Warren Lodge No. 56, A.F. & A.M.

Burleson County was established in 1846 with Caldwell as the county seat. By the late 1840s Caldwell had a population of about three hundred. Local Masons began organizing and in October 1848 nine Freemasons petitioned George M. Patrick, grand master of Texas to grant dispensation for a lodge in Caldwell. In 1849 these men met in the county courthouse as District Deputy Grand Master John Sayles installed the first officers of the new Burleson Lodge No. 59. Jesse G. Thomas, then serving as first chief justice of Burleson County, was worshipful master. During 1849 the lodge initiated at least nine apprentice Masons including M. M. Hitchcock, future sheriff; Spencer Rice, future contractor of the 1853 county courthouse; and George B. Erath, the surveyor who platted Caldwell, sponsored legislation creating Burleson County and later served in the Texas Senate. The lodge was chartered in 1850 as Warren Lodge No. 56 though the reason for the name change is unknown, local lore states that the lodge was named for Dr. Joseph Warren, a well-known Freemason of Massachusetts. The Masons built their own lodge in 1854. They leveled the cornerstone of the new courthouse in 1889 amid full Masonic ceremonies. In 1890 they established a Masonic cemetery open to the public south of town. The lodge met soon after the full moon each month until 1930, when automobiles made night travel more feasible and they began meeting the second Thursday of each month. The Masonic cemetery was deeded to a private cemetery association in 1950. Warren Lodge No. 56 continues to be active in Burleson County community service. (2000)

Warren Lodge No. 56, A.F. & A.M. is a historical marker in Caldwell, Burleson County, dedicated in 1999. It is one of 69 historical markers documented in Burleson County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 133 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 30.5309, -96.6937 near Caldwell. The nearest cataloged historic site is Caldwell National Bank (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Caldwell Volunteer Fire Department, Burleson County in World War II, and Caldwell, City of.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5051011771. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.