ST. GEORGE’S LODGE No. 3065
A HALL STONE LODGE
Founded July 25th, 1904
Consecrated July 1st, 1905
Patron of the Masonic Samaritan Fund
Grand Patron of the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys
Member Lodge of the Quatuor Coronati Correspondence Circle
HISTORIC OVERVIEW 1905 – 2011
St. George’s Lodge was founded in 1904 Consecrated on 1st of July, 1905. The names of the 16 founders, as recorded in the roll of members included W.Bros.Ungebauer, Walton, Hopkins, and Fairburn all of whom later occupied the Master’s Chair between 1905 and 1910. The application to Grand Lodge for the Charter of the Lodge was supported by Rokell Lodge No.2798 of Freetown and Accra Lodge No.3063. The first meetings were held in the Forester’s Hall at Odunlami Street, Lagos. The first Master of the Lodge was W.Bro. Charles Ungebauer who in 1913 became the first Deputy District Grand Master of the District of Nigeria.
From the outset, the Lodge prospered and in its first year, 23 candidates were initiated and 22 M.M.’s joined. Our Brethren then determined to build their own Temple and on April 7th 1906, St.George’s accepted the offer of His Excellency the Governor for a plot of land on Broad Street on a 99 year lease, exempt from rates and taxes. On the 4th of May 1907, it was unanimously agreed to name the new Masonic Hall “St.George’s Hall.” In that same year they saw the advancement of their ambitions, when the foundation stone of St. George’s Hall, was laid by Sir Walter Egerton, the then governor of Southern Nigeria. The architect was Bro. J.L.Wilde and building operations were supervised by Bro.C.W.Browne.
The new Temple was completed in very quick time and the first meeting of the Lodge in it’s present home was held on July 6th 1907, when W.Bro. Dr. F.G.Hopkins was installed Master. In his publication “The West African Masonic Almanac and Handbook” W.Bro.Gibson wrote in 1920: “The best Masonic Hall on the coast is St. George’s Lagos. It is admirably suited for Masonic business by reason of its upper story. It is lit entirely by electricity and properly ventilated with electric fans. It is practically now used by all the Lodges in Lagos on a rental basis and its architectural beauty adds such a touch of grandeur to the magnificence of Broad Street with its pompous buildings as bespeaks a rising city.” Throughout its history, the Lodge has made significant contributions to English Freemasonry in Nigeria, and since the formation of the Masonic District of Nigeria, five of the ten district Grand Masters of Nigeria have at some time occupied the Master’s Chair at St. George’s Lodge.
In 1925, the Lodge received the Hall Stone Jewel, being one of two Lodges in Nigeria that qualified for it. This is in recognition of the response to the M.W The Grand Master’s appeal in 1921 to support the Masonic Peace Memorial, when St. George’s Lodge achieved the stipulated contribution of Ten Guineas per member. The Masonic Peace Memorial took the form of the erection of Freemasons’ Hall in London as a lasting memorial to those Brethren who gave their lives for their Sovereign and Country in the First World War, and the Master of St. George’s is therefore entitled to wear The Hall Stone Jewel appended to a craft blue collaret on all Masonic occasions. The jewel itself is made of the cannons which were used in the war.
On the 3rd of March 1928, St.George’s original Hall Stone jewel was stolen from WBro.I.D.Street, then IPM, and a replacement was sent to the Lodge. Almost six years later, in February of 1934, the original jewel was later found and recovered by a brother from a fisherman’s hut near ‘bar beach’ in Lagos. The original jewel is displayed today in a special glass casing at the Committee Room.
St.George’s has also actively been involved in supporting the formation of new Lodges with its sponsorship of the application of a Lodge of Instruction and 11 daughter Lodges to date, 10 in Nigeria and 1 in the United Kingdom.
| Calabar 3434 | Ebute Metta 3973 |
| Travelers’ 3726 | Kano 4975 |
| Nigeria 3773 | Ibadan 5316 |
| Port Harcourt 3881 | Ikeja 8670 |
| Niger 3882 | Spirit of St.George’s 9373 (Surrey) |
| Abuja Lodge 9866 | St.George’s Lodge of Instruction (LOI) |
On July 1st, 2005, the Lodge celebrated its 100th Anniversary in the presence of three District Grand Masters meeting in Nigeria for the first time and representing the Districts who influenced the founding of the Lodge. The three District Grand Masters are those of Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone & the Gambia. Also in attendance at the centenary celebration were several members of St.George’s who had left Nigeria and returned to the United Kingdom.
The Lodge focuses on Masonic education through its Mentor Program, Lodge Newsletter and an annual events calendar, which include lectures by eminent Masonic speakers from around the world. St.George’s maintains strong ties with all its daughter lodges especially Spirit of St.George’s Lodge No.9373, which was formed in 1990 by expatriate Brethren who returned to the United Kingdom after retiring from Nigeria.
In true St.George’s Lodge style, 2010-2011is a busy year, commencing with the arrival of our Brothers from spirit of St. Georges in 
the United Kingdom with their wives for the Installation of the 100th master and the Annual Communication, to the visit of the Preceptor of the Lodge of Improvement (London), to the very enlightening series of lectures presented by the 2011 Guest lecturer, WBro Timothy Hogan, which ended with a well attended Ladies Night on the 7th of May in which the Lodge raised further funds for its scholarship Fund.
Also in 2011, the Lodge organized a trip to Egypt with renowned authors Robert Bauval, Tim Hogan, Bruce Rux and Christopher Knight.
The Lodge continues to progress with the publication of its periodic Newsletter, Masonic Library, newly re-launched Website, its Annual Lecturer program featuring world renowned Masonic Scholars, various charity programs, Nigerian Scholarship Fund, Debate Program, Mentoring Program, Widows Program, and various fund raising social events.
A Past Master who visited the Lodge in 2010, WBro.David Page (Master 1979, 1984), commented on the camaraderie between the Brethren of the Lodge and said “the faces may have changed but St.George’s masonic spirit and fellowship is very much alive and well.”
Without a doubt, St.George’s today continues to be one of the most relevant and active Lodges within the District Grand Lodge of Nigeria.
St.George’s Royal Arch Chapter No.3065 is attached to St.George’s Lodge No.3065 and meets 5 times a year at St.George’s Hall, Lagos.
