Ontario Seneca Yates District Free & Accepted Masons

    FARMERVILLE LODGE (Now Farmerville-Union Lodge #183)

NO. 183 FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS

The first Lodge in Interlaken was formed in June 1823, “The Lodge shall meet the first Monday preceding the full of the moon, at four o'clock p.m., and shall set no longer than ten O'clock unless for the transaction of extraordinary business.” The lodge was called Farmerville Lodge, No. 357, and the officers were installed in the woods.” During the unfortunate Morgan affair of the late 1820's, the Lodge surrendered its charter. Masonry became active again in Farmer, as Interlaken was known in those days, in 1850. The Lodge initiated a growing number of members while continuing lodge practice of giving aid to its needy. The Lodge met in a variety buildings around the growing village; several of these were lost to fire. The fire of 1891 destroyed the American House (hotel) plus the building rented by the masons. Because the fire started in the hotel, the Masons were able to rescue most of the Lodge furniture, jewels and records from their rooms. At the urging of many members, the Masonic Hall Association was incorporated with a capital of $3,000 in 1893. Located on the west side of Main Street, lodge rooms and kitchen were prepared on the second floor, leaving the ground level open for store rentals. The new Masonic Temple was promptly put to use with five new Brothers receiving the Master Mason degree. At that time, the St. Paul Lodge of Auburn had an outstanding degree team which wore oriental costumes as it conducted the ceremony. The Auburn Brothers chartered a train to King Ferry where Captain James Quick, then Master of the Interlaken unit, met them to bring them across Cayuga Lake on his ferry boat, “The Busy Bee.” Masons from Farmerville Lodge met the ferry at Kidders and the journey was completed by horse and buggy. Interest in the Lodge increased after World War II with the expanding membership including veterans and personnel from the Sampson Naval Training Station on the east shore of Seneca Lake and its neighbor, the Seneca Army Depot. As membership in the Masonic Lodges decreased in the 1980s Farmerville Lodge consolidated with both the Lodi Lodge and Union Lodge of Ovid. Today Farmerville Union Lodge has a membership of 41, still occupying its building on Main Street in Interlaken.

The original history was written by W Maurice Patterson for the 1976 Bi-centennial volume, “Between the Lakes.” The abbreviated version was complied by Town & Village Historian Diane Bassette Nelson.