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Freemasonry has existed in the Garston area since the mid-nineteenth century. There were various meeting places in the area, mainly in hotels and public houses. The first recorded meetings were in 1857 at Wood’s Wellington Hotel, Garston. Meetings alternated between the Wellington and the Garston Hotel until 1919 when Garston Co-operative Hall was used.

It is believed that the popularity of Freemasonry in the Garston area was because of the many visitors from ships in the local docks. Freemasonry flourished and in the early part of this century, the members of the Lodge of Harmony, founded in 1796, which then met at the Co-operative Hall, decided to build a new purpose-built hall in Island Road South and the hall was officially opened on 21 May 1924. The Lodge of Harmony still meets at the hall, together with twenty other lodges.

When originally built, the hall had only one lodge room, a dining room, lounge, bar facilities and committee rooms. Recently, as a result of increased demand for meeting places outside Liverpool city centre, a room has been converted to provide a second lodge room. This also doubles as a dining room and enables two lodges to meet and dine concurrently.

Because of the size of the hall and the limit on the number of people who can enjoy its facilities there is a great sense of community spirit. The Garston Group of lodges, being compact, has a family atmosphere. Members visit each other’s lodges and they are usually very well known to each other. They support each other’s social and fund raising events for the maintenance and upkeep of the hall and also, of course, for charitable purposes.

The Freemasons meeting at Garston are justly proud of their record of raising funds for local and national charities. The Masonic organisation runs an elderly persons’ residential home in Crosby and all lodges in the area contribute towards its running costs.

There are long-established links with Garston Parish Church and there is a plaque in the church which commemorates a march by the members of Garston lodges from the hall to the church and a ringing of a peal of bells. Recently the Garston Lodge of Installed Masters held a service at the church, followed by a meal at the hall which was attended by the Vicar and members of the congregation. It is hoped that this may become an annual event. The Garston Masonic Hall is increasingly becoming included in local life and it is frequently used by the local community.

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