DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it — Sampson Masonic Lodge No. 231, Harris County, Texas. Pull up a chair, because this one starts in South Carolina and ends with brisket, and every stop along the way is worth knowing. Henry Sampson was born in 1823, and by 1842 he had made his way to Houston from South Carolina, where he affiliated with the Holland Masonic Lodge.
That wasn't the ceiling for him — not even close. Sampson climbed to worshipful master of the Holland Lodge and then all the way up to grand master of the Grand Lodge of Texas. The man left a mark.
So in 1859, when sixteen men put together a petition asking the grand master — that would be Sampson himself — to charter a new lodge out in Lynchburg, well, somebody was paying attention. The charter came through on June 16, 1859, and those founding members did something that tells you everything you need to know about how they felt: they named the lodge in his honor. Sampson Masonic Lodge.
They gathered in a log cabin built specifically for lodge use, on property belonging to the lodge's first worshipful master, a man by the name of M.M. Michan. Now here's where Texas weather enters the story, and it does not enter gently.
That first lodge was destroyed by fire. Then hurricanes came through — one in 1875, another in 1877, and then the great storm of 1900 — and each time, the lodge was knocked down. After Lynchburg had taken about all it could give, the lodge moved to Crosby.
Then in 1951, Sampson Lodge relocated again, this time to 114 Avenue D in Highlands, and something shifted in the character of the place. The activities started to reflect something bigger than the lodge room itself — community outreach became part of what Sampson Lodge was about. They give the Community Builder Award to outstanding members of the community.
They show up for Highlands clean up day, the Highlands jamboree and parade, the lighting of the community Christmas tree, and the annual Rotarian fish fry. And in 1999, they started something that has become its own kind of institution: an annual brisket fundraiser, with proceeds going to local charities and organizations. A lodge that survived fire and three hurricanes, moved across the county, and landed on the right side of history — by 2009 it was celebrating its sesquicentennial year, one hundred and fifty years since those sixteen men submitted their petition.
Sampson Masonic Lodge No. 231 A.F. and A.M. is still at it, still working to preserve, promote, and diffuse the principles of free masonry throughout its community. Henry Sampson moved to Houston in 1842. He couldn't have known a lodge would carry his name through fire and flood and into the next century and a half.
But there it is.
What the marker says
Henry Sampson (1823-1885) moved to Houston in 1842 from South Carolina and affiliated with the Holland Masonic Lodge in Houston. Along with other leadership roles, Sampson served both as the worshipful master of the Holland Lodge and grand master of the Grand Lodge of Texas. In 1859, sixteen men submitted a petition to grand master Sampson to begin a new lodge in Lynchburg, and when the charter was granted on June 16, 1859, the members chose to name their lodge in his honor. The members met at a log cabin constructed specifically for lodge use on property that belonged to the lodge’s first worshipful master, M.M. Michan. This first lodge was destroyed by fire, and when subsequent lodges in Lynchburg were destroyed by hurricanes in 1875, 1877 and 1900, the lodge was moved to Crosby. In 1951 Sampson Lodge again relocated to 114 Avenue D in Highlands, and the lodge’s activities began to reflect the importance of community outreach. Sampson Lodge recognizes outstanding community members with the Community Builder Award, and members participate in Highlands clean up day, the Highlands jamboree and parade, the lighting of the community christmas tree, and the annual Rotarian fish fry. In 1999, the lodge began hosting an annual brisket fundraiser, and proceeds fund numerous local charities and organizations. Sampson Masonic Lodge No. 231 A.F. & A.M. celebrated its sesquicentennial year in 2009, and continues to preserve, promote, and diffuse the priciples of free masonry throughout its community.