Oakland Lodge #140 F&AM
Three years after the village of Oakland was platted in 1849, twelve good men and true petitioned the Grand Lodge of Indiana to grant a charter for a Lodge of Master Masons. Oakland Lodge No. 140, F. & A.M. was instituted under a Dispensation issued by the Grand Lodge on December 8, 1852. By the time the Lodge received its Charter on May 25, 1853, it had grown from the original twelve to twenty-six brothers, the community having a favorable opinion of the Institution. Within thirty years, the membership had doubled and since, it has doubled again.
From 1853 until 1857, the Lodge met in the attic of Enoch D. Hanna’s general store. They met on the Wednesday evening of the month preceding or on the full moon. In 1857, through the combined efforts of Oakland Lodge and the Lawrence Township Trustee, a new building was built, housing Oakland Lodge on the upper level and Lawrence Township School District No. 6 on the lower, which also served as the Precinct No. 2 polling place for elections. The Lodge sold shares in the new building for ten dollars each, which returned interest at eight percent per annum. Oakland Chapter No. 159, Order of the Easter Star, was chartered on April 25, 1895, and remains a faithful companion and staunch supporter.
The old building served the Lodge for over five score years, but time took its toll. The building never had running water or indoor restrooms throughout its life. Tales are handed-down of wind through the floor lifting the rug and shifting the building so badly the doors would not close because the frames warped. Neither did the outdoor privies sit well with the ladies of the Eastern Star. The old building fell to the wreckers hand on August 18, 1967.
In 1967, the Lodge, recognizing the need to prepare for the future, commissioned the construction of the edifice it occupies today. Financed by the faith, dedication and pledges of the Brothers, a new Temple was built and was dedicated by the Grand Lodge Officers on November 17, 1967, Grand master John J. Bloxsome presiding. It stands today as a home of which Oakland Lodge can be justifiably proud and which should amply meet the needs of the Lodge and Chapter for decades to come. The Altar and Wardens’ stations were built by Brother Leo Fadely and presented to W.M. Robert Fulton on April 27, 1968. In 2003 the officers of the Grand Lodge conducted the Rededication Ceremony celebrating our Sesquicentennial .In 2010, Oakland Lodge welcomed the Brethren of Cumberland Lodge into our midst, increasing our numbers to over 200 members.
In 1883, Oaklandon enjoyed a Grange, an Odd Fellows Lodge, a Red Men’s Lodge, a Horse Company, a Fair Association and a Masonic Lodge. Today, only the Freemasons remain alive and active in the community as a testimony to the value of the Fraternity’s enduring principles.
In 2010 Cumberland Lodge #726 was consolidated with Oakland Lodge #140. Mystic Circle #685 was consolidated in 2017.
In 2017 work began on the newest lodge building – on the same ground as our second building. This undertaking was completed in 2019 – with the dedication ceremony planned for November 16, 2019. Ironically, this date will be 51 years, 11 months, and 30 days from when the second lodge building was dedicated.
Oakland Lodge #140 F&AM 