Grandview Masonic Lodge

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Grandview Masonic Lodge in Johnson County. Now settle in, because this one's got more lives than a barn cat. The Grandview Masonic Lodge held its very first meeting on December 8th, 1860, and if you think that timing sounds like the whole world was about to change, well, you'd be right.

They got their charter on June 14th, 1861, making them the oldest lodge in Johnson County still running without so much as a gap in the record. Continuous operation. Through everything.

That's the thread we're followin' here. In the beginning, the lodge wasn't proud enough to have a building all to itself, it shared space with the Methodist church, tucked in near what is now the Grandview cemetery. Humble beginnings for an institution that intended to last.

When the town relocated, the lodge moved right along with it, landing on property it held jointly with that same Methodist church. Eventually, the Masons purchased the church's interest in the property. Then, in 1893, they sold that building and erected a brand new one at the present location.

You might think that's the end of the real estate drama, and you'd almost be right. Almost. Because in 1920, fire took the building down.

Just like that, gone. But here's where the story earns its place on that marker: another building was soon constructed. They didn't scatter.

They didn't fold. They built again. And they're still there, members advancing Freemasonry in the area, participatin' in community activities, offerin' scholarships, same lodge, same mission, since that first meetin' more than a century and a half ago.

Some things in Texas, it turns out, are just built to stay.

What the marker says

Chartered on Jun. 14, 1861, the Grandview Masonic Lodge is Johnson County's oldest lodge in continuous operation. It originally shared a building with the Methodist church near current Grandview cemetery. The lodge later relocated with the town to property owned jointly with the church, whose interest was later purchased by the Masons. This building was sold in 1893, and a new one was erected at the present location. A fire in 1920 destroyed the building, but another was soon constructed. Since its first meeting on Dec. 8, 1860, the lodge has been essential to advancing Freemasonry in the area. Today, members participate in various community activities and scholarships. 175 Years of Texas Independence * 1836-2011