Lodge History

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A History of Worth Lodge #194

Worth Lodge #194 was chartered October 31,1855, at Isabella, Georgia. The first officers were Sam B. Webb, WM; A.E. Harris, SW; F.M. Summons, JW; Wm W. Tison, Treasurer; Simon P. Odom, Secretary; J.J. Williams, SD; Warren Dykes, JD; and Henry O'Neal, Tyler.

The application for dispensation was signed by seven members and during the year, while under the dispensation, seven were initiated, seven passed, six raised, two affiliated, and two rejected. In addition to the above officers, the entire membership for this year was A.L. Lippit, A.M. Giddens, A.H. Dykes, J.C. Trawick, Jas. P. Cox, J.H. Calhoun, J.W.H. Mitchell, and Jno. P. Davis.

We would like to thank Bros. Donald Gilman and John Popham, Sr. for their contributions to our history page by contributing the following:

Worth Lodge #194; the Oldest Civic and Fraternal Organization in the County

When examining the history of Worth County and the organization of social structures that combine to form communities, we have to look no further than Worth Masonic Lodge #194 to find an organization that is steeped rich in the history of Worth County as well as Georgia. It is commonly known that...

“A band of English colonists under the leadership of General James Edward Oglethorpe, British soldier, statesman and humanitarian, arrived on the west bank of the Savannah River on February 12, 1733. This was the birth of the English Province of Georgia, the last of the Thirteen Colonies. Georgia was the southwestern frontier of British America for many years.

In the same year, December 13, 1733, the Grand Lodge of England at its Quarterly Communication in London adopted a resolution to "collect the Charity of this Society towards enabling the Trustees (of Georgia) to send distressed Brethren to Georgia where they may be comfortably provided for...that it be strenuously (sic) recommended by the Masters and Wardens of regular Lodges to make a generous collection amongst all their Members for that purpose..."

Some three months later, February 21, 1734, a Lodge of Freemasons was organized at Savannah under the "old Customs" (without warrant). Noble Jones, intimate friend of James Oglethorpe, was initiated on that date, the first Freemason made in Georgia. On December 2, 1735, the Lodge was warranted by the Grand Lodge of England and entered on the engraved list as "The Lodge at Savannah in Ye Province of Georgia". - History of the Grand Lodge of Georgia

One hundred twenty years later, our county was seeded in 1853 by the Georgia General Assembly; two years later, Worth Lodge #194 was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Georgia on October 31, 1855. Our county founders saw the need for the fraternal organization shortly after convening on the land that is presently Isabella, the original county seat. Just as our founding father James Oglethorpe saw the need for Masonic leadership in the new frontier state of Georgia, the first Worshipful Master of Worth Lodge #194, Brother Sam B. Webb also saw the need for Masonic values for his community of pioneers that made up Worth County. Sixteen members made up the original membership of 1855. Sam Webb would hold the office of Worshipful Master two other times during the fledgling years of the lodge and the county.

As our county grew and progressed, so did the lodge. Throughout the one hundred, fifty- three year history and continuous existence of Worth Lodge #194 many of the county and civic leaders of Worth County served in some capacity supporting the Masonic efforts of the lodge. Family names like Sumner, Ford, Tison, Odom, Dykes, Davis, Calhoun, Deariso, Jeffords, Westberry and others have been a part of the lodge from its inception to present times. For example, Judge Chesley W. Monk served not only as Worshipful Master of Worth Lodge #194 but was also Grand Master of Masons in Georgia 1947, the only one from Worth County to have served in this prestigious role. More recently, Past Sylvester Mayors Thomas Lawhorne and LeRoy Wilkerson served as loyal lodge members as well as Bro. Todd Wilbanks who recently served a tour of duty in Iraq. Currently, Bro. Jeffery Lewis serves as Worshipful Master of Worth Lodge #194 located on south Main St. Most recently, the lodge recognized one of their own for fifty years of loyal membership, Bro. Charles Jones. Bro. Jones became a member of the lodge in October of 1958 and during his years of membership, has served in several leadership roles including Worshipful Master.

One note of significance about the membership of Freemasonry; to date, 15 US Presidents were also Masons. All embraced the brotherhood of Freemasonry even as they represented differing political parties, followed different faiths and came from many different walks of life.

In our times, one might question the relevance of Freemasonry. The core values represented in Freemasonry is that of an organized society of men, symbolically applying the principle of Operative Masonry and architecture to the science and art of character building. In other words, Masonry uses ageless methods and lessons to make each of us a better person.