Silver Set Lodge # 327

History of Our Building

Newell Rosenwald School

Nestled at the end of Torrance Grove Church Road off Old Concord Road lies a hidden treasure. Once a school house for African American Children in the Newell Community of Northeast Mecklenburg County , it is one of the few school buildings built by the Rosenwald Foundation in the early 20th century that has been preserved. There were 28 buildings scattered throughout the county with names such as Jonesville, Ben Salem and Rockwell, only nine still stand, including this one. Named for the communities where they were built or the churches that helped raise funds to build them, they were built to promote education in the African-American community when they couldn’t attend white schools due to Jim Crow laws.

A simple one story frame structure with a tin roof, it was built in 1920 according to the Mecklenburg County Tax Records Database in the Nashville 3-teacher style (which meant that it was designed for three classrooms with its own teacher). A picture of what the outside may have looked like when it was built is below:

The buildings were built facing East or West with large windows to let in the sunlight, as electric service was not widespread in rural areas. The basic floor plan for this size building looked like this:

The school operated from 1921 until the end of the 1951-52 school year, when it was consolidated with Clear Creek Elementary School in an effort to combine smaller schools into several large “feeder” schools. But by that time, several other Rosenwald schools had closed including Ben Salem, Piney Grove and Jonesville.

Currently owned by Silver Set Lodge # 327 (Prince Hall Affiliated F&AM) and used by several affiliated groups including Christain Workers Chapter # 301 Order of the Eastern Star (Prince Hall Affiliated) it was given historic status by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission on May 15, 1989. Efforts to renovate and repair the inside has been on-going by both Silver Set Lodge and the Silver Star Community Group. Earlier this year, Silver Star sponsored a fund raiser to help raise funds to preserve this piece of Mecklenburg County African-American history. Featuring Robin Washington-Banks, the great-granddaughter of Booker T. Washington who also helped raise funds to build these rural schools they will continue to work to raise funds to help repair and preserve the school.

Past Appearance

A Brief History of Silver Set Lodge # 327

During the year 1910, M. S. Cannon, Walter B. Bost and others were chosen to organize and be initiated, passed, and raised as Master Masons. The Lodge was established in the northeast section of Mecklenburg County in Newell. This newly formed group became the nucleus of what is today Silver Set Lodge #327, P.HA. Brother M. S. Cannon was the first Worshipful Master. A charter was applied from the Grand Lodge of North Carolina, Prince Hall Affiliated. Silver Set then operated under dispensation as a Lodge until a charter could be issued By the Grand Lodge of North Carolina. This accomplishment was realized in December 1911, when Silver Set received the number 327 as its registration number as a Lodge in good standing in the North Carolina Prince Hall Grand Lodge. In 1912, a sister order, Christian Workers #301, was established. Brother Walter B. Bost became the Worshipful Master in 1921, and served until all Lodges in the State of North Carolina were suspended because they lacked funds to meet Federal requirements of insurance benefits for the Lodge membership.

In 1946, Brother Walter B. Bost attempted to have Silver Set re-instated, but none of the local lodges in Charlotte would agree to having him do so, therefore, Brother Bost petitioned the Grand Master of North Carolina State to have a Lodge in South Carolina, (William H. Upton Lodge #145, P.HA.), to initiate, pass, and raise 15 men to the 3rd degree and was granted permission. Silver Set Lodge operated under dispensation until 1948 when Silver Set was fully re-instated to operate as a Lodge with all the rights and benefits as all other Lodges of the North Carolina Prince Hall Family. This accomplishment was aided by the then Worshipful Master, Brother Malachi L. Green of William H. Upton Lodge #145, P.H.A., and Jurisdiction of South Carolina. Each year since 1946, Silver Set Lodge, operating under the umbrella of the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge, has been a contributing member to its charitable contributions. Grand Lodge scholarships, Central Children’s, Home-Oxford, NAACP, United Negro College Fund and the Knights of Pythagoras Youth Group are annually standard contributions for the various charities and emergencies.

On the local level, for needed families, Lodge widows and sick Brothers, Silver Set provides donations of food and finance during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Brother Willie James Johnson, Jr., in 1992, organized a Food Bank at Silver Set Lodge that provides food for needy families year-round. Silver Set members proudly displaythe coveted and most desired Grand Lodge's plaque for Lodge of the Year 1981. Silver Set holds title to having the first youth group in the Western Region and the 19th Masonic District, organized by Brother Charles Grier and directed by Bro. Fred Alexander, Sr., called Pyramid Council #46. Old Landmarks of Masonry, often forgotten by the older Masons and most likely unknown by younger Masons are often shared by all at Silver Set Lodge #327 by celebrating "Bost Day", a day honoring Brother W.B. Bost and his contribution to the Lodge. Other Bodies that have become part of the Silver Set Family since 1948 are a Body of Eastern Stars, Christian Workers #301, O.E.S; Royal Arch Masons, Bost Chapter #61; Knights Templar, Joshua Commandary#12; Knights of Pythagoras Youth Group, Pyramid Council #46; Gleaners Youth Group, Beulah Bost Court #29, David Austin Court, Cyrene Crusaders #4, Heroines of Jericho Ernest Gaston Court #11.