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the Eastern Star /
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Fountain Rebekah Lodge /
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Star Lodge /
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Western Star Lodge, #50 A. F. and
A. M.
Westville was only a village in 1868, yet there were enough masons to start the Western Star Lodge.
Westville was granted a dispensation in October 1868 by Grand Master S.R. Sircom and Grand Secretary Charles J. McDonald, James Roy was the first Master of the Western Star.
The first meeting was held on October 22 and the following officers were elected:
W. M...
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.
James Roy
S. W
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..
..James Johnstone
J. W
.............
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.
..James White
Treasurer
.........................
..Dr. Josiah E. Jones
Secretary
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..
.Thomas Johnstone, Sr
S. D
.....
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..Neil Morrison
J. D
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Wm. Henderson
S.S.
..........................
.Robert Wilson
J.S
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...
..James Patterson
I.G.
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...
.Robert Gray
Tyler
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.
Robert White
Chaplain
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...
Wm. Lorimer
Marshall
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..
.
.James Wilson
These officers were installed in December 1868 by Grand Master Sircom and Grand Secretary MacDonald. The Lodge being organized as the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia was being formed, and was given the number 24 in June 1869. Other Lodges then in the county, having come into the Grand Lodge, were renumbered and Western Star was given No. 50, which it still retains.
The following were charter members (besides the officers) and were present at the first meeting. Norman McDonald, Alex Lorimer, Murdock MacKenzie, Benjamin Barret and John Roy.
For the first year the Lodge met in the upstairs of John F. Olivers store, now occupied by Mrs. George E. MacLeod.
In November 1869, on the completion of the first Chelsea School, they moved there and for a year or two had use of one of the upper rooms. The Lodge then moved to Dan Munros Hall, next to the old Westville House.
A few years later, they moved to the upper part of John McDougalls store, where the late H.A. McQuarrie had his store.
On February 9, 1886, it was decided that a new hall be built for the contract price of $3,600, to be completed by July 1. The cornerstone was laid June 8, 1886, and on August 24, 1886, the first meeting was held in the new building. Records show that on July 11, 1883, a committee was formed to look into costs of wiring and in August 1893, they reported an estimate of about $50 and the light bill would be about one per cent per light per hour. The Scot Blood seemed to be prevalent, as the committee was then instructed to see if it couldnt have done it a little cheaper, so it wasnt until April 1894 that the first light bill appeared. Water was installed in September 1895.
The Lower Hall was for a short time used for concerts and dances and for a number of years was rented as a shoe store by Murdock MacKay. It was also rented for a few years to the Salvation Army, and in 1925 to St. Andrews Presbyterian congregation. In 190the Lodge rented the Lower Hall to the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission. They occupied it until 1983.
The celebration of Burns night was first held in 1909 and has been an annual event for Western Star Lodge.
Members of this Lodge have served the town as mayors and numerous members have served on the town council. Several town clerks have also been members of the Lodge.
A number have served in the provincial Legislature: Brothers R.H. MacKay, H.A. McQuarrie, Robert Douglas and James Maddin; Brothers Russell MacEwan was a representative in the House of Commons.
Westville Homes: 1. James McLeod; 2. Thomas Grant; 3. Wm.
Maxwell;
4. David Porter, Jr.; 5. Dr. A. Ross; 6. David Porter, Sr.;
7. Dr. J.G. Bruce
The cornerstones of two of the town churches have been laid by members of Western Star Lodge; the first for St. Philips Church in 1870 and the other for St. Bees Church