Travis Lodge No. 117, A. F. & A. M.

Founded in 1852, only six years after Sherman was designated the county seat, this Masonic Lodge is one of the oldest continuing institutions in the community. Local Attorney Burrell Smith and fifteen other Masonic brothers petitioned for a dispensation to organize a Masonic Lodge in Sherman on February 10, 1852. On August 28, 1852, Travis Lodge No. 117 was organized and officers were installed. Over the course of its history, the lodge has shared facilities with a Union church, other lodges, and several businesses in commercial buildings. A major fire destroyed most of the business section of Sherman on October 30, 1875, and lodge records, furniture, and equipment were lost in the blaze. A duplicate charter was issued June 10, 1876. The lodge built a classical revival style temple on the northeast corner of Lamar and Walnut streets in 1924. It remained the lodge headquarters until 1985, and was designated a recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1988. Through the years Travis Lodge members have been prominent community leaders and the lodge has supported various Masonic charitable endeavors such as hospitals, orphanages, and retirement homes.

Travis Lodge No. 117, A. F. & A. M. is a historical marker in Sherman, Grayson County, dedicated in 1991. It is one of 144 historical markers documented in Grayson County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 208 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 33.6638, -96.6167 near Sherman. The nearest cataloged historic site is Birge, Capt. Noble Allan, House (historic place), about 1.3 miles away. Others within a short drive include Birge, N.A., Douglas, Fred, and Old Settlers Association of Grayson County.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5181011544. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.