Insightful Look at Our Lodge’s Milestones

Western Crawford Lodge Number 258 is located in Conneautville which is a small rural community located in the northwestern part of Pennsylvania.  The town has a current population of just over 700 residents and has declined steadily over the last 15 years.  The lodge is one of six masonic lodges in the 25^th district of Pennsylvania and has a current membership of 52.

The borough of Conneautville was originally known as Powerstown having been named after a young surveyor of the region, Alexander Power who had surveyed the land in 1794-1795.  In 1804 he moved his family to what is now Conneautville.  The town was established in 1814.  At his request the name was changed from Powerstown to Conneautville.  He lived there until his death in 1850 at age 87.

Conneautville saw exceptional growth in 1844 due to the opening of the Beaver and Erie Canals and its incorporation by the state legislature.  The canals produced and influx of laborers and tradesmen to the area.  For more than two decades the town flourished.  The arrival of the railroad saw the extinction of the canals as well as this rapid expansion.

In 1850 the population of Conneautville was 787 and industry was booming. The town consisted of 4 physicians, 2 dentists, 2 lawyers, 3 general stores, 3 drug stores, 3 clothing stores, 2 furniture stores and 2 hardware stores. Numerous industries and mills populated the town.  As a result, numerous unions, lodges, churches and social groups appeared.

It was during this period when Western Crawford Lodge Number 258 was established.  A Warrant was issued September 1^st, 1851 by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania and it was Constituted January 12^th, 1852.  The charter officers were: William F. Owen WM, Ammi Bond SW, and James Norton JW.  The original membership consisted of 65. Meetings were held on the first and third Mondays each month.  Currently they are still held on the third Monday of each month.

As a side note, 1856 saw the establishment of the Oriental Chapter, R.A.M. Number 187 which was granted a charter July 8^th, 1856. It was the oldest chapter in Crawford County and one of the oldest in northwestern Pennsylvania. The original membership was about 30.

For over 100 years Western Crawford Lodge was housed on the third floor of a building on Main Street in Conneautville.  After years of climbing two flights of stairs to the third floor and paying rent on a building they would never own, the members decided to explore the possibility of building their own temple as Lake Erie Lodge Number 347 in nearby Girard had done just a few years prior. 

At that time in the early 1960’s, Western Crawford Lodge Number 258 had $3500 in its bank account which obviously was nowhere near the amount of funds needed for construction.  After many discussions and meetings, Charles W. White, PM and Beryl L. Orr, PM took on the task of soliciting every member of the lodge for donations.  After a tremendous amount of time and effort put forth by the two Past Masters, they had contacted every member of the lodge and came back with a total of $10,000 raised for a new bank balance of $13,500.  Of the 143 current lodge members at that time, 100 men had donated $100 each.

With this amount in hand, the members pushed forward with their plans, soliciting the help of DDGM John J. Allio of Meadville to gain approval from Grand Lodge.  After successfully gaining approval, the lodge next began to seek estimates for construction.

The excitement of the process quickly turned to disappointment when estimates for construction came back at $50,000!  The members knew there was no way they could afford that kind of financial commitment.  More meetings and discussions followed but to no avail. At this time, Tom Askey, a brother of the Lodge and contractor, stepped forward and offered to build the masonic temple for half of the initial estimate.

Brother Askey’s unselfish commitment was the lift the lodge needed to get the process rolling again. Additional necessary funds were borrowed through the Trustees.  With a new mortgage in hand, a piece of property was acquired on Center St., just of the main drag in Conneautville.  Although originally preferring to have the temple built on the main street, the membership was thrilled to have a site less than a block away.

Brother Tom Askey was true to his word and with the help of numerous volunteers, the membership moved into its new space less than a year after breaking ground. Additionally, a professional tile setter, Ralph Younk, donated many hours of his time to set the beautiful mosaic tile floors located in the lobby and bathrooms.  More amazingly, he was not even a member of the fraternity but simply a citizen who wanted to give back to the community. 

The building is a single story structure of about 5600 sqft. It consists of a lodge room, dining hall, kitchen, two bathrooms and a lobby.  As of 2024, the temple is still in use. 

The first stated meeting in the current temple took place in February of 1963 with the dedication being held on June 22^nd, 1963.  RWGM W. LeRoy McKiniley presided over the ceremony. He was accompanied by a full slate of officers from the Grand Lodge. Over 200 brethren were in attendance.

Unfortunately, as with Freemasonry in general, the membership of Western Crawford Lodge Number 258 reflects a decline in participation and currently stands at 52 members.  The dues of these members cannot possibly cover the cost of operation, especially when the dues of 50 year members are remitted yearly. Thankfully, through member donations and quarterly fish fries, Western Crawford Lodge Number 258 is able to make up the difference.  The four fish fries held each year generate enough revenue to cover the costs of lodge operation and serve as a community service which residents eagerly look forward to every three months.