1950 Massachusets Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02140
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History of Amicable Lodge, A. F. & A. M.
Amicable Lodge, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons, is the Oldest Masonic Lodge in Cambridge, Massachusetts; instituted in 1805. We enjoy a storied and distinguished past, having had three members who served as Grand Master of Massachusetts, and look forward to an even brighter future.
Meet the Masons
The following is a news story from The Boston Phoenix written by Eugenia Williamson Published on February 17, 2011.
Amicable Lodge Reaches out to Kenya
Bro. Michael Koeller of Amicable Lodge (back row, left of sign) sent this image to us from Kenya to thank the Lodge for its charitable contributions to the village he was visiting on a humanitarian mission in June 2012.
From left to right; David Riley, Michael Koeller, Nicholas Batzell, Andrew Grove, Eric Spector, Brian and Kevin from King Solomon’s Lodge, Christopher Duggan and Loretta, Jeremy Gross and Jeremy Sher.
Visit to Overlook at Charlton
The Brothers at Amicable Lodge are sure to visit the Overlook Masonic Homes in Charlton, Massachusetts. Cake and punch with the nursing home residents is fun and mutually enriching experience for resident and non-resident Brothers, their wives, and widows. A great time is always had by all.
Virgin Weeping Painting
The virgin weeping painting (finished in 2010) replaces the old painting (circa 1870-1880). The old painting, now hanging in the Prelates Room, is so badly darkened that members and candidates could not clearly see the allegory depicted.
Brother Nicholas C. Read painted this new version. The five pointed star comes from an old print of this scene and represents Maia, one of seven sisters, mother of Hermes and one of the patron gods of early Freemasons. Maia is said to represent Geometry. The old painting was so dark that this star which is in the background was never seen. Today, many similar paintings, statues, and prints showing the “virgin weeping” or “father time” allegory, exclude this star. Believed to have been first created by Brother Jeremy Cross, the scene depicts the scythe, an emblem of time; the broken column, a early emblem of death and life unfinished; the urn; the sprig , which in some early versions was a lily; the book; and father time, a emblem of death, life, and immortality. Some prints show the hourglass others do not. The virgin is said to represent the goddess Rhea, weeping at the pool. An early print of this virgin weeping shows the virgin with arms pointing to the constellations, a broken column and father time.
Our version will be enjoyed by many generations of Masons to come.
Cambridge Masonic Temple Receives Historic City Landmark Designation
The Cambridge Masonic Temple is historically and architecturally significant as one of two purpose-built lodge buildings remaining in the city. The temple is associated with Freemasonry in Cambridge, which was first established in 1805. The history of the structure, which was built in 1910, reflects the evolution of Porter Square from an outlying district of Cambridge to a gentrified suburban area.
A proposal for the hotel on the nearby Kaya-Ka restaurant site and zoning amendments to the Massachusetts Avenue Overlay District allowing for increased density and relaxed dimensional requirements for hotel uses in the overlay district prompted neighborhood speculation about the future of the Masonic Temple property. The City Council adopted an order on September 8, 2008 requesting that the Historical Commission consider initiating a landmark designation study of the property. On October 2, 2008 the Commission determined that the Temple met the criteria for a landmark designation study and initiated a one-year protection period during which the property has been protected as though it were already a landmark.
At a public hearing on October 8, 2009 the Historical Commission voted 7-0 to accept the corrected study report and forward the report to the City Council with a recommendation for landmark designation.