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Fire destroys Milton Masonic Lodge

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De Darrah View Drop Down
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Joined: November/10/2007
Location: Sacramento CA
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    Posted: January/26/2016 at 12:14am
This is just over an hour from me, I've been there several times.

Cause under investigation
By Travis Taborek travis@calaverasenterprise.com

A fire Sunday destroyed the historic hall of the Keystone Lodge No. 161, Free and Accepted Masons in Milton.

Calaveras Consolidated Fire Protection District Chief Jason Robitaille reported that firefighters were dispatched to the structure on the corner of Milton Road and Flint Street at 8:41 a.m., and the fire was contained at 11:45 a.m. No one was in the building at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported. Fire officials have not yet determined what caused the fire, Robitaille said.

Dennis Huberty, a member of the Keystone Lodge since 1997, said that the building was insured and that lodge members are waiting to hear back from their insurance company before deciding whether to rebuild. Huberty said that in the meantime, other lodges in Calaveras County have reached out to them offering the use of their building.

“It’s a tragedy,” Huberty said, adding that “154 years of history is gone.”

The Keystone Lodge was instituted in Copperopolis on Dec. 19, 1862. In 1881 it was moved to its present location in Milton at the terminal of the Stockton and Copperopolis Railroad.

The Keystone Lodge was home to many irreplaceable artifacts, and was often the target of vandalism and theft, lodge members said. The most frequently stolen item was the Freemason sword used by the Masonic tyler when reciting the tyler’s oath. The most recent sword, made by B. Pasqual of San Francisco, was engraved with Christian symbolism and depictions of the Knights Templar.

Huberty said that if the lodge members decide to rebuild the building, they will do so in the Milton area.

“If we’re going to rebuild, it will be made in Milton,” Huberty said.





Edited by De Darrah - January/26/2016 at 12:15am
De
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droche View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote droche Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/08/2016 at 8:43am
For the past couple of years, it seems as though one or two lodges, if not more, are destroyed by fire. If there is one lesson to be learned, besides taking normal fire precautions, it is to have adequate insurance for the building, and physical protection for valuable and historic lodge items.

My lodge has insurance (I believe it is required by our Grand Lodge) and is presently looking into  fireproof cabinets for lodge documents, some of which go back to the 1860's. If lodge records are kept on electronic devices, there should be back-up disks or what have you kept off site. It wouldn't hurt to have annual fire inspections. Some cities and towns require this anyway, but not all.

I just cringe when I think of all of our unprotected documents, but hopefully this will rectified soon. For others, taking due notice thereof and governing yourselves accordingly would certainly be appropriate.
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