BLYTHEWOOD – Since just after its 1960 founding, the Blythewood Masonic Lodge had held its meetings in the same place: a building on Blythewood Road across from Sandy Level Baptist Church.
But that changed about a year ago when Richland County offered to by the local fraternal organization’s building and about four acres of land.
The group didn’t know at the time that Scout Motors was coming to Blythewood – only that the site would become part of an industrial development project.
As it turned out, the property had increased in value quite a bit over six decades – and, when the lodge agreed to sell for $1.825 million, it came as a bit of a windfall.
Once the lodge members agreed by consensus to sell their longtime lodge, John Kersey, treasurer for the lodge, says the search began for a new location.
By chance, one of the members was driving down Adams Road, a cut-through between Langford and Rimer Pond Roads, when he spotted a property with a building that had been built about 10 years ago for a church. He called Kersey to look at it and, from there, Kersey says, it seemed like it was meant to be.
Ultimately, the masons paid $600,000 to buy the 5,000-square-foot church building, which they knew would need to be renovated. They chose a project committee – members Kersey, Ronnie McLean and Rawl Scheibler – to oversee the project.
“The money from the sale of our other property allowed us to do a tremendous upgrade on this building,” Kersey said.
“We actually gutted the [former] church and created a new interior new lodge there,” says McLean. “We built a lodge room, a dining room, commercial kitchen, some offices, updated HVAC and plumbing, added handicap restrooms, storage, and a laundry room.”
They are now mapping out plans for exterior and landscape improvements.
While the construction was going on, Kersey says, lodge members held their monthly meetings at another Masonic lodge in the area.
“When lodge members see the finished renovation, they are, quite honestly, blown away with what they see. The members of the lodge absolutely love it,” Kersey says. “I feel tremendously good about it.”
What’s more, after the $1.3 million spent to purchase and renovate the building, the lodge has money leftover – and the members are looking to use it to do something good in the community.
“What all this money has done for us, is positioned us for the future of what we want to do,” says Kersey. “We’re looking to establish some scholarships for several of the schools in Blythewood and some other good things.”
Nationwide, he says, the masons (which include Shriners, Eastern Star and other organizations) donate more than $5 million a day to charities –and he hopes to continue being a part of that well into the future.
One of the rules the masons have, however, is to not brag about their good works – so, he says he can’t really talk about the ways they’ve sought to help charities and those in need.
“But we have some pretty big plans,” he said.
Kersey says the new lodge will host a public grand opening on Feb. 10. The event, which is scheduled to start at 11 a.m., will include a public dedication of the building and a free lunch for those in attendance.
