Mahomet Masonic Lodge to be renovated, looking for community help with pictures

adminFebruary 4, 2021

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One of the oldest buildings in Mahomet is getting a facelift.

Members of the Mahomet Masonic Lodge #220 have been preparing for a $50,000 renovation project that will update the exterior of the building.

Last summer they took care of the windows on the first floor. In the upcoming months, the Masons hope to replace the second story windows, refinish the exterior, put columns and a new awning on the front of the building.

It will be the first time that the Masons have made major renovations on the property since 1949 when it was rebuilt from the original building of 1911.

Historical records show that other than replacing the roof and a new awning, little has been done to the building since 1949.

Eight decades later, the Mahomet Masons are seeing growth in membership, according to Vance Martin, a 25-year Mason who joined the Mahomet chapter about five years ago. A new member who owns a painting business took care of updating the interior walls.

Martin said that the Masons hope that once COVID-19 mitigations are lifted, the group is excited to reopen the space for events. The Mahomet boy scouts currently use the space for their monthly meetings.

But the Masons enjoy hosting food during annual Mahomet events. They hope that an upgraded kitchen will provide more opportunities for them to serve the community.

But making the outside of the building more appealing is only part of the project the Masons are undertaking. They want to preserve the Chapter’s history.

The Masons have recorded each lodge master’s photograph and years served in a wall gallery over the years. In the Mahomet building, though, water damage made some of the photos unrecognizable. The Masons are now turning to the Mahomet community to fill in the gaps.

“It’s one of those things that when new guys join or when people come into the lodge, it is one of the things people are drawn to,” Martin said.

While many of the Masons are remembered by lifelong members of the international fraternal organization, they don’t have photographs of them. Martin hopes that family members will be willing to provide digital copies of photographs of fathers, sons, grandfathers and brothers to round out the collection.

“We can kind of reclaim that history,” Martin said.

Anyone who has a picture of one of the following men is asked to contact Seth Emerson at william.semerson82@gmail.com or Vance Martin at vancesmartin@gmail.com.

The Lodge has no pictures for the following men: