The Masonic Hall On Filbert Street, Near Eighth, Philadelphia:

It was customary m olden times , you will remember , for all public and private meetings to be held in taverns . This originated , no doubt , from the fact that they were generally located in that portion of the city or town which was most populous , and also because the taverns had mostl y attached to them some large rooms or halls suitable as places for meeting . The Freemasons were in the habit of holding their meetings in the leading taverns of the day , and in many cases derived their names from the names of the signboards of

the same . Prior to 1754 , the Lodges in Philadelphia met in the Tun Tavern , Water Street , between Chestnut and Walnut ; also at the Indian King Hotel , Market below Third Street ; and at the Royal Standard Tavern , Market , near Second Street . The Society had become so influential and enthusiastic in 1754 , that they erected their own place of meeting and called it the " Freemasons' Loclge , "

which was the first Masonic Hall in America . This building , located on Loclge Alley , running from Second , below Chestnut Street , was afterwards sold and the proceeds given to the city to form a fund to furnish the poor of the city with fuel . This fund is now under control of the City Trust . There is no account of this building having been dedicated . A short time after its erection , the news came ol the formation of a new Grand Lodge in

London , the Lodges of which had seceded from the ori ginal Grand Lodge of 1717 , in London , ancl that it had assumed the title of " The Ancients . " In 1758 , a warrant was granted to Lodges Nos . 2 and 3 , in this city , ancl in 1761 , a warrant was issued to the Provincial Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania , which , in 1786 , became independent of the Grand Loclge ancl formed the present Grand Loclge of Pennsylvania .

For several years the ancient and modern Lodges in this city met in the Freemasons' Loclge , the Hall of the moderns , and no doubt the members visited both Lodges , when opportunity offered . Certain it is that Dr . Wm . Smith , the Provost of the University of Pennsylvania , was a Modern Mason in 1755 , and delivered a sermon before that Grand Loclge , at which Benjamin Franklin was present and participatedancl that subsequently he was for a number of

, years Grand Secretary and Grand Chaplain of the present Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania , being then an Ancient Mason . This is an important link which connects the present Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania with the Grand Lodge formed in Philadelphia prior to 1732 .

The Grand Lodge ancl subordinates held their meetings in the same hall as the moderns , up to the year 1776 . In 1777 they met at the Cit y Tavern , Second and Walnut ; in 1776 at a house in Videll ' s Alley , Second below Chestnut ; 1790 in the Free Quakers' Meeting House , now Apprentices ' Library , Fifth ancl Arch Streets ; in 1799 in Independence Hall , and then at ' the house of Bro . Francis , on Eighth Street , near Arch . This latter was onl y

temporary . The city at this time did not extend beyond the corner of Sixth ancl Chestnut Streets , and all west of that point was called the Western Commons , and was diversified by the usual country characteristics of hill ancl dale . We are told that there was a large pond of water at the north-east corner of Ei ghth and Arch Streets . In the year 1801 , on June 24 th , measures were taken to

purchase a suitable house for meeting purposes . A committee was appointed to purchase a building on the south side of Arch Street , above Ninth ; owing to the great distance from the city , the Grand Loclge subsequently directed the committee to purchase a property elsewhere . On June 7 th , 1802 , the committee reported the purchase , on May 29 th , 1802 from William HunterArch Masterand Marthahis wifeall that certain

, , , , , three storey brick messuage and lot or piece of ground situate on the south side of Filbert Street , between Eighth and Ninth ( present number 814 ) , thirtysix feet three inches front aud seventy-five feet deep , together with the privileges of a nine feet wide alley and thirty feet square open court yard . The