(Former) Orphans Friend Masonic Lodge #17 - Anderson,TX
Posted by: 
WalksfarTX
N 30° 29.473 W 095° 59.211
15R E 213291 N 3377011
Originally organized by transplanted Mississippians from Copia County, the Orphans Friend Lodge was established in 1842 and meetings were held in the home of Henry Fanthorp in Alta Mira, later to be called Anderson.
Waymark Code: WMY5BF
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 04/24/2018
Views: 0
Navasota Examiner
The men petitioned the Grand Lodge of Texas for dispensation and were granted a charter effective June 30, 1842.
In the “Saga of Anderson”, a book written by Irene Taylor, the Orphans Friend Masonic Lodge is shown to be the basis of the education system in the area. Originally private in nature, the schools flourished giving way to the first all-girls academy in the area and beginnings of the Anderson-Shiro public school system.
Over 175 years, the Orphans Friend Lodge has held meetings in various locations, always reaching out to aid and comfort those around them. Educational endeavors from schools to scholarships, service orientated projects and the continued development of a community have been cornerstones of the lodge’s members. Orphans Friend’s new home along FM 149 returns the members to their original location, an area that they wish to continue their long history of service for years to come.