A Cornerstone, a Dinner, and a Borough in a Hurry
Explore how lodges, civic associations, political clubs, developers, and the Queens Chamber of Commerce intersected during the borough’s rapid growth. Through Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill, and Jackson Heights, this article distinguishes shared memberships and meeting spaces from documented influence.
Second Floor, Near the Station
Discover where Queens’ lodges, councils, and clubs met—from purpose-built halls to rented rooms and shared addresses. Second Floor, Near the Station explains how to trace historic meeting places through old street names, maps, deeds, building records, and tax photographs.
Same Apron, Different Animal
A fraternal pin, apron, or badge can point to several different organizations—not all of them Masonic. Same Apron, Different Animal explains how to distinguish lodges, service clubs, benefit societies, and esoteric orders, with a practical guide to researching objects found in family collections.
In the Mother Tongue
Explore how language, migration, and ethnicity shaped the immigrant societies connected with Queens. With German-speaking New York as its leading case, In the Mother Tongue follows singing societies, benefit orders, and cultural institutions—and explains how to trace them through newspapers, cemetery records, and archives.
Raised in Queens
Explore Freemasonry in Queens through its lodges, meeting halls, rituals, and surviving records. Raised in Queens explains the three Masonic degrees, Prince Hall Freemasonry, the boundaries of membership, and how to trace Masonic connections in family and neighborhood history.
More Than a Meeting Night
Queens history includes more than bridges, railroads, and housing developments. Discover why lodges, fraternities, and service clubs belong in the borough’s story—and how halls, benefit records, funeral notices, and membership papers can reveal their roles in neighborhood life.
The Lodges That Built Queens
Explore the lodges, fraternities, benefit societies, and service clubs that helped shape Queens. This introduction to The Lodges That Built Queens explains their differences, their boundaries of belonging, and how to trace them through buildings, family papers, and local records.