From Manhattan to Astoria: The Geography of a Lodge Lineage
Follow the six lodges behind Advance Service Mizpah Lodge from Manhattan’s Grand Street through the waterfront communities and neighborhoods of Queens. This geographic history traces their meeting rooms, temples, ferry connections, and eventual convergence at the Advance temple in Astoria.
Island City Lodge No. 586 Members Directory: Charter Members and Past Members
Browse past members of Island City Lodge No. 586, chartered in Long Island City in 1866. This growing directory will include charter members and historical member profiles, tracing connections to the Astoria lodge that still carries Island City’s number.
The Island City Masonic Temple: A Building That Served a Growing Borough
Built on Jackson Avenue in Long Island City, the Island City Masonic Temple combined lodge rooms with rental space and a basement bowling alley. Explore its 1906 plans, musical and social life, and the federal court tenancy that eventually sent the lodge to Elmhurst.
Two City Halls, One Mayor: The Masonic Life of Horatio S. Sanford of Advance Lodge No. 635
In 1893, Horatio S. Sanford became mayor of Long Island City after a disputed election—and was raised a Master Mason in Advance Lodge No. 635. His story follows rival city governments, reform battles, a public library, and a later life in Oregon.
Henry Clay Johnson of Advance Lodge No. 635
Astoria postmaster, New York assemblyman, and state arbitration commissioner Henry Clay Johnson also spent thirty-eight years in Advance Lodge No. 635. Follow his public career and Masonic service to the November 1915 ceremony where he delivered the oration at the cornerstone of the lodge’s new temple.
John Allen and Advance Lodge No. 635
John Allen served as a Long Island City school commissioner, spent more than six decades in Freemasonry, and organized a benevolent lodge bearing his name. Trace his connections to Advance Lodge No. 635 and the Ancient Order of United Workmen through newspaper reports, lodge records, and Astoria’s fraternal life.
Charles Cranfield of Astoria: Painter, and Charter Member of Advance Lodge No. 635
English-born painter Charles Cranfield helped found Advance Lodge No. 635 and later served as its Master. From lodge suppers to jury selection in the Martin Thorn trial, his story offers a glimpse of Astoria’s fraternal and civic life in the nineteenth century.
Ezra Newton Dodson and Advance Lodge No. 635: The Reporter Who Watched Queens Grow
Reporter Ezra Newton Dodson chronicled a changing Queens while building ties to its Masonic community. Follow his story from Advance Lodge No. 635 in Astoria to the charter rolls of Richmond Hill Lodge.
John I. Lovell and Advance Lodge No. 635: The Mason Who Helped Build the Temple
Discover the story of John I. Lovell, a Long Island City bricklayer who helped Advance Lodge No. 635 build its own Masonic temple in Astoria. Lodge records, newspaper accounts, and a 1915 mortgage trace his role as a trustee and building committee member—and the family connection continued by his son.
The Return of the Ferry
The ferry is back in Queens, but not in the same city it once served. This article looks at what modern ferry service reveals about growth, class, commuting, and waterfront redevelopment.
Steinway: How a Piano Factory Built a Village in Queens
Steinway was more than a piano factory. It was a Queens company town of worker housing, schools, libraries, transit, and industrial innovation built around Steinway & Sons.
How Long Island City Was Created in 1870
In 1870, Astoria, Hunter’s Point, Ravenswood, Dutch Kills, Blissville, Steinway, and other communities united to create Long Island City.
Ravenswood: The Lost Estates and Industrial Shoreline of Western Queens
Ravenswood was once a wooded East River district of colonial estates and country homes. Its history runs from the Blackwell family and Hell Gate to industry and Long Island City.
Dutch Kills: The Creek, Mills, and Farms Beneath Modern Long Island City
Dutch Kills was once a tidal creek country of mills, farms, and old Newtown families. Its hidden waterway still tells the story beneath modern Long Island City.
Hunter’s Point: The Vanished Hill That Became Long Island City’s Gateway
Hunter’s Point began as a solitary hill at the mouth of Newtown Creek. Discover how Dominie’s Hook became a railroad terminal, industrial waterfront, and the gateway to Long Island City.
Island City Lodge No. 586 and the Temple That Served the City
Chartered in 1866, Island City Lodge No. 586 built a Jackson Avenue temple that the federal court eventually took over. Follow the lodge from Long Island City to Elmhurst and Astoria, where its number survives in Advance Service Mizpah Lodge No. 586.