Lodge History

From a paper read by Brother Don Ward at the observance of the one hundredth anniversary of the Lodge on December 3, 1958.

Mount Olive Lodge No. 208 A.F. & A.M. was chartered by the Grand Lodge of North Carolina in the Town of Mount Olive on December 7, 1858. The three principal officers installed to serve the Lodge on that date were Brothers Joel E. Loftin, Master, Eli Hines Senior Warden, and F.O. Wilson, Junior Warden. Since the charter is the only record preserved by the local Lodge or the Grand Lodge of North Carolina, there is no available knowledge as to the identity of the other officers installed at that time, nor is there a list of the charter members of the lodge.
When in 1905 a fire destroyed the Lodge’s meeting place on the site of the present Citizen’s Bank Building, the Lodge records were also destroyed. Grand Lodge Records of Masonic activity in Mount Olive seem to be incomplete for a period from 1884 to 1903. However, about thirty-five "returns" of the Mount Olive Lodge to the Grand Lodge, and a few books of the minutes of the local Lodge which are preserved in the Grand Lodge Building in Raleigh give proof that throughout the 100-year history there was always a group of Masons here, although the Lodge charter was surrendered from 1884 to 1909.
Revived interest and a restored charter gave Masonry a boost here in 1903. The Principle officers of the Lodge at this time were Brothers W. F. English; Master; W. C. Steele, Senior Warden; J. Henry Carr, Junior Warden; C. B. Price, Treasurer, and Leonard Aaron, Secretary.
Names of the brethren frequently mentioned and who were undoubtedly very active members included Brothers M. F. Farmer, E. F. Hicks, J. H. Loftin, N. L. Long, J. B. Oliver, A. J. Rhodes, Cebon Wolf, Oliver Summerlin, Max Harris, M. B. Outlaw and U. F. Patten.
The Lodge was housed for many years in a building on the site of the present Citizen’s Bank building. The lodge’s next meeting place was in the R. Kornegay building on East Center Street. In 1908 the Masons held their meeting in Fraternity Hall, the third floor of the city hall. When the Tilman building (now known as the Williams building) was erected in 1920, the Lodge occupied the third story for thirteen years, later returning to Fraternity Hall.
When the Steele Memorial library and community building was erected in 1935, a cornerstone-laying ceremony was conducted by the local Lodge, at which time a "History of Mount Olive Lodge," along with other ritualistic materials were deposited therein.
The Rev. W. M. Baker, former pastor of Mount Olive Presbyterian Church, who was also a past Master of the Lodge, delivered the message, and Brother Allen Andrews officiated at the depositing of the box in the Cornerstone.
Chaotic conditions during the Civil War, Reconstruction Days, and the fact that fire once burned the records of the Lodge, prevent the membership from putting together a complete record of the activities of Mount Olive Lodge since its Constitution in 1858.

The following is a historical table of lodges in Wayne County chartered by the Grand Lodge of North Carolina.
(Thanks to Brother Rick Pridgin of Wayne Lodge #112)

Name, location, chartered, disposition
Columbian #28 Wayne Co. Dec. 9, 1796 Dec. 3, 1806 Extinct
Union #62 Waynesboro Nov. 21, 1812 moved to spring bank in 1827, to Waynesboro in 1830, extinct 1837
Wayne #112 Goldsboro Dec. 10, 1846 Active today
Mount Olive #208 Mount Olive Dec. 6, 1859 Active today
Nahunta #239 Nahunta Dec. 5, 1865 Extinct in 1879
Falling Creek #325 Goldsboro Dec. 5, 1872 Extinct in 1927
Goldsboro #332 Goldsboro Dec. 8, 1874 Extinct in 1884
Harmony #340 Pikeville Dec. 8, 1874 Active today
Home #613 Fremont Jan. 20, 1915 Active today
Seven Springs #631 Seven Sprngs Jan. 17, 1917 Extinct in 1923
Goldsboro #634 Goldsboro Jan. 16, 1918 Active today