Richardson Masonic Lodge Blog

Take out a dollar bill and look at the back. On the left side, across from the American eagle, is the pyramid with a seeing eye above it, a symbol often linked to Freemasonry. In Masonic lore, the pyramid and eye represent God watching over humanity.

Freemasonry has long been both praised and criticized for its role in U.S. history. George Washington became a high-ranking Mason in 1753, and scholars estimate that more than twenty of the Declaration’s signers were also members. Many argue that Masonic ideals emphasizing liberty, self-rule, and limited government helped shape the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

In Europe, Masons clashed with monarchies; in America, they promoted republican virtues. Their opposition to royalty fed the revolutionary spirit against Britain, while their tense relationship with the Catholic Church fueled further controversy.

The first American lodge was founded in Boston in 1733, and the order quickly spread among colonial elites. Members pledged mutual aid and embraced Enlightenment ideals of liberty and reason. But these beliefs often put them at odds with established churches. Suspicion deepened after the 1826 William Morgan affair, when a former Mason who threatened to expose the order’s secrets disappeared, allegedly at the hands of fellow Masons. The scandal sparked a powerful backlash, producing an Anti-Masonic Party that even won electoral votes in 1832.

Critics such as John Quincy Adams and abolitionist John Brown condemned the order, calling it elitist and, at times, sympathetic to slavery. The Masons also dabbled in foreign adventurism—most notably a failed 1850 expedition to spark rebellion in Cuba.

In Texas, Freemasonry played a central role in the state’s early history. Many leaders of the Texas Revolution, including Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin, were Masons, and lodges became gathering places for civic and political debate. That tradition carried forward into the 20th century, when local lodges grew alongside expanding communities. Richardson Masonic Lodge No. 1214, chartered in 1924, has been part of that legacy, supporting education, civic projects, and charitable work in North Texas for nearly a century.

Today, Masons are still known for their symbols and rituals, but their public image leans more toward fellowship and service. Their ties to the Shriners, famous for children’s hospitals, further highlight that charitable mission. What was once a controversial and sometimes feared brotherhood has become a quieter, though still influential, part of American and Texan civic life.

– Richardson Masonic Lodge # 1214