Petrolia/Washington Lodge No. 194 - Petrolia, Ontario - Established 1871

Meeting Info

First Wednesday at 7:30pm

Closed July and August

Location

404 Princess Street, Petrolia, Ontario

Contact

Petrolia-Washington Secretary

In 1858 the first post office on Bear Creek, Enniskillen Township, Lambton County, was called “Durance” after its first postmaster, Daniel Durance. The next year, after the discovery of oil and a refinery built to the south of the creek, the post office was moved to the site of the present town and renamed “Petrolea” by postmaster Patrick Barclay. When the place was incorporated as a village in 1866, the name was changed to “Petrolia” through a clerical error although the post office name remained unchanged until 1906.

Petrolia Lodge at Petrolia, Ontario, had been formed in 1866 and Warrant No. 194 had been issued in 1868. Washington Lodge, also at Petrolia, had been formed in 1871 and Warrant No. 260 had been issued in 1872. The two Lodges grew and worked in a close and mutually supportive environment for many years, but the gradual decline in membership towards the end of the twentieth century as well as the movement of people away from towns like Petrolia, placed pressures on the two Lodges.

On June 7, 2006, Petrolia No. 194 and Washington No. 260, amalgamated to become the Petrolia-Washington Lodge No. 194, Petrolia, in the Sarnia District.

The early meetings of Petrolia Lodge No. 194 were held in a hall over H.H. Hunts Stove and Tin Shop on Petrolia Street, near First Ave. When H.H. Hunts failed, the members of the lodge purchased the building. They continued to use the upper hall and rented out the main floor. This was a common practice across Ontario.

Another common occurrence was fire. In June of 1874 the building was destroyed by fire. Both Petrolia Lodge and Washington Lodge were fortunate to save the lodge records. After meeting for several months in the Oddfellows Hall, a lodge room was rented over Fairbanks Hardware on Petrolia Street across from Barclay Lane. At the end of 1879 both lodges moved to the Vaughn Block until 1885, then moved back to Fairbanks Hardware. Early in 1888 a Masonic Temple was built at the corner of Petrolia Street and Oil Street. Both Petrolia Lodge No. 194, and Washington Lodge No. 260, occupied the new building. Financial difficulties in the 1940s forced a move to rented quarters in the Lancey Folley Block. In the early 1960s a committee recommended building a new Masonic Temple. This was done and a new Masonic Temple on Princess Street was built. The official Dedication was on May 9, 1964.

It is common that men who worked well together would find further bonds of friendship through membership in a Masonic Lodge. It is recorded that Masons who were co-workers at Petrolia Wagon Works, Town Council, and Polysar, amongst others, formed degree teams.

The records of Petrolia Lodge and Washington Lodge show that Freemasonry runs deeply in some families. A man might be inclined to become a Mason because his brother, his father, his grandfather, and his uncles, were Masons.

Petrolia-Washington Lodge No. 194 meets on the first Wednesday of each month from September to June inclusive at the Masonic Hall, 404 Princess Street, Petrolia.