HISTORY OF ROCKPORT LODGE NO. 58 F. & A.M.
Malvern, Arkansas 72104
Rockport Lodge No. 58 F. & A.M. was instituted under dispensation issued on February 2, 1852 with Bro. D.A. Walton being appointed the first Worshipful Master, Bro. J.D. Cornelius, the Senior Warden and Bro. J.G. Halliburton, Junior Warden.
At the Grand Lodge session held in Little Rock in November 1852, Bro. J.G. Halliburton represented the Lodge and upon the recommendation of the committee, Rockport Lodge No. 58 was granted a charter, dated November 2, 1852.
The Grand Lodge report of 1853 shows a membership of 28 members and that during the year, 6 had received the Entered Apprentice Degree, 4 the Fellow Craft, and 3 had received the Master Mason’s Degree. The dues for that year amounted to $23.00.
The Lodge was very active for a small lodge during these early years of its existence and 37 degrees were conferred in 1854, and in the year 1860 showed a membership reported to the Grand Lodge of 62. No mention is made in the years of 1862, 1863, 1864 and 1865 and it is presumed that the Lodge more or less disbanded during the years of the Civil War. In the latter part of 1865 the Lodge became active again. In 1866, the Grand Lodge burned and most all of their records were destroyed.
When Rockport Lodge was instituted, the Lodge was located at what is now known as the Rockport community and the meetings were held in a building located where the present Methodist Church now stands. The lower part of the building being used by a church, which was a Baptist church, and the custom still prevails in a lot of the rural sections of the country, where some Church occupies the lower floor and the Lodge the upper floor.
The railroad began to reach out into Arkansas about this time and failing to obtain a right of way through Old Rockport, decided to build their tracks at their present location at Malvern. From this time on, it seemed that the fate of Old Rockport as a flourishing young town seemed doomed as the town gradually built around the railroad at Malvern, and as Malvern thrived and grew in population, Rockport decreased in population and in December 1877, the Lodge building itself was moved intact to Malvern and located on what was known as the Barnett property on the corner of South Main and East Sullenberger Streets. (Part of this property is now owned by Jim & Josephine Bray). The last meeting held at Rockport was December 1, 1877 and the first meeting held at their new location was on December 27, 1877, not missing a meeting by reason of the move. To this date, the Lodge has not missed a stated communication.
Lodge meetings were held at this location for many years, with a church still occupying the lower floor of the building. Some years later, the Lodge moved to a location known as the Cooper building, located on the east side of the second block of South Main Street.
The old Lodge building and site were sold to J.J. Tarvin for $250.00 in 1895.
The Cooper building was used as a Lodge Hall until destroyed by fire on February 12, 1897. The Lodge at this time had a membership of 88 members. Nearly all of the valuable records of the Lodge were lost in this fire. The Lodge activities were held in the County Courthouse for some time, the first meeting held there on March 6, 1897, still maintaining its record for not missing a regular meeting.
On May 1, 1897 the Lodge purchased a lot on the corner of South Main and Third Street for a Masonic building for Mrs. C.C. Berger, the site of the home of Rockport Lodge No. 58 until it was sold to Mr. Lynn & Dixon Miller in July 1988.
In May 1897 a duplicate charter was requested since the original charter was destroyed in the fire earlier.
Having great faith in the Rockport Lodge, the membership decided in the latter part of 1897 to build a new Masonic Temple, having at this time 88 members. After a lot of discussion and preliminaries a contract was let to C.W. Clark for $5,974.00 to build the new temple. Private subscriptions were made, dues were raised and many hardships were endured until finally build and in 1908 the Temple was completely paid for, the notes being retired and the dedication was performed.
The picture of Albert Pike which hangs in our new building on Dyer Street was presented to the Rockport Lodge by Bro. Sam C. Scull and Bro. Charles E. Rosebaum in 1909. Bro. Scull also presented a gavel to the Lodge made from a magnolia tree which grew in the yard of Albert Pike in Little Rock, Arkansas. (The whereabouts of this gavel is not known.) The Lodge had a membership of about 200 members at this time.
In 1930 the Lodge realized the need of additional room for its activities, its membership having grown to about 340 members, and voted to build an annex for the price of $10,000. This being built on the back of the Lodge building. An informal meeting and celebration was had in the new annex on the night of July 1, 1930.
During the course of several years a committee was named to try to find a location for a new site for the building of a new Lodge. Every time this came up, it was either voted down or it died for the lack of a second.
During the years of World War II, the Lodge gave a lot of donations to the Red Cross and many other organizations.
A lot of donations were given to the T.B. Sanitorium in Booneville, and also to the Children’s Home at Batesville. February 3, 1928 the lodge donated $1000.00 to help get a textile mill to move to Malvern.
It was not anything unusual to have 150 or more members attend the Lodge during the years of the 30’s. It was well known all over the state that Rockport Lodge had one of the best degree teams and they were called to confer the degrees at a lot of other Lodges.
The Lodge gave a good donation to go on the new hospital on July 19, 1929. A $50.00 donation was given to the High School for hot lunches on November 7, 1941, and a $100.00 donation was given to the High School to help keep it from closing on April 6, 1951.
The Lodge celebrated it’s century mark on April 25, 1952, although the correct date was February 2, 1952. The reason for the delay was so the weather would be more suitable. The Grand Lodge officers and other dignitaries dined at the Old Barlow Hotel with 375 people visiting the Lodge in the afternoon. Over 400 Masons were in attendance for the night meeting. The Lodge was newly painted, had new carpet, new drapes, and new theater seats were purchased.
The dues were raised from $4.00 to $6.00 on September 4, 1970. The dues were raised from $6.00 to $8.00 in about 1977 or 1978 and were raised again in 1982 or 1983 to the present level which is $12.00.
On June 6, 1986, W.M. Jim Bray appointed a committee of Clift Crawford, PM, Marion Griffin, PM, Grant Rubly, PM, Robert Dennis, Jr. W., and Robert Brandenberg to serve trying to find a new location for a new Temple. Several sites were looked at before one was found on Dyer Street where we built the new Temple.
A special dispensation was given from both the Grand Lodge of Arkansas and the Grand Lodge of Tennessee to allow O.K. Houch Lodge No. 707 of Memphis, Tennessee to confer the Master Mason Degree at Rockport Lodge No. 58 on November 1, 1986.
The Grand Lodge of Arkansas held a special Communication at Rockport Lodge No. 58 on April 24, 1988 for the purpose to hold the funeral service of Past Grand Master Ray N. Boyle who had been a member of Rockport Lodge for sixty-nine (69) years.
On June 5, 1987 a proposal was made by Past Master Ted Riggs to purchase a parcel of land on Dyer Street in Malvern for the purpose of building a new Temple. The asking price of the land was $8500.00.
On July 3, 1987, the Lodge voted to buy the property after it was determined that it would meet our needs.
On July 7, 1987 a special meeting was called by the W.M. to clarify questions raised by some Brothers on buying the property on Dyer Street.
On July 8, 1987 the check was written for $8500.00 and delivered to Mr. Kelly Hodges, from whom the property was purchased.
A building committee composed of Ted Riggs, PM, J.J. Grissom, PM, Joe Bailey, PM, Floyd Lumley, PM, and Robert Brandenberg. (Robert Dennis was later added).
After looking at several Lodges over the state, Bro. Troy Brashears drew up a set of plans that we decided on. The slab was finished December 21, 1987. After a lot of hard work by a number of members of the Rockport Lodge and a few others, we were able to hold our first meeting at the new Lodge on August 26, 1988, which was a called meeting for the purpose of conferring the 3rd Degree on Bro. Larry Walker. The first stated meeting was held on September 2, 1988.
We had a special meeting by the Grand Lodge of Arkansas on November 5, 1988 to celebrate the laying of the corner stone and the dedication of the new Temple.
Our New Temple located at 1721 Dyer Street in the city of Malvern was built for approximately $72,000.00 having 4,888 square feet and at this writing we are free of any debt. We the members of Rockport Lodge have a well constructed building and something that the future generations will be proud of.
This short history of Rockport Lodge No. 58 F & AM was compiled by Past Master Jim Bray. October 20, 1988
