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Reconstruction & Gilded Age

Kerrville Lodge No. 697, A.F. & A.M.

Kerrville, Kerr County, Texas

Marker Inscription

Organized by Masons affiliated with Rising Star Lodge in nearby Center Point, Kerrville Lodge No. 697 was chartered on December 11, 1890. The 21 charter members elected Ed Smallwood as their first Worshipful Master. A two-story stone building erected by Charles Schreiner served as the institution's headquarters until a second structure was acquired in 1927. Construction of the current building began in December 1972, and it was formally dedicated in February 1974. The Kerrville Masonic Lodge has served the community with many programs. (1990)

Erected by Texas Historical Commission

The Story

Chartered in December 1890 by Masons who had belonged to a lodge in nearby Center Point, Kerrville Lodge No. 697 began with 21 members and Ed Smallwood as its first Worshipful Master. For decades it met in a two-story stone building erected by Kerrville pioneer Charles Schreiner. The lodge moved into new quarters in 1927 and again into a purpose-built home dedicated in 1974.

Why it matters

The lodge traces the civic backbone of a Hill Country town, its meeting places tied to figures like Charles Schreiner who shaped Kerrville itself.

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Related people

  • · Ed Smallwood
  • · Charles Schreiner

Themes & tags

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