A Brief History of Stokesdale Lodge

Stokesdale Lodge No. 428 A. F. & A. M. of North Carolina was chartered on January 16, 1890. At the time the lodge was chartered, Most Worshipful Samuel H. Smith was Grand Master and Right Worshipful Donald W. Bain was Grand Secretary.

Worshipful Brother Pinkney G. W. Walker was the first Master of Stokesdale Lodge No. 428. Brother John R. Dwiggins served as Senior Warden and Brother Jacob M. Fields was Junior Warden.

The lodge hall was destroyed by fire on May 13, 1910 and with it most of the lodge records; therefore, we have no minutes of lodge meetings from January 16, 1890 until June 18, 1910.

The lodge moved to the Junior Hall located at the corner of Loyola and Stokesdale streets on October 4, 1910. The lodge moved again to its present location at 8420 Ellisboro Road on September 2, 1952.

Since its founding, four of our brethren have held a special significance to Stokesdale Lodge No. 428:

• Worshipful Brother J. R. Dwiggins, who served as Master 17 times from 1890 to 1908

• Worshipful Brother P. P. Simpson, who served as Master 13 times from 1926 to 1951

• Most Worshipful Brother W. H. Simpson, who served as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. M. of North Carolina in 1996

• Most Worshipful Brother P. S. Bradshaw, who served as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. M. of North Carolina in 2020