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Having served a year of apprenticeship during which time the lodge demonstrated its ability to continue its individuality,
Hendrick Hudson Lodge #875 F. & A. M. was duly constituted, dedicated and consecrated on June 28, 1910 by the District Deputy Grand Master of the 14th Masonic District, John M. Janes, representing the Grand
Master.
The original meetings were held in the Christ Church rectory and were later moved to the I. O. O. F.
Lodge rooms where the meetings were held through 1922.
It that year the Masons rented quarters in the Aucock Building on the corner of Broadway and East Market Street where meetings were held continuously until February 27, 1963, the year the Lodge moved into its own building at 9 Graves Street in Red Hook.
The initial movement in the establishment of a building fund was started in 1928 under the mastership
of Frank B. Naylor when it was decided to place $500 in a special fund for the future construction of a Temple. Subsequently this fund was transferred to the Hendrick Hudson Association Incorporated which is
charged with the responsibility of administrating the fund and property acquired for the use of the lodge. This fund increased rapidly at first by individual contributions from the members. There also
were dramatic and social activities sponsored by the lodge through most of the 1930's which augmented the continuing individual gifts.
There was an added flurry of activity during the mastership of Paul C. Fromer during the 1939-40-41
when purchase and renovation of the old Red Hook High School was considered but the time appeared to be not ripe for this important step.
This Fund continued to grow slowly but steadily until 1961 when agitation developed to accept a parcel of land owned by O. T. Cookingham or another owned by Mr. and Mrs. S. R. Anderson gave added impetus to the desire for a Masonic Temple. Under the Mastership of Miner S. Treat in 1961, Ellroy C. Hand in 1962 and Frank B. Martin in 1963 plans and arrangements were formulated for this important undertaking.
The Lodge subsequently accepted the offer of Mr. and Mrs. Anderson of these grounds in memory of her
grandfather Jacob Whiteman Elsiffer and in September 1962 broke ground for this Masonic Temple. Construction was accomplished by contract with an outside contractor for the erection of the shell and completion
of the lodge room with the finishing of the remaining interior areas completed by the voluntary labor of many local brothers.
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