Beacon Light Lodge History
Although the records of the Lodge have been well-kept; although the minute books are intact, (with the exception of two years, and for that two years we are in possession of the Secretary's notes); nevertheless there are several omissions which leave us in the dark on several important points. The first one of these is the exact location of the first Lodge Room. The minutes simply state, "The meeting was held in the Lodge room." These minutes are dated "New Brighton, S.I."
In the "History of Staten Island," compiled by the late Bro. Ira K. Morris, he states that "Prior to moving into their beautiful Lodge room in Village Hall, New Brighton, Beacon Light Lodge met in the Old Athletic Club building, located near the present West New Brighton Passenger Station." While that information is without doubt correct, repeated inquiries among old-timers have failed to find anyone who recalls that building. From the Lodge disbursements, it is disclosed that the Lodge paid rent to the Richmond County Lodge of Odd Fellows. An inquiry of the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Odd Fellows, New York, brought the only information they had available, that that Lodge met on Shore Road (present Richmond Terrace), West New Brighton. It is a known fact that there was on Odd Fellows Hall on Richmond Terrace at the foot of Broadway. The first story of this building is still standing, but from the best information obtained, the building was constructed some time later than 1870.
Althugh there is sufficient evidence to prove that both were gala occasions, there is no reord in the minutes of th first communication under charter, or the communication at which the new Lodge room at Village Hall was dedicated.
Could those early Brethern, who were instrumental in bringing our Lodge into existence, have foreseen that more than three-quarters of a century would elapse before the history of Beacon Light Lodge should finally be written, it is highly probably that they would have left behind interesting information, leading up to the institution of the Lodge. We have no way of knowing why those Brethern felt the necessity of a new Lodge. It may have been in their minds for some period of time, but those hectic years following the close of the Civil War may have precluded such action before the fall of 1869. In those days, each Lodge had its own territorial jurisdiction. The territory of the new Lodge lay entirely within the jurisdiction of Richmond Lodge, No. 66. The fact that Richmond Lodge approved the institution of the new Lodge indicates that such a Lodge was needed. At any rate, on January 15, 1870 the Grand Lodge received the petition to form a new Lodge, to be known and designated as Beacon Light Lodge. The petition bore the signatures of:
C. Augustus Gregory -- Richmond Lodge, No. 66
Thomas Sadler -- Richmond Lodge, No. 66
Adolph Taylor -- Richmond Lodge, No. 66
James H. Roe -- Richmond Lodge, No. 66
C. C. Valentine -- Metropolitan Lodge, No. 273
Thomas M. Rianhard -- Metropolitan Lodge, No. 273
Alonzo Durkee -- Benevolent Lodge, No. 28
Joseph H. Wilson -- St. Nicholas Lodge, No. 321
J. C. Montgomery -- Bedford Lodge, No. 574
P. Kummit -- Landmark Lodge, No. 127, Maryland
J. W. simonton -- National Lodge, No. 12, Washington, D.C.
Four Lodges endorsed the granding of the petition for Dispensation. They were: Richmond Lodge, No. 66, which endorsed it
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