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
In 1877, James Calvin Craver, “The father of Ozona and Palm Harbor “moves to the area from Illinois after being diagnosed with tuberculosis and advised by a physician to seek a warmer climate.
A plat for the Town of Sutherland (now Palm Harbor) is recorded in 1888. Construction of the Orange Belt Railway is completed thus connecting the Town of Sutherland with the rest of the US. The Hotel Sutherland opens for its first season and J.C.Craver opens a general mercantile store, and the ‘Sutherland’ Post Office was constructed.
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. Craver who was the first Worshipful Master of Sutherland Lodge, came from Tarpon Lodge No. 112 to form Sutherland Lodge. The original founding Brothers of this lodge had quite the reputation in the local area for community service and big ideas, these brothers include Belcher, E.W. McMullen, Albert Gilchrist, Julius Ulmer and Craver.
There was even a local chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star set up here. This Chapter was established in 1913 and continued to meet for almost 92 years until ultimately merging with Clearwater Lodge Order of the Eastern Star in 2005.
Sadly, due to the amount of work needed to update and keep the building in proper respectable condition. The Brothers of Sutherland Lodge were forced to sell the property in 2018.
Sutherland Lodge No.174 now resides in the Dunedin Masonic Center in beautiful Dunedin FL. We are proud to continue our extensive and beautiful history along with Dunedin Lodge No.192 and East Gate Lodge No. 355.
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