Freemasons' Hall, 27a Gandy Street, Exeter

The Home of St John The Baptist Lodge, No. 39, nine further Craft Lodges, and eight 'side' degrees

Craft Lodge	No.	Founded
Saint George's Lodge	112	1764
Semper Fidelis Lodge	1254	1869
Northcote Lodge	2659	1897
The Davie Lodge	3721	1914
St. Thomas Lodge	4198	1920
Lopes Lodge	5526	1935
Lodge of St.Peter in Exeter	5806	1939
Excester Lodge	6228	1946
Old Helean Lodge	6797	1948

St. George’s Lodge No. 112 first suggested the idea of a Masonic Hall in Exeter in 1823 but it was not until 1841 that John Huyshe’s dream of ‘rescue’ from the inns and taverns was realised when the Exeter Lodges moved to Tuckers Hall in Fore Street and there they remained for several years. Over the next 20 or so years other Lodges in Devonshire moved to their own premises; for example St. John’s Lodge, Torquay, followed suit in 1857 and in 1866 the Lodge of Fortitude No. 105 moved into the Huyshe Masonic temple in Stoke, Plymouth. In addition, over this same period more than a dozen new Lodges were formed and the membership grew from 500 to more than 1500 in Devonshire alone.

The Worshipful Master's Chair 1769	View of the Lodge from the South West Corner	The Senior Wardens Chair 1774

In Exeter pressure to move from the shared accommodation in Tuckers Hall was sufficient that new premises in Gandy Street were acquired and dedicated by John Huyshe on St Georges’s Day 1877. The St. John the Baptist Lodge held their first meeting there three days later being quickly followed by other Exeter based lodges. Modification to the building led to the discovery of fine oak screens dating to the 14th and 15th century together with a very fine entrance.

Dining Room	The Bar

Organ In Lodge Room	Display of Jewels (Medals) in the Bar Area