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FOUNDING of CROOK LODGE

The lodge was formed mainly by members of Wear Valley Lodge No 1121. In 1884, Bro.John Ostle who was Master of  Wear Valley Lodge and schoolmaster at Helmington Row School, expressed a desire to form a lodge at Crook.

The lodge was to be called Crook Lodge which was the first,of the twenty nine lodges in the Province of Durham to be named after the town in which it was to meet.

The lodge was consecrated at Crook, in the Mechanics Hall on the 5th March 1884. The first year of a lodge is very important for its prosperity.The master and brethren certainly put in some work in this first year, apart from the twelve regular meetings the lodge it also held ten emergency meetings. These meetings were to initiate brethren and accept joining members.

In the five months between the consecration in March and the end of July, fourteen lodge meetings were held.

The Lodge met in upstairs rooms in Queen Street which proved to be very inadequate, having no electric light and lit only by a single candelabrum with naked gas jets.

It had no cooking facilities or dining area. Indeed in the first two years of the lodge only two banquets were held and as the lodge room had to be used to accommodate the festive board no lodge work could be carried out.

In 1888 new premises were found in Church Street and meetings have been held there ever since.

The house and shop conversion costs were £160. During the ensuing years many alterations were made, Iron railings to the front to protect the stonework which still exist today and are a distinguishing feature of the Lodge entrance and a cupboard under the stairs to house a barrel of whisky. Sadly no longer there.

          First 100 years of Masters

As the membership grew it was apparent that the premises would have to be enlarged.

In 1913 plans were drawn up and a building fund started but it was 20 years and many schemes before the new temple and present dining hall were built.

Over the years the lodge has met in other temporary premises, during the Second World War the building was requisitioned by the Army so the lodge had to meet at the Presbyterian School Rooms.

Two installations were held at Willington Masonic Hall and the 60th celebrations held at Wear Valley Masonic Hall, Bishop Auckland.

Crook Lodge has been instrumental in the founding of several lodges in the area  Constance in 1886,  Hudson in 1900,  Tow Law in 1909,  Willington in 1920,  St Catherines in 1933 and recently Odyssey in 2001.