Crescent Masonic Lodge #403

Crescent Masonic Lodge #403

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Crescent Masonic Lodge #403
Free and Accepted Masons
4701 West Commercial Drive
North Little Rock, Arkansas
(Behind Golden Corral)

On November 28, 1882 - Crescent Masonic Lodge #403 was assigned
Charter Number 403 by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Arkansas.

Crescent Masonic Lodge #403 is affiliated with the worldwide system
of Masonic Lodges which trace their lineage to the formation of the
United Grand Lodge of England, in 1736.

Crescent Lodge had several meeting places over the last 125+ years.
The first meeting was held at Baldwin Hall at 2nd and Main Street in
what is now North Little Rock, AR. The hall was over a livery stable.

Crescent Masonic Lodge owns & maintains the property and building
at 4701 West Commercial Drive behind Golden Corral on Warden Road.

Rose City Masonic Lodge merges with Crescent
In late 2008, after much discussion and looking through the lens of
reality in an ever changing world, the members of the Rose City
Masonic Lodge reached unanimous agreement to merge with another
local lodge in the area. A committee was formed and assigned the
task of visiting other Masonic Lodges to report back to the Rose
City Masonic Lodge.

After several visits to area lodges, the members agreed to merge
with Crescent Masonic Lodge #403 in North Little Rock. This lodge
merger has proven to be of great benefit for both lodges and the
members were welcomed into the membership at Crescent Lodge.

A brief history of Rose City Masonic Lodge
A group of Masons met in July 1960 for the purpose of organizing
a Masonic Lodge in the Rose City area of North Little Rock and
Brother Ethen E. Springer was appointed Worshipful Master for
the remainder of the year. The fiscal year at that time went from
October through September 30 of the following year.

The first meeting place for the Rose City Masonic Lodge was held
in the Scout Hut on Haywood Street. On November 16th, 1960,
the Rose City Masonic Lodge was chartered and was assignedthe
number 760, F&AM with 50 members. Burl. L. Hurley was elected
Worshipful Master With Patrick J. Derrick as Senior Warden and
Fred N. Duke serving as the Junior Warden.

The lodge stated meetings were held in the Baptist Church building
on Atkins Street. The lodge continued to add new members and the
members were very active in the community and North Little Rock
area. The lodge continued to meet in the Baptist Church until Brother
Rainwater, who was both the pastor and an active Masonic member
moved to another church outside the North Little Rock area.

At that time, the lodge started holding their meetings in the Presbyterian
Church. The lodge later purchased a lot on Haywood and School Street
and paid it off shortly after purchasing the land. The lodge members then
agreed to build a Masonic Lodge on the land and paid for all the labor,
materials and supplies as it was constructed. When the building was
completed, the land and the building were paid off and debt free.

Interest in the Rose City area and Masonry as a whole began to decline
and membership in Rose City Masonic Lodge membership rolls fell to just
56 in 2008. With the decline of the membership numbers, the lodge
members agreed to sell the property to Hum's Hardware.

There are those who are saddened by the sale of the building and land,
but time will take care of many things. Things change and evolve in the
cycle of life. In all things, if you can't grow you will die. This seems to be
the case with the Rose City Masonic Lodge. It is time now to move on
and always search for the good of Masonry and our Fraternity.

Masons try to place emphasis on the individual man by strengthening
character, improving his moral and spiritual outlook and broadening his
mental horizons. Masonry tries to build a better world by building better
men to work, reside and raise their families in our communities.

Brother Mark Phillips, a Past Master of Crescent stated very eloquently:
"I believe that Masonry has proven itself to be all I had hoped for it to be.
The Craft, as ancient as it is, still holds me somewhat spell bound with its
mysteries. I've always been one who relished a good mystery. The more
I delve into its history, the more amazed I am at its relevance today.

Masonry teaches a moral code that all men, masons or not, should follow.
Masonry is selective, and guards its admission to a petitioner jealously, as
well as it should. Masonry teaches that we as brothers are to be of a like
mind. Admitting a rogue who isn't of the mindset would be disruptive to
the peace & harmony of the Lodge.

As some may aspire to become leaders and are given the respect they
deserve from the rest of the membership, we are never the less, on the
level with one another. No one has more say than another, and that's
why we have "one man, one vote" to determine the future of our Lodge."

Countless opportunities abound in our lodge for all members through
active participation in various activities inside and outside the lodge.

Crescent Lodge members are actively involved contributing time, efforts
and money to various community programs including Meals on Wheels,
Arkansas Food Bank Network, Disabled American Veterans, The VFW,
American Legion, The Shriners Hospital Fund, and other programs.

In addition to the Scottish Rite and York Rite Charities, Crescent Shriners
have participated in many parades over the years and continue to do so.

Crescent Masonic Lodge #403 members provides food for the Demolays
with its Fire-Truck (Cooking/Parade) Vehicle.

Many Crescent Lodge members are active in appendant Masonic Bodies.
Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry Orient of Arkansas, Royal
Arch Chapter, Council of Royal and Select Masters, The Mystic Order of
Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm "Bendemeer Grotto", Commandery
of Knights Templar of Arkansas, The Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles
of the Mystic Shrine "Scimitar Shriners", Florence Chapter Order of the
Eastern Star and others. Click this link to visit Florence Chapter Website

Membership in Crescent Masonic Lodge is available by application to men
at least 21 years of age and meet requirements as set by the Grand Lodge,
including: belief in one living God and immortality of the human soul, and
are not criminals. U.S. Citizenship & unanimous member election required.

Condensed History of Crescent Lodge
Grand Master George E. Dodge of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of
Free and Accepted Masons of Arkansas, issued a Dispensation in May
1882 for a Lodge to be called Crescent. That dispensation was given to
Reverend George A. Dannelly, & a group of 11 other Masons in Argenta.
The city of Argenta is now North Little Rock AR

Charter Members were Brothers; Geo. A. Dannelly, T. W. Baldwin, F. J.
Rogers, E.A. Ramsey, J. M. Aaron, W.W. Stansbery, W. H. Evans, Charles
Robken, N. Knight, W. R. F. Paines, James Eblin, and Geo. W. Kennedy.

Bro. Dannelly was Worshipful Master, and the Lodge began working under
dispensation during the summer and fall, until the M.W. Grand Lodge met
in November of 1882. When the Grand Lodge met, Crescent Lodge had
15 members. Western Star Lodge #2, of Little Rock, AR had witnessed
work done by the Brothers who had desired to ask for the dispensation,
and reported to the Grand Lodge that the Brothers were very proficient,
and recommended to the Grand Lodge that a dispensation be granted.

The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Arkansas granted Crescent Lodge
a Charter and assigned it Number 403. The first elected Worshipful Master
was Charles Robken, whose son later became Worshipful Master in 1929.

Crescent Lodge has had several meeting places over the 125+ years since
the first meeting was held at Baldwin Hall over a livery stable.

The second meeting place of the Lodge was Mosier Hall between 4th & 5th
on Magnolia Street. In 1900 the Lodge moved to Humphreys Hall at 4th &
Main Street. In 1908 the Lodge moved to the old Masonic Hall at 419 ½
Main Street where they held meeting for the next 16 years.

In 1922 Crescent and Big Rock Lodges jointly bought property & built
a two story building at 3rd and Willow. The 2nd floor was reserved for
Masonic functions and the lower floor was rented. The upper floor was
not completely finished until during World War II.

The growth of Crescent and Big Rock Lodges, and the Florence and
Jewell Chapters of Eastern Star, DeMolays, and Rainbows up to and
including WW II caused considerable crowded conditions with regard
to the several organizations having enough meeting nights in the week
in the Lodge Hall. More meetings than nights available in the week!

Crescent Lodge decided to sell its property at 3rd and Willow Streets
and build a new and larger home. Big Rock Lodge purchased the 1/2
share of Crescent Masonic Lodge in 1952.

In September 1949, Crescent Masonic Lodge purchased 4 lots in the
2300 block of Main Street. In 1950 a building committee was formed
and appointed by the Lodge to raise funds for the building. One half
of the current 770 members pledged $100 each to the building fund.

By April 1953, the building was partially completed and a Lodge room
on the ground floor on the north side of the building was finished. The
1st meeting in the new building was held April 13, 1953.

Crescent Lodge remained at this location until the early 1980's when
Hardee's Drive Inn franchise purchased their location. Crescent Lodge
moved their meetings to a temporary location at 115 West 17th Street
in NLR and began the search for new property to build on.

Crescent Lodge purchased the property at 4701 W. Commercial Drive
in North Little Rock and that is our current lodge home. The property
was just an open field when the lodge members purchased the land.

During the following years, Florence Chapter O.E.S.; The Amaranth;
Rainbow Girls; Job’s Daughters, and Iris Chapter R.A.M. have all met
in the Crescent Masonic Lodge #403 building.

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