Spangenberg is eager to show off the building and immediately points to the ceiling above the entrance as something special.
“Most members don’t even look up when they walk in so they may not have even noticed these,” he explained while pointing to what he described as “very unique masonic symbols,” that artists in 1928 crafted into the entrance of the building which has a heavy German architectural influence.
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The lodge has very deep roots in Butler County and the founding of Hamilton and the Masons have an interesting identity.
“In a nutshell we formed 205 years ago officially in 1812, however, we started meeting in 1811,” Spangenberg said. “We were named after our First President George Washington about 12 years after his death and only 20 years after the official founding of Hamilton. Needless to say, many of the founding fathers of Hamilton were Freemasons.”
He added, “we are very charitable and donate thousands to the community both to organizations and individuals.”
Some of the recent projects the organization has been involved with include the Community Builder Awards, Youth Fishing Derby and Relay for Life.
“We are a family organization and while it is a fraternity, we support many organizations within Masonry such as the Order of the Eastern Star, which men and women can join; Demolay for young men between 12 and 21; and of course the Rainbow Girls for young ladies between the ages of 12 and 21,” Spangenberg said. “Each have their own admission requirements usually revolving around a family member being a mason himself. Each organization has one mindset, to serve and make the individuals a better well rounded individual.”
Reed is enamored with the history of the building and Masonry itself. He enjoys looking through artifacts that are housed in an upstairs museum and he even produced the original registry of names from 1811 that was confined in a safe hidden away from the public’s view.
“You can find all kind of interesting pieces of our history in this building,” Reed said. “There are 10 total organizations that meet and act out of this building right now.”
Those entities all have varying degrees of importance to the masonry and the mission it seeks to accomplish. Spangenberg said it just adds to the unique aura of the building.
“The real story is how we started in a small tavern and eventually moved to the current building. It was built in 1929 and we are still discovering things about the building we never knew. It is a very cool building to tour and look at in terms of design and layout,” he said.
A tour of the Blue Room gives an insight as to where the Masons conduct business — it is reminiscent of a large ballroom.
“The Blue Room is really the foundation of Masonry. We all come together to perform the work we have and our business meetings are always held there,” Spangenberg said. “It is really where everybody starts their journey in Masonry. From the youngest apprentice to the master Mason. Just the foundation really.
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The lodge recently made the news for graffiti vandalism that caused thousands of dollars in damage. It was something that still has Reed upset.
“This is a beautiful building that has been kept up over the years and that was the first time somebody has vandalized it,” he said. “We were glad that he was caught and we will have the repairs made.”
Reed said that many people in the community rallied around the organization after the vandalism because they “respect what the Masons do for the community.
“This is a organization that values family and community,” he said. “Religion and politics aren’t discussed at meetings.”
Spangenberg agreed, saying, “I have sat with men that were powerful politicians, teachers, janitors, and executives. Regardless of your social standing, Masonry levels the playing field and regards every man as equal. We look at the internal qualities and not the external.”
They both used former U.S. President Harry Truman as an example. As Reed tells it, Truman had become a Mason while U.S. President, but was treated like anybody else when he joined.
“He was not give any special preference at all and has to respect the leadership of the lodge,” Reed said.
Right now the lodge has 300 members, which Spangenberg said is heading back towards the level of membership during the post-WWII era.
“Membership levels are gradually passing on to death. Freemasonry will always be, but the numbers will be smaller in my opinion. At one point we had well over 1000 members between three lodges in the building. That number is significantly less now,” he said.
But he’s confident that the future is bright for the organization.
“Masonry is adapting to reach those who thought we didn’t exist anymore,” Spangenberg said. “We are slowly starting to grow again and in time, we will have a full parking lot every meeting night. We are looking to be even more involved in the community and work with other organizations to help make a impact on the lives in Hamilton.”
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