cr ft m sonry - Onondaga and Oswego Masonic District Historical ...

Syracuse Lodge:
Salt Springs Lodge:
Mount Sinai Lodge:
Louis J. Lynn, Selbert T. Friedrich and Hubert J. Wright
Lawrence Thompson, Caleb Joss and Oscar W. Palmer
Isaac Schwartz, Norwell L. Philllips and Sigmund Sugarman
< 320 Montgomery Street, ca 1880, residence and office of Dr. Henry H. Pease.
At that meeting Lawrence Thompson was chosen president and Edward F. Haun
secretary. The next step was the securing of an option on the land where the Masonic
Temple stood at 320 Montgomery Street, the option being taken in the names of Selbert
T. Friedrich, Oscar W. Palmer and William F. Canough. Shortly thereafter the committee
agreed unanimously authorizing the organization of a corporation under Benevolent
Orders Law. This action of the committee was ratified 28-31 Dec 1914, by the four
mentioned lodges and each and each of the lodges thereupon elected one trustee, as
follows:
Central City Lodge:
Syracuse Lodge:
Salt Springs Lodge:
Mount Sinai Lodge:
William F. Canough
Hubert J. Wright
George E. Derby
Isaac Schwartz
Corporation papers were filed on 8 Jan 1915, and the following day the organization of
the trustees was perfected; William F. Canough was elected president, George E. Derby,
vice president, Isaac Schwartz, secretary, and Hubert J. Wright, treasurer. The trustees
employed Messrs. Gaggin & Gaggin as architects and purchased the lot secured by
option. Messrs. Gaggin & Gaggin, were Edwin H. Gaggin and T. Walker Gaggin of
Syracuse, NY. Bro. Thomas Walker Gaggin was Raised in Central City Lodge No. 305
on 25 March 1913. His biographical sketch may be seen below.
Dr. Henry H. Pease
To digress for a moment, while on the subject of the Syracuse Masonic Temple’s origins, Dr. Henry Hale Pease, did indeed occupy
the address of 320 Montgomery Street prior to the demolition of his home for the building of the Temple. A Masonic membership
has not been found for Dr. Pease (b. 26 Apr 1860, Syracuse) at this writing, but it is quite possible that he could have belonged to
one of the several lodges in the City at the time. He was the son of Roger Williams Pease and Hannah (Fuller) Pease.
Roger W. Pease is listed as member no. 43, GL no. 55847, in the Register of Syracuse Lodge No. 501:
Initiated 28 Jun 1855; Passed 6 Sep 1855; Raised 11 Oct 1855; affiliated to Syracuse 501 from Syracuse Lodge No. 102 on 20
Mar 1861. Physician. Suspended 24 Apr 1867. He is the only Pease in the Syracuse 501 Register.
Brother Roger W. Pease was born 31 May 1828 in Conway, MA; d. 28 May 1886 in Syracuse, NY; m. Jan 26, 1858 in Syracuse,
Hannah Fuller. She was the daughter of James C. Fuller the noted Abolitionist of Skaneateles, NY. Roger Pease graduated
from the College of Medicine and Surgery in Geneva, NY, Jan 25, 1848, and practiced in Syracuse. During the Civil War, he was a
surgeon with the 12th New York Infantry, connected to the Army of the Potomac in May 1861. This Regiment was at the battle at
Blackburn’s Ford Jul 18, 1861.
After a brief retirement, Doctor Pease joined the 10th New York Cavalry as a Major Surgeon in Nov 1861, and spent the winter in
Gettysburg. In Apr 1862 he organized the 1200 bed Patterson Park US Hospital at Baltimore. The following year, he was at the
battle of Fredericksburg under Major General Burnside. On May 25, 1863, Surgeon Pease was made Medical Inspector of the
Cavalry Corps by General Stoneman, and organized a field hospital at Aquia Creek. In the expedition of General Philip H. Sheridan
towards the Virginia Central Railroad, Pease transported over 400 wounded soldiers nearly 200 miles to the White House using only
twelve ambulances, and any vehicle he could obtain. He also participated in the Battles of Richmond, Old Tavern and Cold Harbor.
The results of exposure in all of the battles impaired Surgeon Pease’s health, forcing him to resign from the field. He was placed in
command of the Newton US General Hospital, and later, the Charlestown, West Virginia Hospital. He was mustered out as a Brevet
Lieutenant Colonel, Oct 07, 1865. After the War, he resumed his practice in Syracuse.
ref: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/PEASE/2000-09/0969911460
Roger W. Pease, Tenth Cavalry, whose services were so highly appreciated that he was promoted to be Medical Director of the
Cavalry Corps of the Army of the Potomac . . . (from Honors of the Empire State in the War of the Rebellion, by Thomas Seaman
Townsend, 1889, page 49)
In the yearbook of Syracuse University, “The Onondagan,” of 1886, Roger W. Pease, is listed as: Professor of Operative and
Clinical Surgery, residing at 36 Montgomery Street, Syracuse, NY (pg. 21)
In 1872 the Geneva Medical College was transformed into the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Syracuse University; Roger
W. Pease served on the Committee which brought this transformation about. (pg. 57)
To resume to chronological account of the Syracuse Masonic Temple:
4 Nov 1915 - the cornerstone of the Syracuse Masonic Temple was laid with Masonic service, R.’.W.’. William S. Farmer acting as
Grand Master. Nearly 3,000 Masons participated in the parade. Despite the difficulty of securing materials and other unavoidable
delays, the building was been rapidly pushed to completion, so that it was ready for occupancy.
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