At the close of the Civil War in 1865, Masonic Lodges began to emerge across the Southern States. Rev. James M. Simms, a Baptist minister and free man from Savannah, Georgia, had previously moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where he became a Mason. As soon as the war ended, Rev. Simms, vested with Masonic authority as a District Deputy Grand Master, returned to Savannah and established Eureka Lodge No. 1, F. & A. M., on February 4, 1866. Later that year, in December, Hilton Lodge No. 13, F. & A. M., was formed—both lodges receiving warrants from the Prince Hall Lodge of Massachusetts. Shortly thereafter, on December 3, 1866, Banneker Lodge No. 38, F. & A. M., was established in Augusta, Georgia, under the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania.
Recognizing the need for unity, Rev. Simms convened these three lodges in Savannah, where, on June 24, 1870, he organized the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Georgia Free and Accepted Masons. He was elected the first Grand Master of the newly formed Grand Lodge. The initial 16 lodges chartered under this Grand Lodge included:
- Eureka Lodge #1 – Savannah
- Hilton Lodge #2 – Savannah
- Banneker Lodge #3 – Augusta
- Bradwell Lodge #4 – Columbus
- St. James Lodge #5 – Atlanta
- James M. Simms Lodge #6 – Darien
- St. John’s Lodge #7 – Americus
- St. Matthews Lodge #8 – Eufaula, Alabama
- Louis B. Toomer Lodge #9 – Brunswick
- Sumner Lodge #10 – Blackshear
- Zion Lodge #11 – St. Mary’s
- Mount Moriah Lodge #12 – Key West, Florida
- Phoenix Lodge #13 – Macon
- Pythagoras Lodge #14 – Savannah
- King Solomon Lodge #15 – Albany
- Mount Moriah Lodge #16 – Savannah
Over time, the Grand Lodge chartered more than 500 lodges, with membership surpassing 20,000. Although the Great Depression caused some lodges to merge and membership to decline, the jurisdiction has since recovered and is growing steadily, thriving in a spirit of peace and harmony.
The Grand Lodge was officially incorporated on July 11, 1890, as the “Most Worshipful Union Grand Lodge of the Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons for the State of Georgia.” On July 19, 1950, the charter was amended, and the name was changed to the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, Jurisdiction of Georgia. Over its 144-year history, many distinguished Grand Masters have led the Craft, guiding it through times of challenge and progress.
- James M. Simms | Savannah | 1870 -1872
- Louis B. Toomer | Savannah | 1872 -1874
- John H. Deveaux | Savannah | 1874 -1883
- Alexander Harris | Savannah | 1883 -1886
- Anthony K. Desverney | Savannah | 1886 -1888
- William E. Terry | Columbus | 1888 -1889
- John D. Campbell | Savannah | 1889 -1894
- William E. Terry | Columbus | 1894 -1901*
- Henry R. Butler, M.D. | Atlanta | 1901 -1932*
- John W. Dobbs | Atlanta | 1932 -1962*
- Xenophon L. Neal, Ph.D, D | Atlanta | 1962 -1990
- Neal McQueen | Augusta | 1990 -1995
- Benjamin P. Barksdale | Atlanta | 1995 -2000
- Willie L. Williams | Fort Valley | 2000 -2005
- Ramsey Davis, Jr. | Atlanta | 2005 – 2010
- Douglas M. Jones | Statesboro | 2010 – 2014
- Bruce A. James | Thomasville| 2014 – 2019
- Corey D. Shackleford, Sr. | Atlanta | 2019 – 2022
- Primus T. James | Atlanta | 2022 – Present
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