King Solomon Masonic Lodge #41

King Solomon Masonic Lodge # 41 Cochrane was formed on December 4, 1908. Tom Wearmouth was one of the first members and he received his fifty-year pin in 1959. Through the years the Masons have been very active with their work and have many members. They also had some social functions held in banquet halls in Calgary to raise funds for their organization. In 2004, Richard “Dick”, Hugh and Walter Wearmouth all received their fifty year pins at a ceremony held at the Masonic Lodge.

The history of the Masonic Lodge building is interesting. Along with the All Saints Anglican church it was moved from the little town of Mitford, NWT to Cochrane. It was originally built as a saloon and in 1892 converted into a school by Lady Adela Cochrane. In about 1899, after Mitford closed down, it was moved to Cochrane.

The original historic part of this building is comprised of the front two-thirds of the main Lodge Hall. Many teams of horses moved the building from Mitford where it was set on land owned by the Bruce/Grayson families and used for many years as a second school for the smaller children in Cochrane.

When the new brick school opened in 1918, the little building was used as a gymnasium. In 1926 the Brick School was expanded and this building remained empty for the next three years.

Cochrane’s King Solomon Masonic Lodge# 41 was established in 1908 and met in rented space for many years. They were renting rooms in the Fisher Block when that building was destroyed by a fire on September 23, 1928.

In 1929 the Lodge purchased the old school house and lot from Mrs. Charles Grayson. The building was rotated to face east and west, anterooms and storerooms were added and windows closed off. Electricity was installed. The first Lodge meeting was held in this building on November 14, 1929.

In 1950, the Lodge Hall was extended fourteen feet to the east and a kitchen/banquet lean-to added to the north side of the building. The original wooden boards were removed and the outside covered with asphalt brick siding. Water and sewer were not installed until 1955.

In the mid l 990’s the front steps were rebuilt and a wheelchair ramp added.

The building still serves as the home of King Solomon Lodge# 44, G.R.A. and of Zenith Chapter# 85, Order of the Eastern Star. In 2005 the Cochrane Town Council designated the building as a Municipal Historic Resource.