Since 1869, we have spread the light of Masonry across Charles County and beyond.

Our History

St. Columba Lodge No. 150 received its dispensation from Grand Master John Coates and was chartered on November 16, 1869. Its first officers were William E. Smith as Worshipful Master and Edgard Griswold and John S. Button as Senior and Junior Wardens, respectively.

The minutes book of the Leonardtown Lodge for the year 1759 contains a notation stating that a Brother Fisher was requested to write to Mr. James Mills, asking for the jewels belonging to the Port Tobacco Lodge. From this it can be deduced that another lodge existed in Port Tobacco prior to 1759. However, as early as 1792, Columba Lodge No. 11 was organized at Port Tobacco. Its first Master was Alexander Grier; Robert Ferguson and Judson M. Clagett were the Senior and Junior Wardens. Many of the organizing members had come from Georgetown Lodge No. 9.

Columba Lodge No. 11 produced three Grand Masters during the eighteenth century. Gustavus Brown, who was the fifth Grand Master in Maryland, was also a personal physician to George Washington. There was also Grand Master William Craik, and last, Grand Master William Thomas, who was also president of the Maryland Senate until he died in 1813. His son, James Thomas, was a Governor of Maryland.

Another noteworthy member of Columba Lodge No. 11 was judge Michael Jenifer Stone, who was the brother of the Honorable Thomas Stone, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

There were three lodges in Port Tobacco Lodge number 9, 10 and 11.

The first lodge number 9 was a branch of Georgetown lodge number 9 and only held a few meetings beginning on August 28, 1792 and on December 22, 1792 the first meeting was held under the dispensation of Columba Lodge number 10. Lodge number 10 operated from 1792 to 1799. Also, of interest on June 24, 1797 brother Alexander Greer of the Royale Arch Mason along with other mason petition and ask for a loan of 100 dollars to form a Royale Arch Chapter in Port Tobacco. Lodge number 11 was the last of the three lodges to operate in Port Tobacco. It held its meetings in the chimney house in the town square. The house still stands today as the only remaining lodge from that period.

Columba Lodge No. 11 lay dormant after 1828 until its revival as St. Columba Lodge No. 150 after the War Between the States. A warrant for Columba Lodge No. 11 and its jewels, along with a copy of the Grand Lodge Proceedings of 1797, was presented to the Grand Lodge by James W. Brown, ending officially the existence of Columba Lodge No. 11 and establishing the authenticity of St. Columba Lodge No. 150.

The Lodge takes its name from an Irish monk who lived in the sixth century and who founded many monasteries in Scotland.

Job’s Daughters International Bethel # 62 was founded in 1973 in La Plata at St Columba Masonic Temple. It continues to thrive today where adult volunteers help mentor young  

Current history

Our first valley of the Scottish Rite opened July 13, 2019