Forrest Lodge No. 19, A.F. & A.M.
Huntsville, Walker County, Texas
Marker Inscription
One of 25 lodges started during the Republic of Texas, Forrest Lodge No. 19, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, was chartered on Jan. 11, 1844. It is the eighth oldest lodge in Texas. Among its early members were Sam Houston and Texas historian Henderson Yoakum. Another outstanding member, William Martin Taylor (1817-1871), is known as "The Father of the Texas Work". He published a handbook called "Taylor's Monitor" which brought uniformity to Texas Masonic ritual. It was approved by the Grand Lodge at a meeting held here in 1858. At least 28 local Masons have attained offices in the Grand Lodge. The upper floor of a store owned by Alexander McDonald, the first worshipful master, served as an early meeting place. A two-story lodge hall on the north side of the square, built in 1850, was destroyed by fire in 1881. It was replaced by a brick building near the corner of University and 11th Street in 1883. The present property was acquired in 1896 and the new structure dedicated in 1909. The Masons have shared their facilities with the Red Cross, the First Baptist Church, and the public schools. Lodge funds have aided distressed members, widows, and orphans; bought war bonds; and supplied scholarships. (1978)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Chartered in 1844, Forrest Lodge No. 19 is one of just 25 Masonic lodges founded under the Republic of Texas and the eighth oldest in the state. Its early rolls included Sam Houston and historian Henderson Yoakum, and member William Martin Taylor earned the title "Father of the Texas Work" for a handbook that standardized Masonic ritual across the state. Through fires, rebuildings, and a century of civic life, the lodge shared its halls with churches, schools, and the Red Cross and funded scholarships and relief.
Why it matters
Fraternal lodges were among the first organized institutions on the Texas frontier, knitting together civic leaders and providing charity and stability as the Republic became a state.
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Related people
- · Sam Houston
- · Henderson Yoakum
- · William Martin Taylor
- · Alexander McDonald
Themes & tags
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