LODGE HISTORY:

The Lodge, as presently constituted, was formed in 1996 when the Fullerton Esperanza and Brea Citrol Lodges merged.

Fullerton (Esperanza) Lodge: On January 19, 1900, a group of Masons met at the home of Bro. E.K. Benchley for the purpose of formulating a Lodge in the City of Fullerton. W.M. McFadden was elected temporary Chairman. The name of 'Esperanza' was selected as the name of the Lodge, meaning Hope in Spanish. The next meeting was held on February 17, 1900 at which time a certificate of qualification, certifying to the proficiency of the Master, W. M. McFadden; Senior Warden and Junior Warden, elect, in the ritual work was received from the Inspector. Dispensation was granted on March 7, 1900, and the first meeting was held on March 10. A Charter was issued by the Grand Lodge on October 11, 1900. The Lodge was Constituted by, and the officers installed by the MW James A. Foshay, Grand Master, on November 3, 1900.

Fullerton Lodge Founding Officers

W.M.	W.M. McFadden	S.D.	William Birkenstock
S.W.	George Clark	J.D.	Orie Lillie
J.W.	James Davis	Marshal	John Lotz
Treasurer	William Brown	S.S.	William Freeman
Secretary	Edward Amerige	J.S.	Charles Lotz
Chaplain	Theo Beazley	Tiler	Willie Hale

Since the town was officially incorporated as Fullerton in 1904, a motion was made to change the name of the Lodge from Esperanza Lodge 339 to Fullerton Lodge 339 on October 13, 1904, and the first meeting under the new name was held on December 1, 1904. The first Lodge Hall was built on a lot furnished by E. R. Amerige, Lodge Secretary, one of the founders of the City of Fullerton, at the NW corner of Spadra (now Harbor) and Amerige Avenues. The building still stands.

In the year 1919, it was found necessary to secure larger and more suitable quarters, so the old Masonic Temple was sold at a very good price and the property at the NW corner of Chapman and Harbor was purchased and the new Temple was constructed. The cost of this property, building and equipment was nearly $150,000 and was considered one of the finest, most imposing and best equipped structures of its kind in the west, a unique Masonic phase of this building being the cluster of steps, three, five, and seven at the entrance. The building was dedicated with the placing of the Cornerstone on December 8, 1920, by the MWGM Samuel Burke and Fullerton's own C. Stanley Chapman PM, Acting Deputy Grand Master.

C. Stanley Chapman was one of the widest known members of the Lodge because of all the Orders he belonged to. He was Grand Commander KT in 1934; as Grand High Priest, in 1949, he rewrote the Royal Arch ritual; Potentate of Al Malaikah Shrine Temple in 1956; Past Sovereign, Red Cross of Constantine and a 33rd Degree Scottish Rite Mason.

Late in the 1980's, notice was received that the glorious Temple at Chapman and Harbor did not conform to seismic and other city codes. Lacking funds to gain conformance, the building faced condemnation, and there was little choice but to close it down. The building now houses the Springfield Banquet Center and Tea House. Consolidation was the order of the year for Fullerton Lodge during 1995. A Steering Committee was appointed for the purpose of surveying and meeting with Lodges in the area, seeking those on sound footing in areas of need and vice versa. A meeting of minds between Fullerton Lodge 339 and Citrol Lodge 656 ultimately led to favorable ballots in excess of 75% by the members of both Lodges, and the Grand Master approved the Consolidation.

Brea (Citrol) Lodge: On April 3, 1926, a group of five Master Masons met in Brea to consider establishing a Masonic Lodge in their town. Lester Lee Lemmon, chairman of the group, appointed a committee to investigate interest among other Masons in the area. As the group gained members, it became identified as the 'Brea Masonic Club.' The Masonic Club assisted Deputy Grand Master, Will H. Fischer, in performing the Cornerstone Ceremony when the "old" Brea Olinda High School was dedicated on October 2, 1926. (On December 2, 1989, Citrol Lodge assisted Grand Master Sam M. Pavlovich in dedicating and placing a second Cornerstone at the "new" Brea Olinda High School on Wildcat Way.)

Meeting weekly, the Club members began surveying various buildings in search of a suitable place for the Lodge to meet, and on November 8, 1926, voted to lease a portion of the Sewell building on Pomona (now Brea Boulevard). Leased as of December 1, 1926, the Club suitably remodeled this facility to serve as a meeting place, and later as their Lodge room, until the Temple on Imperial Highway at Sycamore was ready for occupancy nearly 29 years later.

The members of the Brea Masonic Club petitioned the Grand Lodge for a Dispensation to meet as a Masonic Lodge on February 12, 1927; the petition was signed by twenty-five Master Masons, only five being members of California Lodges. It was decided to name the Lodge "Citrol" (a combination of "citrus" and "oil", the two main industries in the community). The Dispensation was granted on February 26, 1927, and on March 4, Brother Henry MacMaster, the Inspector of the 97th District, read the Dispensation and instituted Citrol Lodge, U.D. F.&A.M. Assisted by William T. Rodger, PM of Fullerton Lodge, the Inspector then installed the officers, including Lester Lee Lemmon as Worshipful Master. Citrol Lodge 656, F.& A.M. was Constituted as a Regular Chartered Lodge by virtue of its Charter on October 18, 1927, by PMWGM Will Fisher.

Citrol Lodge Founding Officers

W.M.	Lester Lemmon	S.D.	Robert Critchfield
S.W.	George Cullen	J.D.	Lynn Hogue
J.W.	Charles Miller	Marshal	Monte Fiscus
Treasurer	Alonzo Brown	S.S.	Ray Stine
Secretary	Charles Kinsler	J.S.	Frank Lane
Chaplain	Judson Oldfield	Tiler	Frederick Boxall

For many years the brethren of Citrol Lodge had hoped for a Masonic Home of their own, but the period of the depression delayed their plans and it was not until the year of 1946 that a group of members decided the time had come to make a concerted effort to provide such a home. Plans for a new Masonic Temple were discussed from time to time, but it was not until January 12, 1952, that plans for a building were approved.

Ground Breaking Ceremonies were held on April 6, 1952, with Vicent Jaster, WM of the Lodge and W.T. Roger, Inspector, turning the first soil, and PMWGM Ellsworth Meyer and the then Lt. Governor, and soon to be Governor of California, Goodwin J. Knight delivering addresses. On March 6, 1954, PMWGM Frank Harwell, Jr., laid the Cornerstone of the Temple in accordance with our Masonic Ritual.

The dining room was not completed until after the first Stated Meeting in the new Temple convened on November 1, 1955. The Dedication Ceremony of the Temple was held on Friday, July 20, 1956, with MWGM Edgar Stewart, Jr., presiding, with the Assistance of other Grand Lodge Officers. The Address was delivered by RW Lee E. Anderson, SGW. A Prime Ribs of Beef dinner was prepared by Brea Chapter No. 506 OES and served by Brea Bethel 176, Job's Daughters.

In addition to their participating in Cornerstone Ceremonies for the two Brea Olinda High Schools, the Lodge assisted the Grand Lodge in the Cornerstone Ceremonies for the Fanning Elementary School, Country Hills Elementary School and the Brea Civic Center Building.

Gateway Lodge: The first Stated Meeting of Gateway Lodge 339 convened on December 1, 1996 in the Brea Masonic Temple, the officers being seated according to appointments in the Consolidation Certificate. Richard Mullard was installed Worshipful Master along with the other officers on January 11, 1997. The original list of officers is as follows: (Help requested for blanks.)

Original Gateway Lodge #339 Officers

W.M.	Richard Mullard	S.D.
S.W.	Stanley Monts	J.D.	Tim Clark
J.W.		Marshal
Treasurer	Claude Newtson	S.S.	Wallace Craig
Secretary	James Burbidge	J.S.	Robert Dalton
Chaplain	Lynn Sherrill	Tiler	Fred Slager

During 2001, the Master's gavel was wielded by Victor Asfour, the last Master Mason raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason in Fullerton Lodge, and thus the first Master to serve Lodge 339 during its Second One Hundred Years.

Worshipful Masters: Combined Lodge 339 Up to the Present

1996	Jack E. Dotson (F) / Robert Nelson (C)
1997	Richard Mullard
1998	David R. Alexander
1999	Jeffery Hornsby
2000	George Boyd
2001	Victor Asfour
2002	Raymond Ribal
2003	Dwayne Wright
2004	Dwayne Wright
2005	Jeffrey Dotson
2006	Ben Macaraeg
2007	Raymond Ribal
2008	Dale Vrsalovich