SOON AFTER THE CIVIL WAR , JANUARY 14, 1871, SIX MASONS LIVING IN MERCHANTVILLE MET TO DISCUSS THE FORMATION OF A MASONIC LODGE. FROM THE HISTORY OF "CAMDEN 15" IT MENTIONS THAT TWO LODGES WERE FORMED FROM THEM, NAMELY LONIC AND TRIMBLE, AND FROM THESE TWO FINE LODGES , MERCHANTVILLE LODGE WAS FORMED.
AFTER SERVING FOR 1 YEAR UNDER DISPENSATION OF THE GRAND LODGE OF NEW JERSEY, MERCHANTVILLE LODGE # 119 WAS CONSTITUTED AND WARRANT ISSUED ON JANUARY 18, 1872.
IN OUR EARLY MINUTES THE MEETING PLACE WAS REFERRED TO AS "THE HALL" OF THE MERCHANTVILLE HALL, LOCATED ON THE POINT WHERE PARK AND MAPLE AVENUES MEET. IN 1892 WE MOVED TO COLLINS HALL AT CENTER STREET AND CHESTNUT AVENUE. THERE WE STAYED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 1965 WHEN WE OCCUPIED OUR PRESENT TEMPLE WHICH HAD BEEN NEWLY BUILT FOR US.
ON MY 20, 1886 A GROUP OF OUR BROTHERS DEMITTED TO FORM A LODGE IN MOORESTOWN. ALSO IN 1887 A SIMILAR PROCEDURE TOOK PLACE AND COVENANT LODGE IN PALMYRA WAS FORMED. MUCH LATER IN 1960 ANOTHER LODGE WAS FORMED FROM MERCHANTVILLE'S MEMBERS, CHERRY HILL LODGE. THUS THE CHAIN OF EVENTS CONCERNING THE FORMATION OF NEW LODGES CONTINUES BASED ON OUR STRONG MASONIC TEACHINGS.
WE HAVE BEEN AND ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE HAD TWO (2) PAST GRAND MASTERS, MANY GRAND OFFICERS AND DISTRICT DEPUTIES, AND LARGE NUMBER OF ILLUSTRIOUS 33 DEGREE MASONS, MANY OF WHOM ARE STILL ACTIVE IN THE LODGE.
THESE HAVE BEEN GOOD YEARS. OUR LODGE HAS GROWN AND DEVELOPED. OUR TEMPLE IS A TRADEMARK IN THE COMMUNITY AND OUR MEMBERS RESPECTED AS UPSTANDING CITIZENS AS WELL AS GOOD MASONS.