"The Masons on the Mountain" of 

Virginia City, Nevada 

Welcome you

 

Escurial Lodge # 7 is the home of Virginia City F & AM (Free & Accepted Masons) Freemasons. 

The Lodge meets the first Saturday of every month at 10 AM. 

The Lodge hosts meetings for Freemasons, their appendant bodies, and many other organizations.  

 

The Fraternity:

Freemasonry is a fraternal organization, with a membership of well over a million in the United States alone.  Freemasonry exists in many different countries and in a variety of forms.  One of the chief guiding principles of freemasonry is a shared moral center, and joining requires a declaration of a belief in a supreme being (based on your religion).

Freemasons are not allowed to ask others to join their fraternal organization.  If you are interested in becoming a part of the freemason fraternity, you must ask a Freemason to join.  (thus the saying - "To be one, ask one." or 2B1 Ask1) 

We also have a catch phrase - "Making good men better."  So, like the Marines, we are looking for a "few good men".  If you believe you are one of the "few good men" and are like-minded, we encourage you to contact us and start the process of becoming a Freemason.  

 

The Organization:

Freemasonry is organized into a series of Grand Lodges.  Each of these Grand Lodges governs a particular jurisdiction (in the US, it is by State), with the jurisdiction comprised of a number of constituent lodges.  Freemasonry also includes a number of other bodies, in essence organizations that maintain their own independence (known as appendant bodies).  

Examples of appendant bodies include "the Shriners", Royal Arch, Knights Templar, York Rite, Scottish Rite, and others.  There are also a number of youth organizations.  Every day, Freemasons and their appendant bodies contribute over $2 million to charity (about 3/4 of a Billion dollars annually).  (This does not count the charitable hours donated or other charitable acts.)

When Freemasons are asked to define their organization, they are likely to define it as a fraternity with a shared morality.  Freemasons often compare the structure and moral center of their organization to the tools and implements of the stonemason - as these are used as symbols in their teaching. 

Even though freemasonry is often referred to as a secret society, in reality this is not the case.  In fact, it is not a secret society at all, simply a men's fraternity - with some secrets.  

While certain aspects of the organization remain a closely guarded secret, the freemasons of the modern age have become less secret than their reputation would suggest. Many of the private rituals and aspects of the freemasons that remain secret are used primarily to allow members of different lodges to recognize one another so that impersonators or impostors cannot infiltrate their lodges and so that the lessons that are taught remain a special experience for new members.

 

If you are interested:

 Please feel free to contact us to learn more about the fraternity.  You can:

·         Walk in and talk to us - prior to our Saturday Morning meetings.  We have breakfast around 9 AM at the Lodge.

·         Call us at the Lodge phone number - 775-220-5051 (please leave a message if no one is there - we'll get back to you)

·         Drop us an e-mail - see the Contacts page - send to - info@escurial7.com

·         Read a bit more here and elsewhere and let us know by using one of the 3 above options to contact us

If you are one of "the Good Guys" that meet the qualifications on the "About Us" page, we would certainly be happy to have you become a member of the freemason fraternity.  

A Brief History of Escurial Lodge No. 7

Escurial 7 was one of the four original lodges on the Comstock. It was originally chartered by the California Grand Lodge as Escurial # 171, on Oct. 13,1864.  It later became Escurial # 7 under the Grand Lodge of Nevada on Jan. 18,1865 shortly after Nevada became a State.

Originally, Escurial Lodge met in the same lodge building as Virginia # 3, and the two lodges shared the same quarters for many years.

On May 19, 1875, a fire consumed much of Virginia City, including the lodge building that Escurial 7 and Virginia 3 were meeting in at the time.  This necessitated that the two lodges would meet in the Odd Fellows hall, while a new lodge was being constructed.  

On September 3, 1875, a second fire then destroyed the Odd Fellows hall, along with all the Masonic lodge records of Escurial 7 and Virginia 3.  Following this fire, the first of the "Masons on the Mountain" meetings was held on top of Mt. Davidson.  

Construction of another new lodge was under way when, on October 26, 1875, a third fire destroyed much of the Virginia City, once again, including the lodge. 

The present lodge building was constructed in 1987 through the generosity of Brother Francis N. Fisher, PM, PGM, a long time resident of Virginia City and a member of Escurial Lodge # 7.

Many of the present furnishings were salvaged from the fourth lodge building, constructed after the fires, and are still in use today.  The lodge jewels are fashioned from the silver mined from the Comstock Lode.  The upper lodge room was designed and built as a copy of the original lodge room of 1863.

Approximately 720 Master Masons have joined Escurial Lodge # 7 and signed the by-laws since it's humble beginning in 1864.

More history concerning our Lodge can be found on the "Links" page.

---

A Little More About our Lodge

A picture of Escurial Lodge No. 7 is shown below as it appears today (built in 1987).  The Lodge is located at 164 North "C" Street, Virginia City, Nevada.