Secret society hosting open house

SANDUSKY — For the first time in 15 years, a local organization known for keeping secrets plans on revealing its space to community members. Plus leaders want to extend membership opportunities for those seeking to learn more about the fraternal organization. Freemasons representing Sandusky Masonic Lodge — also known as Perseverance Lodge No. 329 and Science Lodge No. 50 — scheduled an open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday at its headquarters, 304 Wayne St., in Sandusky. Anyone is invited to attend. Last occurring in 2008, an open house aims to increase membership levels for the Sandusky Freemasons. It's decreased in past years, dropping to present-day levels of about 120, the lowest in quite some time. "If someone is interested in checking out the building itself and looking to join the fraternity, they can get a behind-the-scenes look and talk to members there," member Ryan Longer said. Known as the world's largest secret society, Freemasons describe themselves as "an oath-bound society, often devoted to fellowship, moral discipline and mutual assistance that conceals at least some of its rituals, customs or activities from the public," according to Britannica. The encyclopedia entry gives even more insight into this organization's origins. "Spread by the advance of the British Empire, Freemasonry remains most popular in the British Isles and in other countries originally within the empire," according to the entry. "Estimates of the worldwide membership of Freemasonry in the early 21st century ranged from about 2 million to more than 6 million." Locally, the Freemasons take on an even more special meaning. Sandusky's street grid, or road layout, pretty much mirrors the Freemason's symbol of a square and a set of joined compasses. Both the square and compasses are architectural tools used in Masonic rituals as emblems to teach symbolic lessons. Sandusky is one of the only cities on Earth to have an extensive street layout like this. The nation's capital of Washington, D.C. bears similar features. History lesson The Sandusky Masonic Lodge offered up some background on its organization: In the shadow of an impending Civil War, proponents of forming a new lodge in Sandusky presented a resolution to our Mother Lodge, Science No. 50, to create a new lodge known as Perseverance Lodge. With the approval and concurrence of the science lodge members, an application prepared and signed by brothers George S. Patterson, Andrew C. Frey, Alexander H. Black, H.A. Gaylord, Joseph Landerman, B.U. McComb, William Spittle and Horace Brooks was then forwarded to the Grand Lodge of Ohio for their consideration. A charter was issued by the Grand Lodge of Ohio on Oct. 18, 1860, designating that the No. 329 be assigned to this lodge. Thus was Perseverance Lodge No. 329 duly created. The first meeting place of the new lodge was in the Townsend Building located on Water Street between Columbus Avenue and Wayne Street. The lodge later moved to the Cooke Block at the corner of Columbus Avenue and East Market Street along with the other Masonic bodies. In 1870, a resolution was passed to host a public installation of officers or a ceremony which is still in place to this day. At that time, the lodge membership was 52, and the total finances were $258. The first recorded inspection of the lodge took place on Dec. 5, 1882, with our district deputy grand master I.T. Williams as the inspecting officer and Science Lodge No. 50 as our guests. In January 1887, the articles of incorporation of the Masonic Temple Association of Sandusky were filed with the state of Ohio: $25,000 worth of stock was issued, and, on June 24, 1889, the cornerstone of the new temple was laid. On June 24, 1890, the new lodge rooms were dedicated for the use of the various Masonic bodies. On Jan. 27, 1943, a devastating fire destroyed the Masonic Temple. But, with the great determination of all the masons of Sandusky, the temple was rebuilt and rededicated on Sept. 16, 1944. By 1960, the lodge has grown to 756 members and participated in various activities such as morning Memorial Day services, grand officer nights and Christmas morning services. Visitations to Pelee Lodge began and continued into the 2000s. Today the lodge membership is around 120 brethren, and the lodge is engaged in many activities such as Adopt-a-Highway, Special Olympics, awarding college scholarships and assisting in community fundraising events. We look forward to the future with perseverance. Sandusky's unique shape The lodge also referenced Sandusky's unique street grid. It's known as one of the only cities on Earth laid out in the symbol of the Freemasons: the square and compasses: Hector Kilbourne, the first elected Master of Science Lodge No. 50 in 1818, was the surveyor who made the original plat of the city. He proceeded with well-defined ideas and painstaking care in making the original survey as well as giving names to the streets in honor of the statesmen, warriors and others prominent in the early history of the country. He then proceeded to name the streets in commemoration of men who had gained historic renown: Columbus, Washington and others in the order they followed after Washington. Thus we have Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and so on, all following in the regular order. Brother Kilbourne, in laying out the city, ran the streets in order to form a true representation of the square and compasses. The original plat of the city may be said to represent an open Bible, square and compasses in correct position to proceed with labor upon opening the Lodge. Taking Columbus Avenue as the center of the book, the blocks and squares on either side of the avenue are equal in number and dimensions. The Masonic Square is represented by Poplar and Elm streets, originally named so because of the trees which lined them, and the compasses represented by Huron and Central avenues.