is an interesting comparison to note that Fellowship Lodge
purchased two full acres on North Second Street in 1841 for $20. Our present
Lodge at 913 S. Brightleaf Boulevard is valued at over $350,000. The
ground-breaking for the present Fellowship Lodge #84 was April 9, 1978 at
3:00 p.m. Most Worshipful J. Earl Watson was Grand Master. The Lodge was
dedicated March 14, 1980 at 7:00 p.m. Most Worshipful William B. Bellois was
Grand Master, and performed the dedication.
Fellowship Lodge #84 has had many dedicated Masons and Past Masters.
Brother Richard A. Noble was Grand Master of Masons in North Carolina in
1899. Brother William A. Hooks was Grand Master of Masons in North Carolina
in 1969. Our largest membership was in 1960, our present membership is
150. In 1945 Brother Benjamin W. Booker added 20 members.
Since moving to our new location on Brightleaf Boulevard, we have grown closer together.
We mow grass, have pancake breakfasts, work and support the Eastern Star Sandwich and Soup
Project. We have started the Evander S. Simpson Masonic Scholarship fund, and
we have awarded one scholarship to a student at Smithfield-Selma Senior High School. We have also
started a fund to finance a scholarship each year.
