The story of Bethel Lodge No. 61
Bethel Lodge No. 61, F. & A. M. had its beginnings on March 8, 1821, when Bro. William Walters of Clermont Social Lodge No. 29, Williamsburg, Ohio, installed the first officers on a special dispensation from the Grand Lodge of Ohio. The first regular meeting was held on Wednesday, March 14, 1821, and the charter was formally received from the Grand Lodge of Ohio on December 12, 1821.
Ten of the charter members came from Clermont Social Lodge No. 29 in Williamsburg. At the time, the lodge in Williamsburg was a considerable trip for members to the south because of the roads and weather conditions, so these brothers found it expedient to establish a new lodge at Bethel. Among those present at that first meeting was Jesse R. Grant — father of President Ulysses S. Grant and the first mayor of Bethel in 1851. The lodge's first secretary, Dr. John G. Rogers, was the physician in attendance at the birth of President Grant in Point Pleasant.
"We meet upon the level, we part upon the square." — Ancient Masonic Axiom
In the early months, Bethel Lodge met at the various homes of members. In 1822 they rented a lodge room on North Main Street from Thomas Morris (later a U.S. Senator) for $24.00 per year. Lodge dues in those early years were 12½ cents per month, payable at each meeting. Over two centuries, the lodge has moved through several homes before settling into its current building — Dillman Hall — where it has met since 1910.
Much of what we know about our lodge's early history is owed to Bro. Ralph A. Parker, Jr., Past Master 1971, who served as Master during our Sesquicentennial celebration (150 years). Thanks to his efforts and those of his predecessors, we possess a solid record of the significant dates and brethren that shaped our lodge. Ralph Parker was a World War II veteran and proud Past Master who passed at age 91 on August 20, 2014.
A journey through the years
On March 8, 1821, Bro. William Walters of Clermont Social Lodge No. 29 installed the first officers on special dispensation. The first meeting was held March 14, 1821. The charter from the Grand Lodge of Ohio was formally received on December 12, 1821, and officers were consecrated and installed on January 16, 1822.
On May 31, 1830, the lodge moved into its first purpose-built lodge room — a new story added atop a schoolhouse at the northwest corner of Plane and Charity Streets. Prior to this, the lodge rented rooms from Thomas Morris and Bro. Isaac South on North Main Street.
Jesse R. Grant served as Senior Warden before selling his tannery on S. Charity Street and moving to Galena, Illinois with his wife. Bro. Grant presented the lodge a crystal lamp chandelier — still a prized possession hanging in the dining room today. Also in 1853, the lodge erected a new three-story building at the corner of N. Union and Bone Street.
On April 23, 1910, Grand Master of Ohio G.W. McKibben dedicated the lodge's current home — Dillman Hall — after the brothers voted to purchase it for $5,000. The first man raised to Master Mason in the new hall was O. Lee Page, former president of the First National Bank. This has been the lodge's home ever since.
On March 17, 1921, a centennial program was held at 1 p.m. in the K. of P. Hall with Grand Master of Ohio J.R. Flotron as speaker. A banquet was served to 250 people, after which lodge opened in the Masonic Hall with 71 Master Masons present. E.J. Manning was Worshipful Master that year.
In June of 1973, a local arsonist attempted to burn the lodge down along with several other fires in town. Bro. William Alsip — Worshipful Master that year — bravely entered the lodge and saved the chandelier and the charter. Bro. Alsip passed in 2020 at age 96 and was a true wealth of knowledge.
Bethel Lodge began holding an annual outdoor evening degree at Honorary Bro. Wendell Kelch's property in Bethel — a tradition that includes home-churned ice cream and a great night of degree work and fellowship.
Bethel Lodge celebrated its bicentennial with the Grand Master of Ohio, Rich Dickersheid, and other Grand Lodge Officers joining for a 200-year Reconsecration ceremony. Several members of Bethel Lodge took part in this very special milestone.
Our connections to American history
Father of President Ulysses S. Grant and a charter member of Bethel Lodge No. 61. Jesse settled in Point Pleasant in 1820 and was the first mayor of Bethel in 1851. He served as Senior Warden in 1853 before selling his tannery and moving to Galena, Illinois. Bro. Grant presented the lodge a crystal lamp chandelier — still hanging in the dining room — as a parting gift.
The first Secretary of Bethel Lodge No. 61, Dr. Rogers practiced medicine for over 60 years. He is most noted for delivering President Ulysses S. Grant on April 27, 1822, in nearby Point Pleasant. Dr. Rogers was the first president of the Clermont County Anti-Slavery Society and a member of the Chieftains of Liberty — a vigilance committee that protected abolitionist Birney's press from destruction. He passed in 1882.
Joseph became a Master Mason on December 14, 1831, and married Laura W. Trautwine — daughter of the lodge's first Worshipful Master, George J. Trautwine — the very next day. He served as Master 10 times over the course of 50 years. At the time of his death on January 9, 1886 (aged 76), he was again serving as Master of the lodge.
George W. Winder holds the unbreakable record of serving as Worshipful Master of Bethel Lodge No. 61 a staggering 20 times during his 63 years of life. He led the lodge through the Civil War years and much of the Reconstruction era — an extraordinary tenure of service to the Craft.
U.S. Senator Thomas Morris (1776–1844) is described by many as the first abolitionist U.S. Senator. His anti-slavery stances in the Senate in 1836 were echoed by Abraham Lincoln in 1860. While not confirmed as a Mason, his eldest son Jonathan D. Morris was our first Senior Warden, and the lodge paid $24/year to rent the North Main Street room from his property — receipts of which we still possess.
Freemasonry traces its symbolic origins to the operative stonemasons of the medieval guilds who built the great cathedrals of Europe. The fraternity as we know it emerged in the early 18th century, with the formation of the first Grand Lodge in London in 1717.
Modern Freemasonry is "speculative" rather than operative — using the tools and working methods of the ancient craftsmen as symbols for moral and ethical instruction. Today, Freemasonry shares this same system of secrets, ritual, and growth, though the work has shifted from building edifices to building oneself in good character. The square and compass, the plumb, the level, and the trowel all carry deeper meaning for the Mason who has received their teachings.
Freemasonry unites men of good character who, though of different religious, ethnic, or social backgrounds, share a belief in the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of mankind. It offers a system or blueprint for the good man to further improve his character and actions — and is one of the oldest fraternal organizations in the world.
Bethel Lodge No. 61 has a direct tie to the White House. Jesse Root Grant — father of President Ulysses S. Grant — was a charter member. Dr. John G. Rogers, the lodge's first Secretary, delivered the future president at birth in nearby Point Pleasant. Both men were ardent abolitionists who shaped the moral character of Clermont County and the nation.