Return to Index         Damascus Commandery #1

Knights Templar, Saint Paul Minnesota

A Brief History of Minnesota’s Constituent Commanderies:

Damascus Commandery No. 1, K.T. – Saint Paul, Minnesota

On June 30, 1856, a petition was forwarded from Saint Paul, Minnesota, to S.K. William Hubbard, Grand Master of the General Grand Encampment of the United States, to form an “Encampment” of Knights Templar. A reply was received on July 8, 1856, which granted Dispensation. In accordance, four Sir Knights from Minnesota, one Sir Knight from New York, and one Sir Knight from Mississippi met in the hall of Minnesota Royal Arch Chapter on July 17, 1856. S.K. A.T.C. Pierson read the Dispensation authorizing the formation of an Encampment in Minnesota; S.K. Pierson was appointed as first Grand Commander, by resolution, was authorized to procure all of the furniture necessary for the Encampment, to be paid for from the set fees of $25.00 to be required for the Orders.

On August 11, 1856, application was made to the Grand Encampment for a Charter. An examination of the proceedings of the Grand Encampment for the date of September 13, 1856, reveals the origination of the present designation of Templary bodies as “Commanderies”. A motion offered by S.K. Albert Mackey ordered that the word “Encampment” or “Encampments” wherever they be applied to State or Subordinate bodies in the Constitution, be stricken out, and the word “Commandery” or “Commanderies” be inserted.

On October 21, 1856, Grand Commander Pierson called a special conclave to announce that a Charter had been received from the General Grand Encampment (dated September 10, 1856) to form Damascus Commandery No. 1, and that he had been installed as Grand Commander of the new Commandery by the General Grand Generalissimo of Kentucky. Three years later, Damascus Commandery received its first request to recommend to the Grand Encampment the formation of a second Commandery, this to be formed in Minneapolis, and be known by the name Jerusalem Commandery No. 2. The movement to form Jerusalem Commandery was halted by the onset of the Civil War; efforts were renewed in 1863, resulting in the formation of Zion Commandery No. 2. In 1864 Damascus Commandery recommended the formation of Couer De Lion Commandery No. 3 in Winona. After the chartering of the Grand Commandery of Minnesota in 1865, all such petitions for dispensations and charter were directed there.

The first Grand Commander of the Grand Commandery of Minnesota hailed from Damascus Commandery, Sir Knight George W. Prescott, who served two terms in office from 1865 to 1867. The first Grand Conclave was held at the Saint Paul Masonic Temple October of 1865, S.K. H.L. Palmer, Grand Master of the Grand Encampment of the United States presiding.

A fire destroyed the Charter of Damascus Commandery on April 21, 1868, and a petition for renewal was made April 7, 1869. A Dispensation from the Grand Commander was issued to permit the Commandery to hold conclaves without Charter until the next Conclave of the Grand Commandery. The replacement Charter was issued on June 24, 1869. This document remains in the archives of the Damascus Commandery.

The Sir Knights of Damascus Commandery have established and maintained a fine record and have contributed in many ways to the Saint Paul community through example and leadership in Masonry. Of the Grand Commanders of Minnesota, 13 have hailed from Damascus Commandery No. 1. In the history of Templary in Minnesota, Damascus Commandery has continually been well represented in the Grand Commandery not only by Grand Commanders, but by other officers such as Grand Captain General, Grand Recorder, and Grand Prelate. Most recently, S.K. Clyde E. White of Damascus Commandery served as R.E. Grand Commander (1988-89). A listing of Grand Commanders follows:

George W. Prescott – 1865, 1866

George L. Otis – 1870, 1871

Henry L Carver – 1873

Delos A. Monfort – 1876

William D. Cornish – 1885

Walter H. Sanbborn – 1889

Edward P. Sanborn – 1905

George F. Dix – 1911

Charles S. Schurman – 1919

Charles N. Orr – 1928

Clarence E. Krahmer – 1946

William H. Robinson – 1956

Clyde E. White – 1988

Harland Thomeson-1993-94

Charles W. Nelson-2000-01

One of the greatest honors to be bestowed upon a Sir Knight of Damascus Commandery occurred at the Grand Encampment in Chicago on May 25, 1943, in the election of S.K. Charles N. Orr, Past Commander of Damascus Commandery No. 1 and Past Grand Commander of Knights Templar of Minnesota, to the post of Most Eminent Grand Master of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States of America. S.K. Orr was well known throughout the state as a civic leader and state senator.

On February 16, 1963, Damascus Commandery invited ladies and guests to see the first open Inspection in the State of Minnesota.

On April 13, 1965, Paladin Commandery No. 21 consolidated with Damascus Commandery. On May 18, 1889, Paladin Commandery was granted Dispensation by the Grand Commandery; it received its Charter on June 25, 1889. Paladin Commandery constituted the work for more than 75 years; a number of its founding members were Sir Knights of Damascus Commandery. With consolidation, the membership of Damascus Commandery reached its all-time high of 1400 Sir Knights.

(The above was supplied by S.K. Clarence W. Fagerstrom, Past Grand Prelate and Past Recorder of Damascus Commandery No. 1, K.T.)