Philanthropic Lodge No. 36 was charted in 1829 and it?s charter was revoked in 1835, and this is all that is known about this Lodge until the records can be examined at Grand Lodge.

Mt. Vernon Lodge Under Dispensation, Free and Accepted Masons of the State of Indiana, was organized March 29, 1854, by virtue of the Most Worshipful Grand Master, Henry C. Lawrence's issuance on March 11, 1854, of said dispensation. When Indiana's Grand Lodge met (May 15, 1854) for their regular annual meeting, Mt. Vernon was given a Charter and becoming Mt. Vernon Lodge No. 163, F.&A.M. The first Master of the lodge was Charles Fitch (John Barter, Senior Warden and Thomas Newman, Junior Warden, holding their first lodge under the Charter on May 24, 1854).

Mt. Vernon Lodge No. 163, briefly met in the Posey County Courthouse, then moving to a building on the West side of Main near Water Street. They were an active and growing lodge which felt their lodge hall had become inadequate for their needs, and set out to build a new Masonic Hall in 1867.

The original drawing of the Masonic Hall located on Second Street hangs in the library of Beulah Lodge No. 578 F. & A. M., in Mt. Vernon, In.

Masonic Hall Building of Mt Vernon, Indiana

From the account in The Evansville Journal, dated Thursday, September 26, 1867:

"Mt. Vernon, Ind., Sept.25.-- The corner-stone of the Masonic Hall as laid at 11 A.M. today. The Charmer arrived this morning from Evansville with a large crowd, mostly Masons. There were in all about 250 visiting Masons from the adjacent towns. The procession, consisting of the Cresent City Silver Band, Masons, Eastern Star Degree, Odd Fellows, German Benevolent Society, Turners, members of the Grand Army of the Republic, Common Council, and children of the public schools, formed at the Methodist Church and marched to the site of the Hall. After prayer by Grand Chaplain Naylor and a song by the Choir, H.G. Hazelrigg, Grand Master of the State of Indiana laid the stone with imposing ceremonies.

The procession then marched to the public square, where Brother W. P. Edson delivered an appropriate and eloquent address. A sumptuous dinner was set in the Court House Square, at which 2,500 persons dined. After dinner the Lodge returned to the church and closed. The hall is to be 81 feet front by 60 deep, over 50 in height, 3 stories -- will be a very fine building. It will be the first building of the kind in the State owned by the fraternity south of Indianapolis. The Cresent City Silver Band furnished exquisite music during the whole proceeding. There will be a grand ball given by the Masons tonight."

This building was constructed at a cost of $28,000.00, by the Masonic Hall Company. They in turn gave the Masonic Lodge a Fifty Year Lease on the third floor of the building, starting from June 30, 1869 and expiring June 30, 1919. 

Note: The first Post Office was in a house built in 1818 by Jesse Y. Welborn, who was the first postmaster in Mt. Vernon. being appointed postmaster by President Monroe that same year.? The brick building was located on the southwest corner of Second and College Ave., the latter was known as Store Street. It relocated into the new Masonic Hall upon its completion.

The company went bankrupt, and the building was sold at public auction for $5,260.00. A deed from Elijah M. Spencer, assignee of Masonic Hall Company (Bankrupt) to Michael Harlem, said deed bearing the date of January 9, 1880. It was stipulated in said deed that it is subject to a lease for thirty-nine (39) years on the third story of said building, executed by said bankrupt to Lodge No. 163 F. & A. M. of Mt. Vernon, Indiana (Recorded in Deed Record No. 17, Page 540).

Mr. Harlem intended to remodel the building into a "Proper Theater". The building's name, Masonic Hall, was changed becoming known as the Mt. Vernon Opera House. A building of social activity; hosting vaudeville, dances, boxing matches. During the building's history, it was used as a meeting place for the Indiana National Guard and Mt. Vernon High School played their first basketball game on the second floor.

The Charter of Mt. Vernon Lodge No. 163 was annulled in 1889, and 24 of the Mt. Vernon brothers petition the Grand Master to organize a "New" lodge, named Beulah Lodge. The petition was granted to form said lodge Under Dispensation, dated June 24, 1889. When Grand Lodge annual meeting in May 27, 1890, granted a Charter to Beulah Lodge No. 578, F. & A. M. of the State of Indiana.

Beulah Lodge No. 578 has had three homes:

1st: June 24, 1889 to June 27, 1921

The Masonic Hall (then known as Mt. Vernon Opera House, currently the Alles Brothers Furniture Store)

2nd: July 18, 1921 to September 13, 1991

The Masonic Temple ( known as The Hovey House)

3rd: January 1,1993 to Current

The Masonic Lodge of Beulah Lodge No. 578 F.&A.M.

The Masonic Temple (The Hovey House)

Charles Leunig and his wife, Catharine on March 8, 1871, sold Lot 153 & the North half of Lot 156 on the southeast corner of 4th and Walnut facing the town square to Alvin P. Hovey, general, statesman (Minister of Peru, South America), and the only Governor of the State of Indiana from Posey County. He was also a brother Mason, raised in 1869.

Governor Hovey extensively remodeled the structure. He and his descendants lived in the family residence until his granddaughter, Juliette Menzies Von Behren, (who became sole owner of the property in September 1920), sold it to Beulah Lodge No. 578 F.&A.M. on March 17, 1921, for the consideration of Twelve Thousand Five Hundred Dollars.

Plans were started immediately for an addition to the back end of the house, and on June 14, 1922, the Corner Stone was laid for a dinning/all purpose room on the first floor, and a proper lodge room on the second. November 14, 1922, the Grand Lodge was called for the purpose of Dedicating the New Masonic Home, which ceremonies were performed in due and ancient form.

Beulah Lodge remained on the town square for seventy years. In 1989-90, two acres of land were acquired by "The Friends of Beulah Lodge" and given to the lodge for a future building site. The lodge voted to undertake the building of a new home, contingent on the selling of their present lodge. Plans were drawn and presented to the lodge. By late 1991, the "Hovey House" had been sold to the County and the new building had been erected.

It had taken the talents of many brothers and friends from Beulah Lodge, lodges in Evansville and surrounding area to make this structure the Masonic home of today. It had taken its toll on time, energy, money, and frustration set in periodically. For we built this beautiful lodge with out borrowing that first dime. Consequently it took longer then expected to get to a finishing point of dedicating the facility. Although, we did receive approval to use the lodge room on November 18, 1992, performing our first degree work on March 1, 1993.

At the dedication, November 16, 1966, the Lodge publicly thanked all those whom made our new home a reality. We simply thanked all those who gave of their energy, time, materials, talents, and/or money to make this Masonic Lodge, a home that is occupied by a productive and prosperous social brotherhood of our community.

Fraternally Submitted,

Brother David D. Belcher

The Old Timer by Pop, is a Bicentennial project of The Posey County Historical Society

Leonard's Directory of 1882

Mount Vernon Wochenblott, Friday, January 9, 1880

The Evansville Journal, Thursday, September 26, 1867

Coil's Masonic Encyclopedia by Henry Wilson Coil, 33 degree.

Secretary's Recorders of Beulah Lodge No. 578, F.&A.M.