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The Grand Master of the of North Carolina and its Jurisdictions, Prince Hall Affiliation, is the conservator of Prince Hall Free and Accepted Masons.  The Right of Conservatorship is an inherent right.  In regards to respect and honor, the Grand Master is the highest office in all of Prince Hall Masonry, and as such is afforded due respect and honor as it pertains to this office, at any and all Masonic functions, of whatever Masonic body.

This includes, but is not limited to a place of honor, regardless of the function or attendees, whether it be local, regional, or national, even international, if it is being hosted by a Masonic organization.  The Grand Master's seat is at the right of the podium, facing the audience.  Visiting Grand Masters are the guests of the host Grand Master, and not of the functioning Masonic body.  Grand Masters may only be invited into another Jurisdiction by the Grand Master of that Jurisdiction.  As a courtesy, any Masonic group from one jurisdiction that visits another Masonic jurisdiction to participate in or attend any Masonic function should be invited by the Grand Master of the Jurisdiction where they are going.

Grand Masters traditionally invite all other Grand Masters to attend nationally held Masonic functions in their jurisdictions.  These Grand Masters are received by the host Grand Master and the "permission" is extended through this method.

Other houses are recognized as being concordant, appendant, adoptive or affiliated.  These are:
        1.  Shriners A.E.A.O.N.M.S.\Daughters of Isis
        2.  Scottish Rite A.A.S.R.\Order of the Golden Circle
        3.  Knights Templar\Order of Cyrene Crusaders
        4.  Royal & Select Masters\Ladies of the Circle of Perfection
        5.  Holy Royal Arch Masons\Heroines of Jericho
        6.  Blue Lodge\Order of the Eastern Star

These organizations are rooted in symbolic Masonry through Master Masons by the Right of Recognition granted by the jurisdictions represented in the Conference of Grand Masters.

These organizations shall frame their constitution and bylaws, administer and enforce such laws pertaining to the governance of their members, as long as those laws, rules and regulations shall not contravene the North Carolina masonic Code.  Furthermore, the Grand Master shall, when appropriate, attend at least the annual Masonic meeting, in person or by representation.
     Definitions:
        Concordant - harmonious
        Appendant - accompanying or attached to another
        thing to which it is subordinate
        Adoptive - embrace, espouse, take on, take up,
        to make one's own
        Affiliated - related, associated

The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina is located at 101 East Main Street, in the City of Durham, North Carolina. The mailing address is: The Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina, PO Box 1507, Durham, North Carolina, 27702. The phone number is (919) 683-3147 and the FAX number is (919) 683-9636. Please call during regular business hours.
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Whence Came We

Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternal society. An operative mason is a skilled workman who builds by the construction or repair of stonework or brickwork. Organized operative masonry guilds existed up to the 17th century. Until that time, masons were actively engaged in the construction of buildings, especially gothic cathedrals. These guilds evolved into speculative freemasonry, which was social and philosophical in nature. The roots and evolution of speculative freemasonry can be traced back to several events. Many historians agree one of these is the re-establishment of the speculative science by the English King Athelstan around the year 936 AD. Here a society was formed based on rules for the conduct of its members. A document known as the "Regius" or "Halliwell" Manuscript was written later around 1390 AD. It is generally accepted as a reference for speculativefreemasonry which elaborates on more esoteric subjects.

The system of speculative freemasonry, developed from operative masonry, was completed when four Lodges of London assembled in convention in St. Pauls Churchyard June 24, 1717, and organized the first Grand Lodge. At that time the following "Regulation" was adopted: "That the privilege of assembling as Masons, which had hitherto been unlimited, should be vested in certain places; and that every lodge to be hereafter, convened, except the four old lodges at this time existing, should be legally authorized to act by a warrant from the Grand Master for the time being, granted to certain individuals by petition within the consent and approbation of the Grand Lodge in communication; and that without such warrant, no lodge should be hereafter regular or constitution." This regulation, which has been observed by subsequent Grand Lodges, made it necessary that all lodges since authorized among Masons should be able to show the authority for their existence; and it is the purpose of this brief sketch to explain to the brethren of this jurisdiction, the manifest authority for the existence of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge for the State of North Carolina.

In accordance with the regulation above mentioned the Grand Lodge of England granted many warrants for holding lodges in the countries of Europe and upon the American continent. Indeed, all masonic lodges established since that period, directly or indirectly derive their existence from the Grand Lodge of England. Many field or army warrants were granted for the holding of lodges, among which one was held in the army of General Gage in the town of Boston, Massachusetts. In this field or army lodge, in 1775, were initiated, passed, and raised Prince Hall, Cyrus Jondus, Bueston Slinger, Thomas Sanderson, Prince Tayden, Cato Speain, Boston Smith, Peter Best, Fortin Howard, Prince Reed, John Canten, Peter Freeman, Benjamin Tiber, Buff Burfron, and Rich Tilly. These Brethren applied to the Grand Lodge of England March 2, 1784, for a warrant to form a regular lodge in Boston, which was granted September 29, 1784, but which was not received until May 2, 1787.

On the list of lodges in America under the English Constitution 1783 and 1889 as prepared by John Lane, Past Provincial Grand Registrar of Devonshire (England) is the following record: "Boston, 1784, September 29, number 459, African Lodge, number 370 in 1782, erased in 1813."

It was said of Prince Hall, the Worshipful Master of this lodge, that he was a man of "exceptional ability," and "that he worked zealously in the case of Masonry until his death in 1807, exercising all the functions of the Provincial Grand Master," and was so recognized by the Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of England, who under the date of August 29, 1792, wrote Prince Hall inquiring about four of the Prince (caucasian) Lodges, from which he had heard nothing for years; intimating that he was about to erase their names from the roster of Grand Lodges. The report of Prince Hall saved these (caucasian) lodges from Masonic death.

On March 22, 1792, Prince Hall organized a lodge in Philadelphia, consisting of thirteen Negroes who had been made Masons in England. He subsequently organized a lodge in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1808 these three lodges organized the African Grand Lodge in Boston, which is now known as "The Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons of Massachusetts."

From the introduction of Masonry among colored men in 1797 to 1915 enough lodges were formed in Pennsylvania to organize a second Negro Grand Lodge known as the "First Independent African Grand Lodge of North America." Owing to some friction among the lodges of this jurisdiction, Union Lodge #4 and Harmony Lodge #5 were expelled from the First Independent Grand Lodge. This resulted in the formation of a rival Grand Lodge in Pennsylvania known as the "Hiram Grand Lodge."

On March 14, 1848, representatives of Boyer Lodge #1, New York City, which was organized by the African Lodge of Boston in 1812, Celestial Lodge #2, of New York, organized by Harmony Lodge of Pennsylvania, and Rising Sun Lodge #3, also of New York City, organized by the First Independent African Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania joined with each other in the organization of the Grand Lodge now known as "The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of New York."

In 1866, under authority of the Grand Lodge of New York, Past Grand Master Paul Drayton organized King Solomon Lodge #23 (now #1,) at New Bern, North Carolina, and Giblem Lodge #28 (now #2,) at Wilmington, North Carolina. By authority of the same Grand Lodge, Past Grand Master James W. Hood, who had been appointed as supervisor, organized in 1867, Eureka Lodge #30 (now #3,) at Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Widow's Son Lodge #31, (now #4,) at Raleigh, North Carolina. The four lodges last mentioned, on March 1, 1870, met in Giblem Lodge room in the city of Wilmington, and organized the present Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the state of North Carolina with M:. W:. J:. W:. Hood, Grand Master, and R:. W:. J:. J:. Sawyer as Grand Secretary.

Since its organization on March 1, 1870, the M:. W:. Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina has grown to 461 lodges and a membership over 18,000. Also included are appendant bodies of the York Rite, Scottish Rite, and Shrine.

Depending upon where you live, you may want to contact a mason in that state. Prince Hall Lodges can extend invitations to all men, of sound mind and body, at least 18 years of age, who believe in God, and are of good character and repute. Although Prince Hall is predominantly composed of African-Americans, we are open to all races and religious beliefs. If you reside in North Carolina and would like more information on Prince Hall Freemasonry, please feel free to send us your request to the Grand Lodge by e-mail. Be sure to note that you are a non mason, an address if you want us to mail you literature, and any specific questions.

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This is a website of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of North Carolina.  Please contact the webmaster if you have any questions or comments about this website.  Any information which is submitted is done so by unsecured means.  Opinions expressed, in links, at this site are not necessarily those of the M:. W:. Prince Hall Grand Lodge of North Carolina or the website manager.  We would like to acknowledge Guestbook from html Gear for the guestbook.  This site was updated July 26,, 2002.  Thank You for visiting.
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