For Researchers: Sources on Mizpah Lodge No. 738

• Link back to MIzpah Lodge Article

This page gathers the principal source material used in preparing our article on Mizpah Lodge No. 738, founded in Newtown in 1873 and later central to Masonic life in Elmhurst. It is intended for lodge historians, local researchers, family historians, and anyone interested in Queens fraternal history.

Research Focus

This source cluster centers on: the founding of Mizpah Lodge No. 738 in Newtown, early lodge quarters on Broadway, the relationship between Mizpah and Island City Lodge No. 586, the construction and use of Mizpah Temple in Elmhurst, the lodge’s educational role in district ritual instruction, and its place in the consolidation lineage leading to Advance Service Mizpah Lodge No. 586.

Core Source

“Mizpah Lodge No. 738 historical summary.”
Pasted text file provided in lodge research materials.

Why it matters:
This is the base narrative source for the article. It preserves the chronology of Mizpah’s founding, named officers, early meeting places, presentation of the Bible, Square, and Compasses from Island City Lodge, membership growth, temple planning and dedication, instructional work, and later consolidation context.

Key topics covered: Petition and dispensation, February 1873 First officers: Garret J. Garretson, S. Fisk Worthington, Samuel Douglass First meeting in Garretson’s law office Jebbens Building rooms on Broadway Gift from Island City Lodge No. 586 Charter of June 27, 1873 Growth through the late nineteenth century Twenty-fifth anniversary in 1898 Move to Arcanum Hall in 1905 Temple site purchase in 1916 Cornerstone laid January 1, 1920 Dedication of Mizpah Temple, March 17, 1921 Masonic School of Instruction from 1928 Assistant Grand Lecturers from the lodge Consolidation with Island City, Advance, and Service City Geba

Supplementary Source

AstoriaMasons.org.
Lodge lineage and consolidation materials. Accessed

Why:
Useful for confirming the merger sequence from Mizpah Lodge No. 738 into Island City Mizpah Lodge No. 586, then Advance Island City Mizpah Lodge No. 586, and finally Advance Service Mizpah Lodge No. 586.

Best use: present lodge lineage merger dates continuity language for current institutional identity

Research Notes

On the term “Mizpah”:
The article uses “watchtower” as the primary meaning, following standard biblical and fraternal usage. If you plan a more formal scholarly version, you may wish to add a Bible dictionary or biblical encyclopedia citation.

On Newtown and Elmhurst:
The article treats Newtown as the historical village context and Elmhurst as the later neighborhood identity that emerged as Queens urbanized. If desired, this can be strengthened with a local history of Newtown/Elmhurst or municipal consolidation source.

On temple construction:
The present source provides dates and key milestones. A future expanded version could benefit from building permit records, local newspaper reporting, tax maps, or photographs of Mizpah Temple.

On Masonic instruction:
The temple’s educational role is one of the strongest interpretive themes in the article and deserves future elaboration through district proceedings, ritual manuals, or Grand Lodge annual reports if available.

Footnotes for MIzpah Article:

1. “Mizpah Lodge No. 738 historical summary,” pasted text file provided by lodge research materials, accessed from internal compilation source.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.; see also general biblical usage of “Mizpah” as “watchtower” if you later wish to add a dictionary or biblical reference source.
8. “Mizpah Lodge No. 738 historical summary.”
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
16. Ibid.
17. Ibid.
18. Ibid.
19. Ibid.
20. Ibid.
21. AstoriaMasons.org, lodge lineage and consolidation materials, accessed [insert date], if used to supplement.
22. “Mizpah Lodge No. 738 historical summary.”
23. Ibid.
24. Ibid.
25. Ibid.
26. Ibid.
27. Ibid.
28. Ibid.
29. Ibid.
30. Ibid.
31. Ibid.
32. Ibid.
33. Ibid.
34. Ibid.
35. Ibid.
36. Ibid.
37. Ibid.
38. Ibid.
39. Ibid.
40. Ibid.
41. Ibid.
42. Ibid.
43. Ibid.
44. Ibid.
45. Ibid.
46. Ibid.
47. Ibid.
48. Ibid.
49. Ibid.
50. Ibid.
51. Ibid.
52. Ibid.
53. Ibid.
54. Ibid.
55. Ibid.
56. Ibid.
57. Ibid.
58. Ibid.
59. Ibid.
60. Ibid.
61. Ibid.
62. Ibid.
63. Ibid.
64. Ibid.
65. Ibid.
66. Ibid.
67. Ibid.
68. Ibid.
69. Ibid.
70. Ibid.
71. Ibid.
72. Ibid.
73. AstoriaMasons.org, lodge lineage and consolidation materials, accessed [insert date], if used to supplement.
74. “Mizpah Lodge No. 738 historical summary.”
75. AstoriaMasons.org, lodge lineage and consolidation materials, accessed [insert date].
76. Ibid.
77. Ibid.
78. Ibid.
79. “Mizpah Lodge No. 738 historical summary”; AstoriaMasons.org, lodge lineage materials.
80. “Mizpah Lodge No. 738 historical summary.”
81. Ibid.
82. Ibid.
83. Ibid.
84. Ibid.
85. AstoriaMasons.org, lodge lineage and consolidation materials, accessed [insert date], if used for present-day continuity language.