Potunk Lodge #
1071
About Potunk Lodge
Westhampton was a bustling summer community for the rich and famous. The merchants on Main Street, the hotel keepers, restaurant owners, purveyors, fisherman and the citizens of Westhampton enjoyed prosperity. The Village opened its doors in mid April and welcomed the “Summer People” who would stay until mid September.
Freemasonry came to Westhampton in 1907 when a petition to Grand Lodge was completed and officers elected. The brothers were then persuaded to abandon the idea at that time. Nothing further was done until Brothers Frank D. Gould, Leon F. Goodman, Ward Havens and Burnside Cheshire met in the office of Worthy Brother Hermon F. Bishop in the Winters Building on Main St., in the summer of 1924. They were advised to start a Square Club to raise the funds and promote the idea of starting a Blue Lodge. Brothers Bishop, Gould and Cheshire joined the Oyster Bay Square Club and then met in the Mechanics Hall on Thursday, 26 February 1925 and started the Westhampton Square Club. Brother Bishop was President with Brother Gould as Secretary and Treasurer. They initiated eleven members at that first meeting. Their regular financial assistance through the years to Potunk Lodge ended with a gift of $4550.00 in Mechanics Hall Stock in 1958 when the Square Club became inactive. Worthy Brother Jesse Weixelbaum served the Square Club as Treasurer for 25 years and had a large influence in the assistance given to Potunk Lodge.
Potunk Lane would be closed for a weekend in August when the “Masons” held the Barbeques until 1924. Mechanics Hall, owned by the members of The Ancient order of Mechanics, was situated one block east of Six Corners. The Ancient order of Mechanics in Westhampton had not enjoyed popularity in the early 1900’s. The Lodge would later, buy the building.