Our Berkshire Lodge was instituted on the 4th day of November in 1857.

The Charter Members, seven in number, and guided by Brother Daniel Upton who became Berkshire Lodge’s first Worshipful Master, soon became well known, loved and respected in Masonic affairs.

Worshipful Brother Daniel Upton later became Junior Grand Warden of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge at Boston. To this date he is the only member of Berkshire Lodge to become a Grand Lodge Officer. With the exception of District Deputy Grand Masters, of course. He was also responsible for the forming of Corinthian Chapter of Royal Arch Masons in Adams, which was instituted on November 6, 1866, and became that Chapter’s first High Priest.

At the request of several Northern Berkshire Master Masons, who realized his abilities as a leader of men, he was persuaded to lay to ground work and the final plans which successfully led to the forming of St. Paul Commandry at North Adams, Massachusetts, and remained at its head for many years.

Berkshire Lodge was instituted in a building on Park Street. known at that time as the Lapham Block. It is located immediately south of the Congregational Church. These quarters were later occupied by the W.D. Parsons Photographic Studio and even later known as the Gus Smith Studio. Berkshire Lodge continued its activities at this location until October, 1869; at which time the members took new quarters in the Collins Block on Center Street over the First National Bank, having the Lodge Room on the top floor, with other rooms below.

Berkshire Lodge has lived thru the Civil War, during which time Lodge activities came almost to a halt because these loyal Americans laid aside the Square and Compasses to don military uniforms; and two conflicts which engulfed most of the civilized world, and has managed to survive the co-related depressions caused by these disturbances of human behavior.

In the long past Berkshire Lodge has been honored with the presence of Grand Lodge Officers on five different occasions, namely, on the day of our Lodge Institution, on the occasion of our 50th Anniversary Celebration, at the dedication of the Masonic Rooms in the Collins Block in 1916, at our Centennial Anniversary, at our Dedication Ceremony of our present day building in 1968, and now at this grand and glorious occasion as we celebrate our One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary.

Now to repeat the words of our first historian, let us say:

We trust that every year of its duration will impress upon the hearts and minds of our fellow citizens here in Adams the importance and worth of the great principles for which our order stands, and also that our people may be brought to feel that their Town is better Town for the existence of such a Fraternity, and that they may welcome with rejoicing, the new home of Berkshire Lodge, should the rolling years bring us to another half-century milestone in our history. None can say what time may have in store for us, whether bane or blessing, but of this we can rest assured that, ‘Behind the dim unknown standoff’ God within the shadow keeping watch above His own!’

Since November 11, 1907, when our brethren celebrated the 57 Anniversary, many changes have taken place in the world around us, some good, and some bad. Berkshire Lodge has experienced both. A major disaster occurred on April 7, 1915. when the Masonic Apartments were completely destroyed by fire, and for nine months it was necessary for our brethren to meet at the Odd Fellows’ Hall on Park Street.

The Worshipful Master of Berkshire Lodge, J.K. Ferguson, appointed a committee headed by Worshipful Brother S. L. A. Hall to meet with a committee of Corinthian Chapter, Royal Arch Masons for consideration of new quarters. At this meeting there was some talk about building a Masonic Temple, but the idea died in the State Armory where it was born. Finally it was decided to accept the offer of the Greylock and First National Banks to lease the entire top floor of the same building they were driven from a few months before. The committees were em-powered to authorize the arrangement to the rooms and to purchase the needed furnishings. With the aid of membership subscriptions, the rooms were equipped and furnished; the building being property of Greylock and First National Banks. On January 29, 1916, our new quarters were dedicated. Most Worshipful Melvin M. Johnson and his suite of Grand Lodge Officers honored us with their presence and officiated at the dedication exercises.

As there are some interesting events in the life of Berkshire Lodge in which our members are no doubt interested, we would like to mention a number of them briefly. The Visitors Register of our Lodge bears witness that on October 16. 1862, Wiliam D. Collidge, then the Most Worshipful Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts, paid Berkshire Lodge an informal visit while traveling through this area.

On September 7, 1897, we had the honor of welcoming the 25″ President of these United States of America, Brother William McKinley. The President was a guest at the residence of the Honorable William B. Plunkett, and delegations of Masons from Berkshire Lodge were invited to the Plunkett home to meet our distinguished Brother.

On Monday evening May 4, 1908, at a regular meeting the Worshipful Master announced with deep regrets the passing of our oldest Charter member, Worshipful Brother Horace M. Holmes. According to our records the jewels were draped for thirty days, as a fitting tribute to his memory. To our knowledge, no other Master Mason has ever been so honored here at Berkshire Lodge.

Once again on Sunday the eighth day of October 1916, Berkshire Lodge was honored with a distinguished guest in the person of Brother William Howard Taft, ex-President of these United States. Brother Taft, accepted the invitation of our Lodge to deliver the principle address. entitled The Ethics of Citizenship” at the Masonic Night Service at the Congregational Church. Eight hundred people were present to hear this address. After the Church Service, Brother Taft was the guest of Berkshire Lodge at a banquet here in these Apartments and was welcomed by about sixty members of Berkshire Lodge.

At a special communication held on the nineteenth of March 1917, Worshipful Brother David D. Benson was presented the Henry Price Medal in recognition of his Masonic labors for the fifty years past. It is interesting to note that this medal is only awarded to Masons who have distinguished themselves for exceptional active service to Freemasonry for at least fifty years. The presentation was made by Worshipful Brother T. D. Brown in behalf of Berkshire Lodge.

Saturday, November 24, 1917, saw Berkshire Lodge celebrate its 60^ Anniversary. Visitors from all over Berkshire County joined one hundred twenty members and partook of an exceptionally fine banquet tendered by the Ladies of Franklin Chapter, Order of Eastern Star. Brother Guy A. Ham was the guest received and applauded. January of 1968, under the leadership of Worshipful Edwin Luczynski our present day buildings cornerstone was unveiled. This cornerstone was a gift from Brother Gerard D. Peloquin of Mount Tom Lodge A. F. & A. M. Holyoke, MA. The dedication was under the direction of Most Worshipful Thomas A. Booth, Grand Master of Masons in Massachusetts.

Worshipful Edwin Luczynski is quoted saying the following words to those assembled:

Because we think of each Brother as ‘Berkshire Lodge’ personified, we say to all of the Brethren here today, and to you whom God has called unto Himself in the Celestial Lodge above, and whose memory we shall always cherish, thank you. Your zeal and fidelity to our gentle Craft has made the dream of observing this Dedication Celebration a happy reality. And you may rest assured that we will continue to emulate the example of Friendship, Morality and Brotherly Love, which you have so fittingly set before us.

The only regular communication ever omitted by Berkshire Lodge was that of October 1918. Civil Health Authorities would not allow a public assembly in view of the then existing Influenza Epidemic.

Berkshire Lodge annually observes a Past Masters Night. This night is especially to honor those Brothers among us who have worked in Lodge long and diligently and who were by reason of their zeal and fidelity, elected to preside over Berk-shire Lodge as its Worshipful Master. The first Past Masters’ Night was held in 1904, and will, we all hope, continue to be the huge success we know it to be.

Over the past one hundred and fifty years, Berkshire Lodge has seen One Hundred and Three Worshipful Masters. Dedicated to Berkshire Lodge and the fraternity as a whole. Several men leading simple lives have aspired to become leaders of our lodge and pillars in the community. To honor those men the Henry Price Awards and Joseph Warren Awards have been presented to those deserving of it.

In bringing this historical account of Berkshire Lodge to a close, let us leave with this sincere thought.

Our Lodge has been blessed throughout its one hundred fifty plus years of existence with many worthy Brothers, who never in their Masonic career have lost the memory of the underlying reason, which prompted them to knock at the West Gate for admission.