Site of First Bellville Masonic Lodge Building

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker says about this spot in Bellville, Austin County. Pull over if you can, because this little corner of Texas has a story worth hearin'. The petition to form a Masonic lodge in Bellville didn't come out of nowhere.

It was initiated by members of Chappell Hill Lodge No. 67, folks who clearly thought Bellville needed a lodge of its own. They were right. Bellville Lodge No. 223 was chartered in 1858, and the man who stepped up as first Worshipful Master was Zimri Hunt, an early Bellville lawyer.

Now that is a name that sounds like it belongs in a frontier story, and sure enough, here it is. That same year, 1858, lodge members got to work and erected a two-story building right here at this site. Two stories.

That was no small undertaking for a young Texas town. The upper floor was where the lodge held its meetings, serious business conducted up above the everyday world. Down on the first floor, the building did double duty, serving as a place for both church and school purposes.

That arrangement held for a good long while, right up until 1881. Think about that. For over two decades, the same four walls sheltered prayers, lessons, and lodge proceedings all under one roof.

The early members of Bellville Lodge No. 223 didn't just meet and go home. They were active in the political, business, educational, and religious affairs of the community. The lodge wasn't separate from the life of Bellville.

It was woven right through the middle of it. This marker was placed during the Texas Sesquicentennial, commemorating 1836 to 1986, a fitting moment to remember the foundations, literal and otherwise, that people like Zimri Hunt and his fellow lodge members laid down right here.

What the marker says

The petition to form a Masonic lodge in Bellville was initiated by members of Chappell Hill Lodge No. 67. Bellville Lodge No. 223 was chartered in 1858. Zimri Hunt, an early Bellville lawyer, served as first Worshipful Master. In 1858, lodge members erected a two-story building at this site. Meetings were held on the upper floor, and the first floor was used for church and school purposes until 1881. Early members of the Bellville Masonic Lodge were active in political, business, educational, and religious affairs of the community. Texas Sesquicentennial 1836-1986