Working with the Architect
Initial conversations with the architect about proportions, function, and how a lodge room should be built for the next 140 years.
The Building Project
Building a New Home on Hallowed Ground
In 2025, our brethren voted to sell the 1951 lodge building and construct a new home on the property of the Johnson City Masonic Cemetery — the very ground our predecessors purchased in 1892. This will be the fourth lodge building in a proud lineage.
Section One
The Decision
A lodge isn't a building. A lodge is brothers working together.
Since 1882, the brethren of Johnson City Lodge No. 561 have done that work — through three lodge buildings in succession. The first, whose stone remnants still stand. The second, which was lost to fire. The third, built in 1951 on US-290 West, where we met for seventy-four years. Buildings come and go. The lodge endures.
In 2025, after careful deliberation and consultation with our brethren, the lodge voted to sell our 1951 building and to build anew — not somewhere else, but on the very ground our predecessors purchased in 1892: the Johnson City Masonic Cemetery property. This will be the fourth lodge building in our lineage.
Architect Rendering
Conceptual architect's rendering of the new Johnson City Lodge building.
Section Two
The Vision
The new building will be designed to serve a working lodge: a proper lodge room with appropriate proportions, a fellowship hall and kitchen suited to our monthly meals, a tiler's room, a secretary's office, and storage for our regalia and historical materials. Every decision is being made with an eye toward the next 140 years of meetings, not the last.
Project timeline at a glance
- Old building sold Completed in 2025
- Design work Architect conversations underway in early 2026
- Groundbreaking Schedule to be announced
- Completion Schedule to be announced
Project updates and photos will be posted below as construction progresses.
Updates
From the Build Site
The Decision to Build
After deliberation, the brethren of 561 voted to sell the historic lodge building and construct a new home on the Masonic Cemetery property.
Section Three
How to Help
A new lodge home is not built by the brethren alone. We welcome support from members, traveling brethren, our families, and friends of the lodge — anyone who recognizes that what we are building serves not only our members but the community we have served since 1882.
Three ways to contribute:
One
The Building Fund
One-time or recurring contributions toward construction costs. Donations are processed by Zeffy — the same fee-free platform we use for dues and other gifts.
Two
Memorial Bricks & Plaques
Honor a brother, a family member, or a Mason who has gone before.
Three
Tell a Friend
If you know someone who would value being part of this work, send them this page.
For questions about the building project, contact the lodge at (210) 901-8339 or via our contact form.
Stay informed
Get construction updates by email.
Occasional notes from the build site — milestones, photos, and the rare ask. No more than one email a month.