Freemasons have had a chapter in the Verde Valley for since 1897, but in the past two years, the fraternal organization have seen shifts in their location.
In December, Central Arizona Masonic Lodge 14 finalized a move to a new facility on South 12th St. in Cottonwood, which leaders of the group hope will allow for a revitalized organization.
“We built that building based on the immediate needs that we had,” said Scott Donham, Worshipful Master and Trustee of the local mason chapter.
According to Donham, the new building comes after a tumultuous period of changing locations for the group, going back to 2004, when the decision was made to close a previous hall close to Old Town and merge with the Red Rock Memorial 63 chapter atop Airport Mesa in Sedona.
In the years since then, the chapter has worked to invest its money and buy new property, culminating in the 2.61 acres purchased in Cottonwood.
Donham said that that period has also coincided with a reduction in the group’s membership, from 196 in 2003 to about 66 now. He said that the main source of the reduction is older members dying off or moving away, leading to a smaller, younger membership. But he hopes that the group can soon return to a more active and vibrant place in the community.
“I think we have a great location, and with any businesses it’s location, location, location,” said Earl Wunder, a longtime freemason with the Central Arizona chapter who serves as an unofficial historian for the group. “The same is true for fraternal organizations. You need a good location to be visible to the public.”
Despite some media portrayals of freemasonry as a shadowy secret society, the actual organization, which can trace its lineage back to stonemason’s guilds in 15th-century Europe, serves mostly as a men’s club that involves members in community service activities. Donham pointed to partnership activities the group has been involved with along with local law enforcement, such as a pig roast, and the “Shop With A Cop” event. The Arizona chapters have also held statewide essay contests for schoolchildren.
“It’s been one of the most memorable organizations that I’ve been involved with,” Donham said. “My wife says, ‘It’s the best thing that happened to Scott.’”
