From WOOD COUNTY LODGE #112 FREE & ACCEPTED MASONS
On Saturday, Sept. 12, the Freemasons and Eastern Stars of the Bowling Green Masonic Temple welcome the community to come and explore the facilities during a public open house. Located at 159 N. Main St. in Bowling Green, the Masonic Temple is directly across from Uptown/Downtown bar; the front door is between Loonar Station and Get Inspired Nutrition. The Masonic lodge rooms are on the third floor and are accessible by either the stairs at the front entrance or an ADA-compliant elevator at the rear of the building.
The doors will be open for visitors and tours from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., with guests able to come and go at any time. Anyone who would like to know more about Freemasonry or is curious and would like a peek inside may attend. Freemasons and Stars will be available to answer questions and provide tours. Light snacks and refreshments will be available throughout the event.
Wood County Lodge #112 has been an active part of the community since 1843. The first meetings were held by moonlight in a barn in Tontogany. The current downtown building was purchased and renovated in 1920, and meetings have been held there ever since that time. The lodge holds a variety of historical documents and antiques, including many photos of local Masons dating back to the mid-1800s. The seats in the upper gallery of the lodge room are also the original wooden seats from the Cla-Zel theatre dating back to 1926.
The Order of the Eastern Star is a sister organization to the Masonic Lodge. OES chapters are women-led, although membership is open to both women and Masons. Greenwood Chapter #159 is preparing to celebrate its 125th birthday in 2027. Nationally, the Eastern Stars donate approximately $1,000,000 every day to charities, supporting cancer research, arthritis treatment and research, heart disease, regenerative eye medicine, and more.
Freemasonry is the oldest and largest fraternity in the world. There were 13 signers of the U.S. Constitution and 14 Presidents of the United States, including George Washington, were Freemasons. Today, there are more than two million Freemasons in North America alone, 90,000 of which are Ohio Freemasons.
The tools and objects historically used by stonemasons have been adapted as symbols in the ceremonies of modern Freemasonry to teach moral lessons; known worldwide as a symbol of character, charity, and friendship, the square and compasses design is the emblem of every Masonic lodge. Today, Freemasonry is a fraternity that brings together men from various political, social, ethnic, and religious backgrounds to work to improve themselves and their communities in the spirit of brotherly love, relief, and truth.
For more information about this open house, email atonnsmeltzer@gmail.com, or come to the open house on Sept. 12.
