Masonic College was a

higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

institution in the U.S. state of

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

that was established by

Freemasons Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

in 1844 and operated until 1857.

History

The Grand Lodge of Missouri opened the first Masonic College in

Philadelphia, Missouri Philadelphia is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in western Marion County, Missouri, United States. It is located west of Palmyra on Missouri Route 168. The community is part of the Hannibal Micropolitan Statistical Are ...

, beginning in spring of 1844. The institution was initially operated using property and facilities previously used by Marion College. However, the facilities in Philadelphia were insufficient, so the school administration soon sought a new location. In 1847, the citizens of

Lexington, Missouri Lexington is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,726 at the 2010 census. Lexington is in western Missouri, within the Kansas City metropolitan area, approximately east of Kansas C ...

subscribed $30,000 to relocate the college. On May 18, 1847, the Grand Lodge of Masons in

laid the cornerstone of the Masonic College in Lexington. The solemn ceremony was conducted by Grand Master Joseph Foster. The building was erected and dedicated on July 11, 1848. The two-story brick building was wide by deep, with a basement of hewn stone. It was built in the

Greek Revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

style with four fluted Ionic columns. A 28 x chapel was in the basement. The college was primarily for the benefit of the orphan children of deceased Masons, any children named Mason, and each member in the state was to pay a small per capita tax to support it. Facing severe financial shortfalls, the college closed in 1857. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

Battle of Lexington I, the building and grounds served as Federal headquarters for the forces under Colonel

James A. Mulligan James Adelbert Mulligan (June 30, 1830 – July 26, 1864) was Colonel (United States), colonel of the 23rd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. On February 20, 1865, the United States Senate conf ...

, who surrendered after a three-day siege, September 18–20, 1861. It was later abandoned by the

Missouri State Guard The Missouri State Guard (MSG) was a military force established by the Missouri General Assembly on May 11, 1861. While not a formation of the Confederate States Army, the Missouri State Guard fought alongside Confederate troops and, at variou ...

, and the college was used by Federal troops for the remainder of the war. Soon after the conclusion of the war, the building and grounds were transferred to the state, and a military institute was opened, but that school failed as well. In 1871, the Masons transferred ownership to

Central Female College Central Female College (also known as Marvin Female Institute and Central College for Women) was a women's college located in Lexington, Missouri. The institution was associated with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. It operated from 1869 to ...

, which later changed its name to Central College for Women. It operated from 1871 until 1925. The building burned in a fire on August 20, 1932. MasonicCollege 316

It is now the site of College Park in Lexington where, in 1934, the Grand Lodge of Missouri, Freemasons, erected a one-quarter scale replica of the original Masonic College building. The replica is surrounded by four columns, which stand at the four corners of the original structure. The columns individually commemorate the Battle of Lexington, the Central College for Women, the presidents of the college, and the students who attended the institution. The replica building, which still stands, was dedicated May 18, 1934, in a ceremony led by Grand Master Frank Clinton Barnhill.1934 Proceedings - Grand Lodge of Missouri, 1934, pp. 23-25.

Notable alumni

* Senator Thomas Benton Catron * Congressman

Stephen Benton Elkins Stephen Benton Elkins (September 26, 1841January 4, 1911) was an American industrialist and politician. He served as the Secretary of War between 1891 and 1893. He served in the United States Congress as a Delegate from the Territory of New Mexi ...

* Kansas City businessman Richard H. Keith * Missouri Governor John S. Marmaduke * St. Louis lawyer

Alonzo W. Slayback Alonzo William Slayback (July 4, 1838 – October 13, 1882) was an American Confederate military officer and a founder of the Veiled Prophet Parade and Ball in St. Louis, Missouri. He was shot and killed in self-defense by the managing editor of ...

* Montana Chief Justice William Y. Pemberton"Former Chief Justice of Montana Supreme Court Dead After Long Illness", ''The Anaconda Standard'' (August 27, 1922), p. 1, 4.

Presidents

*J. Worthington Smith, 1844–1847 *Adiel Sherwood, 1848–1849 *C.G. MacPherson, 1849–1850 *Ferdinand LaBoma Shaver, 1850–1853 *Archibald Patterson, 1853–1855 *William T. Davis, 1855–1859

References

*Chiles, Henry C. ''The Masonic College of Missouri''. The Grand Lodge A.F. & A.M. of Missouri, 1935. *Brown, Ray
List of Missouri Colleges that Closed, Merged, or Changed Names
{{Coord, 39.189867, -93.876183, display=title Buildings and structures in Marion County, Missouri Masonic buildings in Missouri Masonic educational institutions in the United States Defunct private universities and colleges in Missouri Universities and colleges established in 1844 1844 establishments in Missouri 1857 disestablishments in Missouri Educational institutions disestablished in 1857