St. John’s Lodge No. 2 Grand Lodge of DE, A.F. & A.M.

First chartered by the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania as Lodge No. 33 on April 4, 1781. Early meetings were held alternately at Christiana Bridge and New Castle. This was one of four Lodges whose representatives gathered in Wilmington on June 6 and 7, 1806, to form the Grand Lodge of Delaware. At this historic meeting the Lodge was formally warranted as St. John’s Lodge No. 2. Joseph Israel, a Revolutionary War officer who had served as Charter Master of Lodge No. 33, was selected to serve as first Senior Grand Warden. Past Masters of this Lodge have included Nicholas Van Dyke, Jr., member of the United States Congress (1807-11/1817-26), George Read II, United States District Attorney (1789-1836), and Thomas Stockton, an active organizer of the Grand Lodge who served as Governor of Delaware (1845-46). Over the years meetings were held at several locations in New Castle. The members of St. John’s Lodge No. 2 moved to their present site in 1984.