San Benito Lodge #211 Est. 1871
The San Benito Lodge No. 211, a Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons,
that sits as the cornerstone of Hollister, reminds us of the past and the time
when a new community was born.
Established in 1871, San Benito Lodge is celebrating its 140th Anniversary.
In 2011, the Lodge is celebrating the re-dedication of the Lodge.
The old building, that was built after the 1906 great earthquake, has been
renovated inside and out for the 2011 re-dedication. The excitement had
been building for years.
The original plans for the lodge were drawn up by then noted Central Coast
architect William Weeks. Mr. Weeks’ plans were accepted by the original
Masonic Building Association, in 1906. On Saturday, June 1 in 1907 the
cornerstone was laid with services provided by San Benito Lodge and the
Grand Lodge of California. It took $21,000 in 1907 money to build the two
story pressed brick structure that we now call our home, San Benito Lodge
No. 211.
The Masonic Lodge of San Benito County, located in old downtown
Hollister, California, has received a much-needed renovation to both its
interior and exterior. Some of the improvements include a complete
resurfacing of the exterior of the building with paint and brickwork.
All of the wiring in the interior of the building has been replaced. There
were original knob and tube wiring that had to be completely removed. We
also removed the old tubing used to pump gas into the old gaslight fixtures.
Other improvements included re-creating the original look of the lady’s
parlor room. The ceiling fireplace and windows all had to be reworked.
New paint and carpet finished the entire look to make it much cleaner and
brighter. Fresh paint and new hardwood floors throughout the entire
second floor make for the final finishing touches.
None of this beautiful remodeling could’ve been done without hours of
tireless work by the members. Even the city of Hollister, which uses our
clock tower as the logo for the city, has pitched in through redevelopment
monies.
The clock tower has been completely repaired and is in perfect operating
condition. The clocks were pulled, the motors, faces and lights were replaced,
and the clocks were reset.
Our head electrician, James Schermerhorn, Past Master, rewired not only
the clock tower and attic, but most of the complete Lodge.
A brand new roof was completed and the decades of damage from bats, has been
addressed. All of the retail space on the first floor has been completely renovated.
What made this re-dedication so special was that the California Grand
Master, Most Worshipful William J. Bray III, a member of San Benito Lodge
No. 211, presided over the re-dedication.
What also made the event even more meaningful was that it had been just reported in a local
paper that the City of Hollister had spent $10,800.00 to change the nearly twenty year
old logo of the Masonic Clock-tower, that is the iconic image of our beloved building.
The previous logo for the city was a circle with three circles within the circle, each having
a rendering of agriculture, industry and family.
Well, as San Benito Lodge was so blessed by the City of Hollister's Redevelopment Agency contributions and by so many of the brothers of San Benito Lodge & Athena Chapter members, who contributed so much to make this wonderful renovation possible, we thank each and every one of you.
that sits as the cornerstone of Hollister, reminds us of the past and the time
when a new community was born.
Established in 1871, San Benito Lodge is celebrating its 140th Anniversary.
In 2011, the Lodge is celebrating the re-dedication of the Lodge.
The old building, that was built after the 1906 great earthquake, has been
renovated inside and out for the 2011 re-dedication. The excitement had
been building for years.
The original plans for the lodge were drawn up by then noted Central Coast
architect William Weeks. Mr. Weeks’ plans were accepted by the original
Masonic Building Association, in 1906. On Saturday, June 1 in 1907 the
cornerstone was laid with services provided by San Benito Lodge and the
Grand Lodge of California. It took $21,000 in 1907 money to build the two
story pressed brick structure that we now call our home, San Benito Lodge
No. 211.
The Masonic Lodge of San Benito County, located in old downtown
Hollister, California, has received a much-needed renovation to both its
interior and exterior. Some of the improvements include a complete
resurfacing of the exterior of the building with paint and brickwork.
All of the wiring in the interior of the building has been replaced. There
were original knob and tube wiring that had to be completely removed. We
also removed the old tubing used to pump gas into the old gaslight fixtures.
Other improvements included re-creating the original look of the lady’s
parlor room. The ceiling fireplace and windows all had to be reworked.
New paint and carpet finished the entire look to make it much cleaner and
brighter. Fresh paint and new hardwood floors throughout the entire
second floor make for the final finishing touches.
None of this beautiful remodeling could’ve been done without hours of
tireless work by the members. Even the city of Hollister, which uses our
clock tower as the logo for the city, has pitched in through redevelopment
monies.
The clock tower has been completely repaired and is in perfect operating
condition. The clocks were pulled, the motors, faces and lights were replaced,
and the clocks were reset.
Our head electrician, James Schermerhorn, Past Master, rewired not only
the clock tower and attic, but most of the complete Lodge.
A brand new roof was completed and the decades of damage from bats, has been
addressed. All of the retail space on the first floor has been completely renovated.
What made this re-dedication so special was that the California Grand
Master, Most Worshipful William J. Bray III, a member of San Benito Lodge
No. 211, presided over the re-dedication.
What also made the event even more meaningful was that it had been just reported in a local
paper that the City of Hollister had spent $10,800.00 to change the nearly twenty year
old logo of the Masonic Clock-tower, that is the iconic image of our beloved building.
The previous logo for the city was a circle with three circles within the circle, each having
a rendering of agriculture, industry and family.
Well, as San Benito Lodge was so blessed by the City of Hollister's Redevelopment Agency contributions and by so many of the brothers of San Benito Lodge & Athena Chapter members, who contributed so much to make this wonderful renovation possible, we thank each and every one of you.
Coming Soon:
Vintage Publications of San Benito Lodge
San Benito Lodge's Masonic Past reflected over the years in historic documents, as seen here in these classic, elegant publications.
