By Brete Murphy · November 11, 2026
A working index of historical members associated with Francis Lewis Lodge No. 273, its four constituent lodge histories and the earlier Atwood connection. The directory records founding roles, documented offices, biographical notes and related articles, with unresolved identities and affiliations clearly marked.
Francis Lewis: Lineage Essay · The College Point Temple · The Seven Lodges
Scope of the Directory
This is a growing research index, not a complete membership roll.
Francis Lewis brings together four constituent lodge histories:
- Metropolitan.
- Whitestone.
- Bayside.
- Brandeis.
Atwood appears separately because members who departed from it formed Metropolitan.
That founding connection does not make Atwood an additional lodge absorbed through the later consolidation sequence.
The directory distinguishes:
- Antecedent affiliations.
- Founders and first officers.
- Verified charter membership.
- Later membership and office.
- Life dates and dated activity.
- Original lodge affiliations and membership documented only in a combined body.
Living members are not included.
The Lineage at a Glance
| Institution | Number | Original setting | Beginning identified in the supplied research | Relationship to the continuing line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atwood | 208 | Manhattan | Entered the Grand Lodge at the December 27, 1850 union; warrant dated March 4, 1851 | Antecedent: departing members formed Metropolitan; the No. 208 warrant continued separately as Cyrus |
| Metropolitan | 273 | Manhattan | Charter, December 9, 1852 | Metropolitan-Whitestone, December 21, 1972 |
| Whitestone | 973 | Whitestone | Institution, July 12, 1920; charter, May 4, 1921; constitution, May 26, 1921 | Metropolitan-Whitestone, December 21, 1972 |
| Bayside | 999 | Bayside | Charter, May 3, 1922 | Francis Lewis, August 14, 1986 |
| Brandeis | 1165 | Floral Park | Charter, May 6, 1969 | Francis Lewis, September 22, 2015 |
Metropolitan-Whitestone and Bayside combined as Francis Lewis No. 273 on August 14, 1986.
Brandeis joined in 2015.
Francis Lewis now meets at College Point.[1]
Read The Number That Traveled East: Francis Lewis’s Lineage →
Atwood Lodge No. 208: An Antecedent
The supplied institutional history identifies Atwood with Henry C. Atwood and the St. John’s Grand Lodge.
Atwood Lodge entered the Grand Lodge of New York at the union of December 27, 1850, and received a warrant dated March 4, 1851.
Its meeting-place reference was Crosby and Broome Streets in Manhattan.[2]
In 1852, members divided.
The departing group included officers who subsequently led Metropolitan.
The No. 208 warrant continued separately under the name Cyrus.
Atwood is therefore included here to explain individual connections with Metropolitan’s formation, not as an absorbed constituent of Francis Lewis.
Officers Named in the 1851 Warrant
The warrant officers are not assumed to constitute the complete membership roster.
| Name | Role in the supplied record | Dated reference | Research note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles G. Waterbury | Master | 1851–1852 | Identified as remaining with Atwood after the division |
| Charles F. Newton | Senior Warden | 1851 | Subsequently identified as Metropolitan’s first Master |
| Albert G. Bagley | Junior Warden | 1851 | Identified as a gold-pen maker; subsequently Metropolitan’s first senior warden |
These individuals should receive separate life records and source citations as the directory develops.
Metropolitan Lodge No. 273
Metropolitan received its charter on December 9, 1852.
Its organizing group included men who had departed from Atwood.
The research identifies Manhattan meeting places including Odd Fellows’ Hall near Grand and Centre Streets, Broadway premises, a Fourteenth Street hall and Masonic Hall on West 23rd Street.[3]
It combined with Whitestone on December 21, 1972.
First Officers and Charter-Membership References
| Name | Connection identified in the supplied research | Dated reference | Research note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles F. Newton | First Master | 1852 | Earlier identified as Atwood’s senior warden |
| Albert G. Bagley | First senior warden | 1852 | Earlier identified as Atwood’s junior warden |
| Daniel W. Harrington | Identified as a charter member | Burial reference, 1879 | Full life dates and the membership source should be attached |
The first-officer list is not a complete verified charter roster.
Later Officers and Members
| Name | Documented connection | Life or activity reference | Biographical or research note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Col. John H. Waterhouse | Member | Died July 1879 | newspaper research identifies him as a broker and Eleventh Regiment commander, with service connected to the 1849 Astor Place riot |
| William Fowler | Elected Master | December 1874 | The election date should be distinguished from the ensuing term |
| Benjamin E. Haskin | Master | 1879 | Individual life and office records to be completed |
| Henry Comstock | Master | 1890s; public-installation reference in 1896 | Exact term dates remain to be entered |
| Wallace I. Ellis | Identified as a Past Master and district deputy | 1950 reference | New Rochelle connection; district office identified as the Third Manhattan District |
Dated references to residence or office do not substitute for life dates.
Whitestone Lodge No. 973
The chronology places Whitestone’s institution under dispensation in the village Odd Fellows’ Hall on July 12, 1920.
Thomas J. Towers and Edward J. Smith are identified with the occasion.
The charter followed on May 4, 1921, and constitution on May 26 in the Columbia Club gymnasium.[4]
Newspaper research dates the temple dedication to February 27, 1922.
Henry C. Buncke’s assistance to Whitestone is recorded in the historian’s research notes and remains a subject for contemporary corroboration.
Whitestone combined with Metropolitan in 1972.
First Officers Identified in the Research
These entries are not presented as a complete charter roster.
| Name | Role identified in the supplied account | Dated reference | Biographical or research note |
|---|---|---|---|
| James C. Dick | First Master | 1921–1922 | North Eighth Avenue connection; also identified as first Patron of Cygnus Chapter No. 660, O.E.S. |
| Herman Meyer | Senior Warden | 1921 | A variant reading gives “Moser”; original records should settle the name |
| Harry J. Latterman | Junior Warden | 1921 | Individual source file to be completed |
| Jake Kamil | Treasurer | 1921 | Name retained as found; full identity to be checked |
| Paul A. Gallo | Secretary | 1921 | Individual source file to be completed |
Later Officers and Members
| Name | Documented connection | Dated reference | Research note |
|---|---|---|---|
| John W. Clancy | Master | 1929 | Identified in coverage associated with the Queens Masonic Association’s charity ball |
Read Thomas J. Towers and the Queens Masonic Association →
Read Edward J. Smith: Mr. Mason of Queens →
Read The College Point Temple: The Buncke and Whitestone Connection →
Bayside Lodge No. 999
Bayside’s early proceedings took place in Cornucopia’s Flushing temple.
The contemporary description of Cornucopia as the new lodge’s “daddy” expresses a relationship, not a shared charter.
Bayside received its own charter on May 3, 1922.[5]
Its Bell and Lamartine Avenues temple had its cornerstone laid on Memorial Day in 1923.
Newspaper esearch identifies member Herbert O. Wiegand as its architect.
The building’s later community use, sale and occupancy sequence require their own dated records.
Bayside combined with Metropolitan-Whitestone as Francis Lewis in 1986.
First Officers Identified in the Research
The officer list should be checked separately from the final charter roster.
| Name | Role identified in the supplied account | Dated reference | Biographical or research note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Wayman Jr. | First Master | 1922–1923 | Identified with the 1923 cornerstone parade |
| Arvine C. Leach | Senior Warden | 1922 | Individual source file to be completed |
| Fred C. Pearson | Junior Warden | 1922 | Name retained as supplied; full identity to be checked |
| William C. Smart | Treasurer | Early officer reference; died 1934 | Identified as assistant superintendent of mails at Grand Central |
| Harry L. Dayton | Secretary | 1922 | Individual source file to be completed |
Later Officers and Members
| Name | Documented connection | Life or activity reference | Biographical or research note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herbert O. Wiegand | Member and architect of the Bayside temple | 1923 building project | Do not merge with similarly named individuals in other lodge histories without evidence |
| Frederick W. Buhrman | Member | Died 1930 | Sand-and-gravel business connection; supplied research records a $500 bequest to the lodge |
| Walter S. Dayton | Identified as a Past Master | Died 1980 | Legion post commander and president of a state real-estate-board association in the newspaper research; exact titles and terms should follow the original sources |
| Victor T. Ehre | Identified as a Past Master and former district deputy | Dates not yet entered | Later identified as president of the Buffalo Insurance Company; office chronology and life record remain to be completed |
Read Cornucopia: One Charter, Many Connections →
Read The Tuesday Night Visitors →
Brandeis Lodge No. 1165
Brandeis received its charter on May 6, 1969, at Floral Park.
It is the latest constituent charter identified within the seven-lodge set examined in this series.
That is a statement about this constituent group, not every lodge formed in Queens or Nassau.
Brandeis joined Francis Lewis on September 22, 2015.[1]
Charter Roster Research
| Research item | Period | Current position |
|---|---|---|
| Founders and charter membership | 1969 | Names awaiting transcription and verification |
| First officers | 1969 | Officer list not yet entered |
| Later members | Before the 2015 consolidation | Individual entries not yet entered |
These are directory gaps, not evidence that the records cannot be recovered.
Members Documented in Combined Lodges
No separate entries have yet been supplied for this section.
Future names may be grouped under:
- Metropolitan-Whitestone No. 273.
- Francis Lewis No. 273.
Articles About This Line
- The Number That Traveled East: Francis Lewis’s Lineage
- Where the Lines Meet: The College Point Temple
- The Tuesday Night Visitors: Cornucopia and Anchor
- Cornucopia: One Charter, Many Connections
- Thomas J. Towers and the Queens Masonic Association
- Edward J. Smith: Mr. Mason of Queens
The seven parts of “The 273 Line,” the Whitestone and Bayside building articles and the Buncke feature should be linked when their exact publication paths are confirmed.
Source Notes
1. Lineage and Consolidations
Grand Lodge of New York records as compiled by Brete Murphy.
The author’s “273 Line,” Part 1, and revised Francis Lewis lineage essay.
Supports the constituent structure and consolidation dates.
The September 2025 College Point arrival follows the author’s November 2026 account.
Atwood is treated as an antecedent, not an additional absorbed constituent.
2. Atwood
The author’s “273 Line,” Part 2.
The supplied research draws on Grand Lodge history, including the No. 208 / Cyrus account.
The warrant officers and the departing members’ later roles should retain their precise record references.
3. Metropolitan
The author’s “273 Line,” Part 3, and underlying meeting notices, officer lists and obituary research.
The address references do not establish an uninterrupted occupancy chronology.
Individual newspaper titles, dates and pages should be attached to each member entry.
4. Whitestone
The author’s “273 Line,” Part 4, and underlying 1920–1922 newspaper research.
Buncke’s assistance follows the historian’s research notes and still requires contemporary corroboration.
The variant Meyer / Moser reading remains to be resolved from the original record.
5. Bayside
The author’s “273 Line,” Part 5, and Bayside temple research.
The first-officer list is distinguished from a complete charter roster.
Biographical claims and bequests should retain their individual obituary or probate references.
6. Brandeis
Grand Lodge records as compiled by Brete Murphy.
The charter and consolidation dates are supplied; the founding roster and early history remain incomplete.
7. Directory Status
This is a working research index.
Several entries require complete life dates, original citations or identity checks.
No claim of a complete deceased-members roster is made.
Direct clipping and individual article URLs were not supplied with the manuscript.
Francis Lewis: Lineage Essay · The College Point Temple · Cornucopia’s Connections
The Seven Lodges: Complete Series Guide · Connecting Stories · Queens History Blog
