Freemasonry is the world's oldest and largest fraternity. Once described as "a beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory, and illustrated by symbols," Freemasonry is now generally defined as "an organized fraternity of men symbolically applying the principles of Operative Masonry and Architecture to the Science and Art of Character Building."

The fraternity is comprised of men of good character from every country, religion, race, age, income, education, and opinion. Its body of knowledge and system of ethics is based on the belief that each man has a responsibility to improve himself while being devoted to his family, faith, country, and fraternity.

The fraternity enhances and strengthens the character of the individual man by “Making Good Men Better,” providing opportunities for fellowship, charity, education, and leadership based on the three ancient Masonic tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.

Prince Hall, one of Boston's most prominent citizens during the revolutionary period, was the founder of the African Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Boston, the world's first lodge of black Freemasons and the first African-American society in American History devoted to social, political, and economic improvement. As such, Prince Hall is recognized as the Father of Black Freemasonry in the United States.

On March 6, 1775, Prince Hall and fourteen other men of color were initiated into Lodge No. 441, an Irish Military Lodge garrisoned at Castle William Boston Harbor (now known as Fort Independence) by Sergeant John Batt, Master of the Lodge. When the British Army left Boston in 1776, Lodge No. 441 issued Prince Hall and his brethren a special dispensation to meet as African Lodge No. 1. This dispensation allowed for African Lodge No. 1 to march in procession on St. John's Day, and to bury their dead in form. However, they could not confer degrees nor perform any other Masonic "work." For nine years these brethren, together with others who had received their degrees elsewhere, assembled and enjoyed their limited privileges as Masons and as of January 14th, 1779, thirty-three Masons were listed on the rolls of African Lodge No. 1.

After the Revolutionary War ended, American Freemasonry was in organizational turmoil. Because most of the lodges in America had been authorized by English, Irish, or Scottish Grand Lodge Charters, the new states created their own Grand Lodges to administer the lodges within their borders. As such, Prince Hall and African Lodge No. 1 sought a charter from the newly formed Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, but they were denied. This was due to the climate of society at that time and although Freemasonry’s goals of equality are lofty, the white American Masons of the period would not rise above the prejudices of their place and time, and they shunned Hall’s requests. Frustrated, but not discouraged, on March 2, 1784, Prince Hall petitioned the Grand Lodge of England for a charter, through a Worshipful Master of a subordinate Lodge in London (William Moody of Brotherly Love Lodge No. 55). In turn, the charter was granted on September 29, 1784; however, it took three years to arrive in Boston. Once received on May 6, 1787, African Lodge No. 1 officially became African Lodge No. 459 of the Grand Lodge of England. This was pivotal in our history as the Charter to African Lodge No. 459 is the most significant and highly prized document of the Prince Hall Mason Fraternity. Through it our Masonic legitimacy is documented, traced, and verified.

Prince Hall was called from labor on December 4, 1807.

Prince Hall Affiliated (PHA) is the designation given to the predominately African-American branch of Freemasonry descendant from African Lodge No. 1, officially chartered by the United Grand Lodge of England as African Lodge No. 459 on September 29, 1784. Today, the Prince Hall Affiliated Masonic Fraternity has over 4,500 lodges worldwide, forming 49 independent jurisdictions, consisting of nearly 400,000 Masons.

One of the ancient landmarks of the fraternity is that it does not solicit new members. A man must seek Masonic membership of his own free will and accord. To become a Mason you need only “ask”, meet the qualifications, and be accepted by the Lodge of which you are petitioning.

The qualifications to join a lodge vary from one jurisdiction to another, but some basic qualifications are common to all regular Masonic lodges:

• Belief in a Supreme Being that promotes peace, love, and harmony towards all mankind
• Seek Masonic membership of your own free will and accord
• Be a man
• Be free-born*
• Be of lawful age (18 years of age in Maryland)
• Be well recommended by at least two existing Freemasons from the lodge you’re petitioning

* The term “free-born” is a holdover from the days when slavery, indentured servitude, and bonding were common. It means that a man must be his own master, and not be bound to another man. This is not a present-day issue, but the language is retained because of its antiquity and a desire to retain the heritage of the fraternity.

If you are interested in learning more about our fraternity, or inquiring about petitioning the fraternity through Charles H. Wesley Lodge No. 147, email us at info@chwesley147.org.

Charles H. Wesley Lodge No. 147 meets for regular communication on every 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month at 7:30 PM.

Yes. Prince Hall Freemasonry has exerted a strong influence within the black community throughout history. The list of famous Prince Hall Masons is a long one, and includes the following men listed below amongst many others.

• Bro. Garrett A. Morgan, Sr. - Inventor of the Traffic Light
• Bro. Richard Allen - Founder of the A.M.E. Church
• Bro. Marion Barry - Former Mayor of Washington, DC
• Bro. William "Count" Basie - Orchestra Leader/Composer
• Bro. Nathaniel "Nat King" Cole - Singer
• Bro. Ossie Davis - Actor/Director/Playwright
• Bro. W.E.B. DuBois - Educator/Author/Historian
• Bro. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington - Orchestra Leader/Composer
• Bro. Medgar Wiley Evers - Civil Rights Leader
• Bro. Alex Haley - Author
• Bro. William C. Handy - Composer
• Bro. Matthew Henson - Explorer
• Bro. Benjamin L. Hooks - Former Executive Director of the NAACP
• Bro. Jesse Jackson - Founder of the Rainbow Coalition and Operation Push
• Bro. Maynard Jackson - First Black Mayor of Atlanta
• Bro. John H. Johnson - Publisher of Ebony and Jet Magazines
• Bro. Jack Johnson - First Black heavyweight Boxing Champion in the US
• Bro. Absalom Jones - First Black Priest in the Episcopal Church in the US
• Bro. Don King - Boxing Promotor
• Bro. Thurgood Marshall - First Black US Supreme Court Justice
• Bro. Benjamin E. Mays - Educator and Former President of Morehouse College
• Bro. Kweisi Mfume - Executive Director of the NAACP
• Bro. Shaquille O'Neal - Hall of Fame NBA Basketball Player
• Bro. Scottie Pippen - Hall of Fame NBA Basketball Player
• Bro. Richard Pryor - Comedian/Actor
• Bro. Alexander Pushkin - Poet/Novelist/Playwright
• Bro. A. Philip Randolph - Founder of the International Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters
• Bro. Charles Rangel - US Congressman
• Bro. "Sugar" Ray Robinson - Former Boxing Champion
• Bro. Rev. Al Sharpton - Civil Rights Advocate
• Bro. Booker T. Washington - Educator and Founder of the Tuskegee University/Institute
• Bro. Bert Williams - Actor/Comedian
• Bro. Andrew Young - Former Mayor of Atlanta and UN Ambassador
• Bro. Lawrence Douglass Wilder - First Black Governor of Virginia.
• Bro Dr. Charles H. Wesley – Renowned Historian/Educator/Minister/Author