Decatur, Wise County
In 1895, members of the fraternal organization, the Freemasons, petitioned the most worshipful Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas to establish a Masonic Lodge in their community. The lodge was chartered on December 4, 1895, and found its home on the second floor of the wood building at 147 Main Street. A bank initially occupied the first floor as evidenced by the intact vault still on the property. The lodge was accessed by an exterior wooden staircase, which was replaced by a metal one, but the original wooden walls and ceiling remain. The building survived two devastating town fires and a cyclone in 1909. RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK – 2016