Mizpah Lodge No. 738 Members Directory: Charter Members and Past Members
Browse founding petitioners and past members of Mizpah Lodge No. 738, chartered in Newtown in 1873. This growing directory identifies early officers, later Masters, and the architect of its Elmhurst temple, connecting their history to Advance Service Mizpah Lodge No. 586.
Francis Doughty and the Lost Colony of Mespat
In 1642, Rev. Francis Doughty obtained a vast patent at Mespat. War, dispute, and Dutch authority ended his colony—yet it shaped early Queens.
Early Newtown, Queens: From Mespat to Modern Queens
An eight-article series on early Newtown, Queens: Mespat, Middelburg, the 1656 land deal, waterfront farms, religion, revolt, and how to read Riker’s Annals today.
Middletown and the German Settlement: A Lost Rural Community in Long Island City
Middletown, later known as the German Settlement, was a rural Newtown community of farms, schools, churches, and old roads before it was absorbed into Long Island City.
Mizpah’s Watchtower in Old Newtown: The Story of Mizpah Lodge No. 738
Mizpah Lodge No. 738 began in a Newtown lawyer’s office in 1873 and grew into a gathering place for Masons across Queens. Explore its founding, its Elmhurst temple, its ties to Island City and Geba, and the consolidations that carried its name into Advance Service Mizpah Lodge No. 586.