New England Masonic Institute

New England Masonic Institute

Buildings - Design and construction,
Freemasonry - United States,
Education of children

The New England Masonic Charitable Institute was built in 1858 by the Charter Oak Lodge No. 58. The only school in the country known to have been built and run by the Masons, according to the National Register of Historic Places. A sketch of the completed building and a photograph of the building under construction are hung on the wall as a reminder of what it looked like over 150 years ago. The second floor houses the temple of the Charter Oak Lodge No. 58 of Free and Accepted Masons, and in 1891 sold it to the town of Effingham for $1, though it retained rights in perpetuity to the temple. The building was used from 1861 through the 1880s for the three-year, co-educational regional boarding school. From 1891-2005, the structure served as Effingham’s town hall and shared space with the Effingham Public Library, which for the past 15 years has been the sole occupant of that space.

Effingham Public Library

Unpublished

1858 - 1860

No rights - United States

jpg

eng

Still image

COL003

New Hampshire, Effingham

Sketch, Photo