Former Acton Masonic Lodge Hall
Acton, Hood County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Begun in 1866 and completed in 1868, this native stone structure was erected by Acton Lodge no. 285, A.F. & A.M. The top floor housed The Lodge Hall, while the lower floor was used as a schoolhouse, church, and social center. After the lodge moved in 1922, the vacant building fell into disrepair. Bought in 1974 by the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas, it was restored as the Church of the Good Shepherd.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Raised in native stone between 1866 and 1868, this building served the Acton Masonic Lodge on its top floor while the ground floor did triple duty as schoolhouse, church, and social center for the young Hood County community. After the lodge departed in 1922, the empty hall fell into decay until the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas bought and restored it in 1974 as the Church of the Good Shepherd.
Why it matters
Buildings like this show how a single frontier structure could anchor a community's education, worship, and fellowship all at once before separate institutions took root.
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Nearby & related markers
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