Extracted from Guide to Genealogical and Historical Research in Jefferson County, Tennessee, copyright ©1995 Billie R. McNamara. All rights reserved. This page will be supplemented periodically as new information is located. Additions and corrections are welcome via the Contact Us link on this Web site.
Masonic organizations have a long history in Jefferson County. The first charter was granted to Jefferson Lodge (Dandridge). Jefferson County Lodges and their dates are as follows:
| Lodge | Location | Dates | ||
| Jefferson | Dandridge | October, 1825 - October, 1827 | ||
| Brazelton No. 190 | Dandridge | October, 1850 - present | ||
| New Market No. 246 | New Market | |||
| Mossy Creek No. 353 | Jefferson City | |||
| Leadvale No. 390 | White Pine | |||
| Strawberry Plains No. 462 |
Prior to establishment of local lodges, Masons may have attended meetings at Greeneville Lodge (organized in 1798; chartered by North Carolina in 1801), Overton Lodge in Rogersville (chartered by Tennessee in 1805), Polk Lodge in Knoxville (chartered by North Carolina in 1800), or Newport Lodge (organized under North Carolina in 1805). Records of Tennessee Masonic Lodges are maintained by the Grand Lodge in Nashville (P. O. Box 24216, zip 37202).
Masonic-affiliated organizations with chapters in the county have included the Orders of the Eastern Star, Rainbow for Girls, and DeMolay.
The Independent Order of Odd-Fellows and the women's auxiliary, Rebekah Assembly, had chapters in Jefferson County. The earliest, located in Jefferson City and called Mossy Creek Lodge, became defunct about 1982. Odd-Fellows were also active in Mt. Horeb (Lodge #163 existed before 1886) and Strawberry Plains. The women's organization, Rebekah of Tennessee, was organized in 1895. Because the Mossy Creek Assembly was numbered 3, it most likely formed about the turn of the 20th Century.
