About Sutherland Lodge
Chartered in 1909
J.C.'s Post Office
J.C.'s Post Office
Sutherland Lodge No. 174 was chartered on January 21, 1909 with twenty members. Those members came from Florida lodges: Bronson No. 7, Hillsborough No. 25, Barrett No. 43, Star No. 78, Plant City No. 79, DeSoto No. 105, Tarpon No. 112 and Citrus No. 118, and Georgia Lodge Zerubbabel No. 15.
J.C.'s Post Office
J.C.'s Post Office
J.C.'s Post Office
The lodge met over J.C. Craver’s store located at 1123 Florida Avenue, Palm Harbor, Florida 34683 from 1933 until 2018. J. C. Craver who was the first Worshipful Master of Sutherland Lodge, having come from Tarpon Lodge No. 112 to form Sutherland Lodge UD. When the lodge began to meet the building was not yet the lodge but J.C. Craver donated the building to the lodge around 1943.
The History of Sutherland Lodge Continues in Dunedin Florida
Sutherland Lodge No. 174
The story of Sutherland Lodge No. 174 began during the pioneer days of northern Pinellas County, when the community now known as Palm Harbor was still called Sutherland.
The Lodge began working Under Dispensation on March 16, 1908, and was formally chartered by the Grand Lodge of Florida on January 21, 1909, with twenty charter members. These Brothers came from Masonic Lodges throughout Florida and Georgia, bringing together their experience to establish a new Lodge in the growing community.
Worshipful James Calvin Craver, a local merchant, postmaster, teacher, and community leader, was instrumental in organizing the Lodge. He came from Tarpon Lodge No. 112 and served as Sutherland Lodge’s first Worshipful Master from 1909 through 1913.
From its earliest years, Sutherland Lodge was closely connected to the community. In 1914, the Lodge contributed toward the construction of a public hospital in Clearwater. Its members also supported community gatherings, charitable programs, family activities, and the broader Masonic family.
In 1925, the community changed its name from Sutherland to Palm Harbor. The Lodge, however, proudly retained its original name, preserving an important connection to the area’s pioneer history.
Beginning in 1933, generations of Sutherland Masons met in the historic J. C. Craver Building on Florida Avenue in Palm Harbor. That building served as the Lodge’s home for eighty-five years and became the setting for countless meetings, degrees, installations, dinners, friendships, and acts of service.
In 2018, rising maintenance and renovation costs led the Brothers to sell the historic property and relocate to the Dunedin Masonic Center. Today, Sutherland Lodge meets alongside Dunedin Lodge No. 192 while maintaining its own charter, traditions, officers, and identity.
More than a century after its founding, Sutherland Lodge No. 174 continues to promote brotherhood, Masonic education, charitable service, youth mentorship, and fellowship.
The location has changed, and generations have passed, but the mission remains the same: to preserve our heritage, serve our community, and continue making good men better.
Sutherland Lodge No. 174 — The Home of Sutherland Hospitality.
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