History of Our Lodge
In 1861 a Masonic Lodge was first formed in our county, then known as “San Luis Obispo Lodge No. 148.” Brother Romualdo Pacheco, who would later serve as the 12th Governor of California, was initiated into the Lodge that year by his friend & charter member, Brother Walter Murray. Brother Murray was himself quite an accomplished gentleman, later establishing the San Luis Obispo Tribune. (Both these remarkable men were also among this area’s first judges.)
Due mainly to the devastating drought of 1863-1864 and the hardships of the frontier West little more than a decade after California became a state, that first Lodge surrendered its charter in 1865; all official records of Lodge No. 148 would later be lost in the San Francisco earthquake & fire of 1906.
The need for another Lodge in our town became clear in May 1870 when Masons converged in San Luis Obispo from distant Lodges for the funeral of Brother Alexander Murray (Walter Murray’s younger brother, both of them having emigrated from their native England). Those Masons took the necessary steps to reestablish a Masonic presence in San Luis Obispo, and the result was King David's Lodge No. 209. Our charter is dated October 13, 1870.
Other notable members of our Lodge in the last quarter of the 19th century include Robert Edgar Jack (rancher, banker, railroad executive & builder of the Jack House on Marsh Street, ca. 1880); famous sea captain James Cass (“Founding Father of Cayucos” ca. 1875, pictured above in 1914 as the third Knight from the right in the black&white photograph of local Knights Templar, top of this webpage); Louis Felix Sinsheimer (initiated in 1894 and later the long-time Mayor of San Luis Obispo, serving the city in that role from 1919 to 1939); and Frederick Adolphus Dorn (one of this county’s first District Attorneys, after having served as Master of the Lodge in 1891 & 1892 — he commissioned the massive granite pyramid that dominates the southern end of San Luis Cemetery, which pyramid — complete with engraved Masonic and other fraternal symbols - was built as a mausoleum for Dorn’s wife & infant son after they died from complications of childbirth in May 1905).
By the turn of the century, increasing population in San Luis Obispo and steady growth in our Lodge’s membership made it necessary to find larger facilities. Over time several locations were utilized, the brothers finally settling on Marsh Street for a permanent home. The Hall Association and Lodge built the present building at a total cost of $57,000. The building was dedicated on December 19, 1913. (See black&white photograph of our glorious edifice as a fitting backdrop for our ancestor Knights Templar, top of this webpage.) While it appears to be a brick&mortar structure, our edifice is not a “masonry” building but is instead of wood-frame construction, using a “rough cast” technique to give the exterior a concrete appearance.
In the early 1970s there was spirited debate about selling the present property in favor of erecting a new building at the edge of town. After much consideration, the brethren decided they loved the present building too much to ever let it go, deciding instead to retrofit it in order to comply with modern fire codes, thus preserving it for the future of Masonry in San Luis Obispo. By their wisdom, we continue to enjoy our beautiful building at 859 Marsh Street, near the downtown post office.
In the mid-1970s our Greek Revival “grand entrance” off of Marsh Street was taken down as an accommodation to Laws Hobby Shop, a commercial tenant in our building. In fact, most residents of San Luis Obispo over the next 30+ years were not even aware that a Masonic Center was continually active behind the massive awning that served as signage for the hobby shop. That sheet-metal covering stretched across the entire facing of our magnificent edifice, all but concealing the Door of Freemasonry in San Luis Obispo. The awning was repainted after the hobby shop yielded its space to two new commercial tenants around 2008 (Founders Bank and Central Coast Surfboards), and the awning was finally taken down in 2009 in favor of two smaller fabric awnings: one each over the two businesses. Finally in 2010, after active lobbying by Brothers Paige Covell (President of the Masonic Hall Association) and Robert Bettencourt (“Master” or presiding officer of the Lodge that year), the brethren voted to restore the original grandeur of 1913. Local general contractor Randy Ramsay (son of Stuart Ramsay, a long-time brother of our Lodge) did a truly outstanding job on the restoration, as shown in the color photo above. (Other photos of the restoration are found on the “Photo Gallery” page of this website.)
The Lodge continues to be involved in the affairs of the community. For example, we have taken Hawthorne Elementary School under our wing, helping financially from time to time. We also regularly recognize local fire & police departments in appreciation of their services -- usually in the spring and fall of each year. (See photos from the 2011 Firefighters Appreciation Night held on March 15, 2011 on the “Photo Gallery” page of this website.)
On January 1, 2005 Estero Lodge No. 719 in Morro Bay consolidated with King David's Lodge No. 209, such that now our Lodge also serves the Estero Bay communities of Morro Bay and Los Osos.
King David's Lodge continues to be a benefactor in the greater San Luis Obispo area, and we welcome new members who wish to help us in our work.
