Grand Lodge of Texas, A.F. & A.M.
Waco, McLennan County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The first attempt to establish freemasonry in Texas occurred in 1828 when Stephen F. Austin and a group of Masons petitioned the Mexican National Grand Lodge for a Lodge Charter. Due to the political upheaval of the time, nothing became of the petition. Five Master Masons met in Brazoria in March 1835 and sent a petition to Grand Master John H. Holland of Lousiana asking for a charter to form a lodge in Texas. The charter was delivered to Anson Jones, who carried it during the Battle of San Jacinto. Holland Lodge was located in Houston and by 1837 was joined by Milam Lodge in Nacogdoches and McFarland Lodge in San Augustine. On December 20, 1837, the three lodges met in convention and created the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas. Sam Houston presided at the convention, and Anson Jones was elected First Grand Master. The Grand Lodge met in various locations before permanently locating in Waco in 1902. Masons were at the forefront of Texas history. Twenty-two of the signers of the Texas Declaration of Independence were Masons. Members of the organization defended the Alamo and fought at the Battle of San Jacinto. All of the presidents and vice presidents of the Republic of Texas were Masons.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Texas Freemasonry began with a false start in 1828, when Stephen F. Austin's petition to the Mexican Grand Lodge foundered amid political turmoil. A charter finally reached Texas through Anson Jones, who reportedly carried it during the Battle of San Jacinto, and in 1837 three lodges convened under Sam Houston to form the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas, with Jones as first Grand Master. After meeting in many places, the Grand Lodge settled permanently in Waco in 1902.
Why it matters
Masons stood at the center of Texas' founding — twenty-two signers of the Declaration of Independence and defenders of the Alamo among them — making the order's history inseparable from the birth of the republic.
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Related people
- · Stephen F. Austin
- · Anson Jones
- · Sam Houston
- · John H. Holland
Related events
- · Battle of San Jacinto
- · Founding of the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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