Alabama Grand Lodge History

Based on records published by the Grand Lodge in 1901, the first lodge established in Alabama was in Huntsville on October 6, 1870. This lodge is listed as number 1 and is known as the Monte Sano Lodge. The Alabama Grand Lodge was instituted on June 11, 1872, in Mobile, Alabama eight years after the founding of the Supreme Lodge and four years after Alabama was reinstated into the Union. Unfortunately, the Grand Lodge records and documents were never consolidated and preserved. This was compounded as the Grand Lodge location moved many times since its founding in 1872.

The Grand Lodge now has two active subordinate lodges, Monte Bello #10 in Florence, Alabama, and Walker Lodge in Townley, Alabama. Many of the members who would have had knowledge of documents and records or could have shared oral history are deceased.

The Pythian Lodge Directory of 1901 shows many subordinate lodges and the date of the institution. Click here to review the directory. The directory will load in a new browser window.

The following is an excerpt from the Birmingham Iron Age on April 19, 1883, describing an annual meeting at O’Brien’s Opera House in Birmingham, Alabama.

Knights of Pythias

Reception of Grand Lodge of Alabama

by the Lodges of Birmingham

O’Brien’s Opera House Crowded with

Invited Guests-Addresses of the

Evening

As was announced the Jefferson Valley and Phoenix Lodges, K. P. of this city, gave a public reception last night at O’Brien’s Opera House, to the Grand Lodge of Alabama, which is now holding its eleventh annual session in this city.

After an overture by the Italian band, the curtain rose, and Hon. A. O. Lane, mayor, welcomed the members of the Grand Lodge in behalf of the citizens of Birmingham. He spoke of strength in union, the most imposing structure, if it were not for a union of these different parts, would crumble to the earth. As with material structure, so is it with human associations. Without union man can accomplish nothing. The Order of Knights of Pythias has this union bound with the ties of friendship. As the mayor of Birmingham he would extend in the behalf of our citizens, a hearty

welcome to the Grand Lodge of Alabama. Our citizens stand with open hands and warm hearts to receive them; and he would further say that the members of the Order would ever have the best wishes of our people.

R. H. Pearson, Esq., in behalf of the local Lodge, welcomed the Grand Lodge to Birmingham. To the officers of the Grand Lodge he would extend a most cordial greeting; but it was unnecessary for him to say that the Knights of the Magic City were glad to see their brother Knights, for that friendship, which the Order teaches, makes a Knight of Pythias ever glad to welcome a brother Knight. He then spoke of the noble work of the Order and its grand achievements.

Grand Chancellor, J. H. Disque, of Gadsden, Alabama, introduced by R. H. Pearson, Esq., responded in behalf of the Grand Lodge to the welcome from the city and local Lodges. After expressing thanks for the kind and eloquent greeting of the two gentlemen that had preceded him, he reviewed the history of the Order in Alabama, and noted it’s wonderful advancement and achievements. He spoke of Birmingham as the future metropolis of Alabama. At the close of his remarks he thanked the ladies for aiding the order by their presence on this occasion, for, said he, “who can be against us, when the women are for us.”

Mr. Disque then introduced to the audience Dr. R. L. C. White, Past Grand Chancellor of Tennessee, who had been invited by the Grand Lodge of Alabama to deliver the “Pythian Address.”

The subject selected by Dr. White was the “Pythian Purpose,” which he introduced in a most happy manner by a graceful and generous tribute to Birmingham as a vital and eloquent illustration of the new south in its best sense. The speaker then devoted himself first to the history of the Pythian Order from its foundation by Justus H. Rathboen to its present standing. A review of the annals of the Order as it had grown and flourished in the country, rich in noble deeds, and the narrative told in pleasant, captivating language, soon caught and held the close attention of the audience. The speaker thought the order of the Knights of Pythias had attained the golden mean between Free Masonry and Odd Fellowship and embraced the best features of both. The subject was fairly put before the audience in the enunciation of the trinity of the order Friendship, Charity and Benevolence. Each unit of the trinity was treated in a masterly manner that won warm approbation………

……using only the forms and phrases of ancient knight-hood, the Pythian purpose is to exemplify the truer knight-hood of to-day. The emblematic colors which the Knights of Pythias gains the right

to wear are but the visible symbols of the principles that should dominate his life. Friendship, faithful and unchanging finds its type in heaven’s enduring azure; Charity, its emblem in the golden glow which warms and the soul wherein it dwells; while the crimson current which has its fountain in the knightly heart, gives a fit token to Benevolence. The neophite, who kneels before the altar, where rests our book of law, takes vows upon himself which rightly kept, makes him forever the friend of virtue and the foe of vice.

Whenever in his power the faithful knight “guides the steps of those who trust in him to goodness and to truth. Casting out every grudge from his heart, he bears in mind that only stainless garments befit a Knight of Pythias clearing away from his breast the storms and darkness of wrath and tumult, he strives to let the gleam of the calm blue heaven of fraternal love shine soft and pure into his soul.”

Thus equipped―his heart aglow with Friendship, Charity and Benevolence—the new made Knight-hood emerges from our castle hall to be, from that time forth, a loyal champion of the cause of Right……

At the conclusion of Dr. White’s address, which ended the programme of the evening, loud calls were made for Governor O’Neal, and that distinguished gentleman, who was present, came forward and made a short and appropriate address. He said that Alabama stood without a superior among her sister states as far as natural advantages were concerned, and if her citizens followed the teachings of the Pythian Order, the state of Alabama in every respect would be the greatest among the thirty-eight states of the Federal government.

Based on the fact that this Grand Lodge Meeting took place on April 19th, 1883 in Birmingham the following information is very interesting. Many things can inferred from the above article along with this information that was also provided at the https://www.alabamapioneers.com/knights-of-pythias website:

When African American men were denied membership, they created their own organization in Vicksburg, MS, in 1880. Its founder, Thomas Stringer, believed that fraternal organizations could provide the black community with business networks, economic safety nets, and political experience at a time when Jim Crow laws were being constructed all around them.1

In Birmingham, Alabama these Pythians became the cornerstone of an African American business community that included the first black-owned and operated bank in the state. They provided burial, life, and disability

insurance for members and became a source of civic pride and racial solidarity. When their right to exist was challenged, they took the case to the Supreme Court in 1912 and won. This strategy would be used decades later in Brown v. Board of Education.2

1.Peeble, Marilyn T. The Alabama Knights of Pythias of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, University Press of America

2. Peeble, Marilyn T. The Alabama Knights of Pythias of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, University Press of America

To provide even a clearer picture of what was taking place in Alabama in regards to the Pythians in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s the following information was collected from the Website at https://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Pythian_Temple:

The Pythian Temple of Alabama is a six-story brick office building located at 310 18th Street North in what is now Birmingham's Civil Rights District. The building was constructed in 1913 by the black-owned Windham Construction for the Alabama Penny Savings Bank, which was relocating from their 1890 building a block south. Some have identified the style of the Pythian Temple with the work of African American architect Wallace Rayfield, who kept an office in the building under both owners for a time. The bank did provide financing for many of the homes that Rayfield designed for Birmingham's black professionals. One of the bank's directors, Arthur Brown, had hired Rayfield to design his own home and he and another physician who practiced from the Pythian Temple, had been among those lobbying for the rebuilding of Thomas School, which was also designed by Rayfield. When the Penny Savings Bank folded in 1915, the building was purchased by the Grand Lodge of the Knights of Pythias for $70,000. The lodge rechristened the building as the Pythian Temple. In the middle of the 20th century the building was sold to entrepreneur A. G. Gaston. He used it for offices for several subsidiaries to the Booker T. Washington Insurance Company, and had a personal office in the building. In 1980, the Pythian Temple was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In August 2012, brothers Howard and Adam McKay purchased the multi-tenant office building, which at the time was about 20 percent leased. While the McKays live in Washington, D.C., they are Birmingham natives, and plan to renovate the building with the goal of preserving its historic character. The offices of the Birmingham History Center relocated to the Pythian Temple building in 2014.

References

• Causey, Donna R. “Knights of Pythias, established in 1864 to promote friendship between north and south [old photographs]” Alabama Pioneers https://www.alabamapioneers.com/knights-of-pythias

• Jefferson County Historical Commission. (1998) Birmingham and Jefferson County, Alabama Images of America Series. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. ISBN0752413465  Poe, Ryan (2012) "Historic Pythian Temple Gets New Owner, New Life". Birmingham Business Journal  Richter, Jeremy (October 2015) "Now and Then". The Jefferson Journal. Birmingham Jefferson County Historical Association, No. 4 p. 2

Based on the Website at http://www.kophistory.com/al/grandlodge/index.htm there were 159 subordinate lodges in Alabama in or before 1901. These numbers are published in The Offical Pythian Lodge Directory of 1901 according to the site. At the time of this writing the Grand Lodge is located in Montgomery, Alabama and is known as the Castle Hall Building. However the Montgomery subordinate lodge is inactive at this time. In 2018 and 2019 the Grand Lodge meetings were held at a venue in Florence Alabama and were hosted by the Monte Bello Lodge #10. In 2018 three subordinate lodges were represented including Monte Bello Lodge #10, Walker Lodge and Prattville Lodge. In 2019 two subordinate lodges were represented the Monte Bello Lodge #10 and the Walker Lodge.

In 1883 the Grand Lodge meeting was in Birmingham at the O’Brien Opera House. The Grand Chancellor at this meeting was J. H. Disque, from Gadsden, Alabama. A. O. Lane, the Birmingham Mayor, opened the meeting and welcomed the members of the Grand Lodge. In attendance at the meeting was Alabama Governor Edward A. Neal, the twenty-six governor of the state. Governor Neal was Alabama’s governor from 1882-1886. He had been a Confederate Officer during the American Civil War and died in Florence, Alabama, in 1890, where he was laid to rest.

At one time the Grand Lodge was responsible for a Children’s home in Montgomery Alabama. The home was probably in operation around the turn of the 20th century into the 1920’s. More information about this home can be found at: https://www.al.com/living/2016/07/vintage_examples_of_alabamas_o.html https://www.alabamapioneers.com/knights-of-pythias.

As more information is developed about the Grand Lodge history and its past officers and members it will be added to this site.

For additional information, refer to these Websites:

https://www.alabamapioneers.com/knights-of-pythias/

http://www.kophistory.com/al/grandlodge/index.htm

https://www.bhamwiki.com/w/Pythian_Temple

https://www.al.com/living/2016/07/vintage_examples_of_alabamas_o.html

The Knights of Pythias Cemetery in Russellville Alabama

There were 4,728 intermits as of March 25, 2014. Since other Knights of Pythias cemeteries were established across this country and many of those were created for Veterans of the Civil War one can assume this may have been the original purpose for the establishment of the Alabama cemetery. However, since there are a significant number of burials in this cemetery, it appears that at some time it became a common burial ground for the people in and around Russellville. The cemetery is on Clay Street, Russellville, Alabama and the GSP coordinates are 34.5119019, -87.7446976.

Eureka Lodge No. 29, Knights of Pythias of Greensboro

KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS. Eureka Lodge No. 29, Knights of Pythias of Greensboro, was chartered by the Grand Lodge of the State of Alabama on the first day of April 1880.

The following are the charter members: Mayer Frank, S. Markstein, Abe Frank, Henry Beck, S. M. Marx, J. L. Levy, A. H. Williams, J. Friedlander, P. N. Booker, R. Inge, L. J. Lawson, J. B. Coleman, A. B. Loveman, J. M. Shivers, A. I. Klein and M. W. Redus.

The Charter is duly signed by George F. Taylor, Grand Chancellor of the State of Alabama. The charter members at once went industriously to work to build up Eureka Lodge No. 29, and the membership has at times been as high as one hundred.

Eureka No. 29 has never owned its lodge room but has rented quarters from various parties. The first ledge room was the upstairs over the hardware store of George Findlay, -now occupied as The Watchman office. The meetings were held there for a number of years, and then the Lodge rented other quarters from M. Steinhart, upstairs in the building immediately in the rear of the Steinhart store. After remaining there for a term of years, J. A. Blunt built a room in the third story of the OperaHouse building especially for Eureka Lodge, since which time the meetings have been held therein.

The present (1908) membership is about fifty.