Welcome to the Grand Lodge of Connecticut Website!

This year, the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary as a country. Although many things have changed during that time, the one constant consistency is the presence of Freemasons and Masonic Lodges. The first Masonic lodge in the United States was St. John’s Lodge in Boston. It was charted on July 30, 1733, 43 years before the United States was born. The first lodge in Connecticut is King Hiram Lodge #1. It is located in New Haven and was charted on November 12, 1750. It is still in existence.

The common misconception of Freemasons is we are labeled a secret society. Nothing can be further from the truth. We proudly wear shirts, hats and rings identifying ourselves as one. Our buildings are prominently marked with the universally known square and compasses. Many lodges do an open house to show the public what are building looks like on the inside. And if you ask one of us to tell you about us and the fraternity, we will do so proudly.

But some of you may know of us already. Many of you have probably seen the Shriner Hospital commercials, or seen Shriners marching in your town or city’s parade. All Shriners are Freemasons. The Shriners are a big reason why that here in the United States Freemasons annually make 750 million dollars a year in donations to a variety of donations.

We will also tell you of our connection to our Masonic brothers who were some of the founding fathers of this country. Men like George Washington, Paul Revere, Ben Franklin and John Hancock. We can tell you about the 14 Presidents who were Freemasons. We can tell you that entertainers John Wayne, Clark Gable and Harry Houdini were also Freemasons. Other notable men like Buzz Aldrin, Winston Churchill and Mozart and athletes John Elway, Arnold Palmer, Jack Dempsey and Shaquille O’Neal are Masons.

But it is the everyday ordinary man who comprises the majority of the membership in lodges. Men from all walks of life, different backgrounds, religions and Races come together to improve ourselves to become better men.

If you want to be a part of something bigger than yourself, if you want to associate with men of like mind and want to make a difference in your community, contact us for more information. We will connect you to a person who will be happy to answer any questions that you have about the oldest and biggest fraternity in the world.

Shane Dufresne
Most Worshipful Grand Master-2026