Welcome from the Grand Master
Welcome to our official website and thank you for taking the time to visit us. We encourage you to browse throughout these pages, and learn about who we are and what we do. We hope you find our site interesting and informative and come back to visit us often.
Hon.Tyrone Edwards, Most Worshipful Grand Master
Making Good Men Better
Our purpose is to make "Good men Better men" such as Better fathers, Better sons, Better brothers and Better husbands. We believe in the three tenets of our Fraternity: Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. These principles guide us to show Love to one another, give to the less fortunate and always be truthful...
Prince Hall Freemasonry
Prince Hall was an African American noted for his leadership in the free black community in Boston
and as the founder of Prince Hall Freemasonry. He was an abolitionist, lobbied for education rights
for black children and was active in the back-to-Africa movement.
On March 6, 1775, Prince Hall and 14 men of color were made masons in Lodge #441 of the Irish Registry attached to the 38th British Foot Infantry at Castle William Island in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. It marked the first time that Black men were made masons in America.
About a year later, since the conflict between England and America had commenced, the British Foot Infantry left Boston, along with its lodge, leaving Prince Hall and his associates without a lodge. Before the lodge left, Worshipful Master Batt, gave them a "permit" to meet as a lodge and bury their dead in manner and form. This permit, however, did not allow them to do any "masonic work" or to take in any new members.
Under it, African Lodge was organized on July 3, 1776, with Prince Hall as the worshipful master. It wasn't long before this lodge received an additional "permit" from Provincial Grand Master John Rowe to walk in procession on St. John's Day.
On March 2, 1784, African Lodge #1 petitioned the Grand Lodge of England, the Premier or Mother Grand Lodge of the world, for a warrant (or charter), to organize a regular masonic lodge, with all the rights and privileges thereunto prescribed. The Grand Lodge of England issued a charter on September 29, 1784 to African Lodge #459, the first lodge of Blacks in America.
African Lodge #459 grew and prospered to such a degree that in 1797 he organized a lodge in Philadelphia and one in Rhode Island. These lodges were designated to work under the charter of African Lodge #459.
In December 1808, one year after the death of Prince Hall, African Lodge #459 (Boston), African Lodge #459 (Philadelphia) and Hiram Lodge #3 (Providence) met in a general assembly of the craft and organized African Grand Lodge (sometime referred to as African Grand Lodge #1).
In 1847, out of respect for their founding father and first Grand Master, Prince Hall, they changed their name to the Prince Hall Grand Lodge, the name it carries today. In 1848 Union Lodge #2, Rising Sons of St. John #3 and Celestial Lodge #4 became the first lodges organized under the name Prince Hall Grand Lodge. From these beginnings, there now are some 5,000 lodges and 47 grand lodges who trace their lineage to the Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Jurisdiction of Massachusetts.
The tradition started by Bro. Prince Hall over 200 years ago is still carried on, and today, Prince Hall Masons include tens of thousands of black and non-black members throughout the United States, Canada, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Liberia and the Prince Hall Lodges assigned to military units throughout the world, that represent a testament to the legacy of Prince Hall. These Grand Lodges preside over more than 5,000 lodges. All of them claim descent from the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts which is traced back to African Lodge #459.
Other Organizations in Prince Hall family
United Supreme Council
Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry PHA. NJ. INC.
Prince Hall Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star (PHA)
Province of Ontario and Jurisdiction
Subordinate Chapters
Order of the Golden Circle
Beaver Assembly #88
Orient of Eastern Canada
History & Origins of the Order of the Eastern Star in the Province of Ontario
The Prince Hall Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, is an adoptive body of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge (F. & A. M.). Its forerunner, called the “Female” lodges existed in Canada West before 1859. By 1867 these women’s groups in Southwestern Ontario were requesting dispensations and warrants from the Grand Lodge to be formally organized, so in 1867 a decision was made to use the ritualistic work of the Eastern Star to bring about a semblance of order.
The 1872 re-organization of the Grand Lodge in Ontario brought widespread confusion to rest. Since there were three Prince Hall Masonic Lodges with corresponding Order of the Eastern Star Chapters working in Chatham, Windsor and Hamilton steps were begun to organize a Grand Chapter. In June of 1889, at the Grand Lodge of Ontario session, Grand Master Brother Henry Weaver indicated that a Grand Chapter would be set up before the year ended.
On July 20, 1889 a resolution was passed proclaiming that wives, widows, mothers, daughters and sisters who were Order of the Eastern Star members would meet on the 30th day of August 1889 at 9:00 o’clock a.m. for the purpose of organizing a Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star for the Province of Ontario and the State of Michigan. So it was that members from Electa No. 1 (Chatham), Esther No. 3, (Hamilton) and Victoria No. 6 (Windsor), Willard No. 2 (Detroit) and Martha No. 4 (Grand Rapids) assembled at the Masonic Hall on Wellington Street in Chatham, Ontario for the first official Grand Chapter Communication. The first elected Grand Patron was Brother Henry Weaver. The first Grand Matron was Sister Maria Hawkins of Detroit who died during her year in office. Grand Associate Matron Sister Anna W. Hall completed Sister Hawkins term and subsequently was elected in 1890, 1891 and 1892.
From 1889 to 1894 the Jurisdiction operated in peace and harmony however problems that had developed within the upper echelons of Masonry in Ontario and Michigan caused the separation and ultimate dissolution of the Grand Chapter Province of Ontario and State of Michigan.
On August 26, 1895 the Grand Chapter of Ontario was re-organized and new numbers issued to all subordinate chapters, with the exception of Electa No. 1 who retained its original charter, Esther No. 2, Victoria No. 3, and Ruth No. 4. Since the turn of the century, nine additional subordinate chapters were organized in the jurisdiction. Several experienced years of inactivity and charters were permanently lifted from others that were unable to recover.
Now, there are four Subordinate Chapters chartered in the Jurisdiction some of whom are inactive. Membership experienced a decline in the changing society of the 21stcentury, none-the-less members of the active Subordinate Chapters strive to uphold the tenets and practice the principles of the Order of the Eastern Star.
