Irwin County Lodge

In Irwin County, Georgia the first lodge, Irwin Lodge No. 212 was started in 1856. The lodge had barely gotten organized when, what the Southerners would call The War of the Confederacy broke out, and nearly every young man supporting the Southern cause, including most members of the Craft, enlisted in the army. The toll of men, including of course Masons was so great that the Irwin Lodge charter had to be surrendered. In the 1880’s interest in Masonry was renewed in the area... and a new lodge planned. An acre of land was donated for the purpose of erecting a Masonic building and the new lodge, Irwinville Lodge No. 315 was constituted on November 28, 1885 under the sponsorship of Western Light Lodge in Abbeville which itself had originated from the defunct Irwin Lodge. Charter members paid $8.50 for a charter fee.
“ in 1885, Irwin County was not thickly settled, plantations were miles apart the members of the Masonic, Lodge had to travel on horseback or by buggy to come to meetings. These men were working and making a living for their families, and disliked the idea of leaving them alone nights. After due consideration, they decided to hold their meeting each third Saturday at 10 o’clock thus making this a daylight lodge…”
Irwinville Lodge 315 is still an active Masonic lodge and meets the first Thursday of each month at 7:30 p.m.
Bob-Candace Billotte