Much thanks to the following Brethren for their help in putting together some of the history which had to be “mouth to ear”, as it was not recorded in any of the minutes: Bill Lovell, Art Lovell, David Jones, J.W. Battle, Lou Myers, A.L. Mitchell, Ferd F. Evans, and the founder of our Lodge Web Page, Steven Riggins.
The beginning of Hoover Lodge # 644 commenced long before the city itself was ever dreamed of being formed. It began in Birmingham's West End and Fairview neighborhoods, and also in the downtown business district. Each had it's own Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the state of Alabama. Downtown, a different Lodge met in the same building each day Monday through Friday. Men who became brothers in the fraternity would come from all over Birmingham and the outlying areas to attend Lodge.
As the older members have gone on, we have not kept up on replacing them. Although, it seems of late that the trend is changing, and our Lodge has become very busy indeed. With Hoover Lodge embracing the internet we expect the trend to continue. Today Hoover Lodge # 644 is the culmination of several lodges that found it necessary to consolidate over the course of the past 20 years or so. As the time of prime-time television, pee-wee football, business travels, and other distractions to the Craft have taken more and more of our time, and with changes in attitudes, the Masonic Order has suffered tremendously in memberships. One of the Lodges, Fairview Lodge # 644 had almost 400 members in 1985. Today Hoover Lodge # 644, including all consolidation, has only 250 members.
Through the consolidation of West End # 753, (chartered 1902 and merged with Magic City # 860 charted 1926) and Fairview # 644 (1906), Hoover Lodge #644 came to be in 1990 when chartered by our good friend and brother MWGM J.C. Brady. Both lodges were located in older, deteriorating neighborhoods; West End on Tuscaloosa Ave and 13th Street SW, and Fairview on Warrior Road and Avenue X West. Both Lodges overlooked the Alabama State Fairgrounds, on either side; and at times during the State Fair, it was impossible to find parking on meeting nights. Those certainly were the "Glory Days" of the Lodges, the State Fair, and the neigh- borhoods with them. Sadly, and reluctantly, the memberships of both Lodges saw that it was time to relocate for a number of reasons. It is likely that the Lodges which later moved and consolidated saw the same problems that Fairview and West End had.
The two Lodges agreed to move to Hoover, Alabama at the recommendation of, among others, Donald Watts, who was the first Mayor of Hoover. He was also a member of West End Lodge. The new Lodge met in a rented office building for 4 years while securing property and constructing the new building. There was, at the time, no Lodge located in Hoover and the brethren saw great potential for out- reaching into the community. Thus, the new Lodge was born, and all the history went with it. It was a very exciting time for our membership, as the new Lodge took form. In the Spring of 1995 the building was completed, and when the cornerstone was laid in place by MWGM Luther E. Grooms, the members had to direct traffic to a nearby church parking lot, and shuttle the crowd, many of whom were non- Masons, to the Lodge in order to view the ceremony. At the time, some of the older members compared the excitement to the old days of "Burning the Mortgage" at Fairview in 1952, and receiving the World Champion Central Park Little League baseball team at West End Temple. It seemed that the Masonic Lodge was back in the position of the community, as it should be.
Meanwhile, other Lodges were experiencing some difficulties of operation. Among them, Birmingham Lodge # 757 carried the banner for the Downtown Masonic Temple Association, which had been formed by the consolidation of Birmingham Fraternal # 384 (1871), Birmingham Temple # 636 (1905), Golden Fleece # 401 (1874), Myles J. Green # 530 (1892), and King Hiram # 774 (1914), with Birmingham Lodge # 757. These Lodges had originally been chartered to meet in the old Birmingham Masonic Temple, which was located on 6th Avenue N. and 19th Street. As it was with West End and Fairview, the Birmingham Masonic Temple was the center of activity throughout most of the 20th century. Birmingham Lodge # 757 was chartered in 1912, and the Temple hosted 8 Blue Lodges as well as several Shrine groups, Eastern Star chapters, and was complete with a Movie Theatre and Bowling Center contributing income to fund many benevolent causes. As the suburbs developed, and more and more people moved out of the city, demand for the Temple Bowling Alley and Theatre diminished, and the Lodges meeting there made the decision in 1969 to sell the building and move to another location. In doing so, they made a firm determination to remain in the downtown area in order to maintain Masonic presence which would lend itself to accommodate visiting brethren who wished to attend a lodge while in the area.
Although the accommodation of the area had to be given up, due to the deterior- ating condition of the area, the intent and determination certainly was of noble intention. That determination of the membership was similar to that of Past Master Bill Lovell, of Birmingham # 757, who, for the year that he served as Master, traveled from Arkansas,while also stationed there in the military, each week to attend his duties. Had it not been for the determination of the Association, there would be no familiar square and compass emblem displayed in Birmingham today, as it is at 214 N. 24th Street, where the Association met after the sale of the Temple.
There always has, and will always be a certain brother in each Lodge, whom the others look toward for guidance, and whose wisdom we all seek before making any decision concerning the operation of our Lodges. All of these Lodges have had this type of respected leaders, and we would like to take this opportunity to honor and recognize a few. Those who, when asked, would take a brother under their wing, and teach him all he wanted to learn about the Craft and it's work; men like Fred Petty and A.L. Mitchell, who were Past Masters and teachers of Fairview, Ferd Evans of Fairview, J.W. Battle and J.M. Mundine who were Past Masters and teachers at West End, Art Lovell of Birmingham and Hoover, Lou Myers of West End, and perhaps one of the most colorful of all, Amado Manasco Reeves of Birmingham. Our consolidated Lodge history also includes the following:
Past Grand Officers
John Preddy- Past Grand Master
J.W. Cooper- Past Grand Master
J.W. Battle- Past Grand Marshal
Past District Lecturers
A. L. Mitchell L.G. Eades
J. W. Battle L. H. Riggins
William Aubrey Cook
For any additional information, or a more detailed and chronological record of Hoover Lodge # 644, the Grand Secretary can be contacted at alafreemasonry.org.