St. Johns Day Table Lodge Observance

Prince Hall Masons in Maryland trace their history to Massachusetts and to Prince Hall, who is believed to have been born in 1735, and died on December 4, 1807. On March 6, 1775, Prince Hall and fourteen others were initiated into a military Lodge at what is now Fort Independence, Massachusetts. On March 2, 1784, Prince Hall petitioned the Grand Lodge of England for a warrant or charter authorizing that a regular Lodge be constituted. It was issued on September 29, 1784, but not received until May 6, 1787, at which time African Lodge No. 459 was formed. On June 6, 1791, the lodge was erected into the African Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.

The First African Independent Grand Lodge of North America No. 1 of the State of Pennsylvania, whose own authority came directly from Prince Hall, warranted the first lodge of black Masons constituted in the state of Maryland on February 2, 1825. This lodge was styled as African Friendship Lodge of Baltimore No. 6. Thereafter the same authority warranted Saint James Lodge and Enterprise Lodge. In 1845, again with the able assistance of Pennsylvania, these three (3) subordinate lodges formed the First Colored Grand Lodge, A.F.&A.M. of the state of Maryland, with Rev. James A. Handy as Grand Master.