St Tammany Lodge #5 AF & AM

Historical Sketch of
St. Tammany Lodge No. 5



Masonry in Hampton is traced to Scottish records, which show that on March 9, 1756, the Grand Lodge of Scotland issued a warrant for a lodge in Hampton in the colony of Virginia. Due to loss of records, it is impossible to trace the history of Hampton masonry continuously from that time. We do know that this earliest lodge became dormant but are unable to determine if there was any connection between this lodge and the one warranted by the English Grand Lodge on February 26, 1759.

Only three years elapsed from the issue of the warrant by the Grand Lodge of Scotland and the warrant by the Grand Lodge of England and it is probable, that even if there was no direct connection between these two lodges, some of the brethren of the first were members of the second.

It is under the English Warrant that the name of St. Tammany is known to have come into use. The name "Tammany" is supposed to have come from an Indian Chief of the Delaware Indians, and around this time there were many societies named for him. St. Tammany is one of two that have survived.

While almost all the written records of St. Tammany prior to 1827 are lost or destroyed, it is interesting to know that the lodge still possesses the Bible presented to the Lodge by a Captain Rogers in A.L. 5787 (1787). The spelling of the lodge name in that Bible is "Taminy" and is found in other places spelled that way. Other spellings of "Tammany" are found as "Tammend" and "St. Tammany's" to name a few. The Lodge also has a complete set of solid silver jewels which are thought to be the jewels used at, and for many years after, the inception of the Lodge.

St. Tammany was one of the original lodges of the Grand Lodge of Virginia, and during the periods of war which forced the lodge to lapse, (as well as a lapse due to other unfavorable conditions), the Grand Lodge of Virginia demonstrated its confidence in St. Tammany, and in Hampton Masons, by never assigning No. 5 to any other Lodge.

During the periods of war in 1776 thru 1781, 1812 thru 1814 and from 1861 thru 1865, much of the furniture, records, etc. fell to destruction, pillage and conflagration. However, during each of these periods, the valuable jewels mentioned above somehow fell in the hands of a mason, and though in each case, he was a member of the opposing army, the jewels were held in safety to be returned after the end of hostilities.

The Lodge officially celebrated its 200th birthday in 1959 and published at that time a Lodge history by PGM William Mosley Brown. (Much of the information here is accredited to that book). In 1969, St. Tammany laid the cornerstone and in 1970, moved into its present Masonic Temple at 1456 West Queen Street, Hampton, fulfilling the dreams and efforts of many years.

Fraternally yours ......
Lodge Historian Bro. Steve Keske