Velasco Lodge No. 757, A. F. & A. M.

A part of Brazoria County history for more than a century, Velasco Lodge No. 757, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, was granted a charger from the Grand Lodge of Texas on December 8, 1893. R. E. Murrell served as first Worshipful Master. The members' first lodge hall, located near the mouth of the Brazos River in the Velasco townsite, was severely damaged in the disastrous hurricane which struck the Texas Gulf Coast in 1900. The Masons met in a number of locations in the vicinity for many years, including a lumberyard building owned by J. T. Dingle and the Velasco schoolhouse. The lodge rented the Velasco Hotel's Powerhouse building from E. D. Dorchester from 1911 to 1922, when the Freeport Sulphur Company donated land in downtown Freeport. A two-story hall was built at the corner of Broad Street and Park Avenue, which served the lodge until a new facility was built at this site in 1979. Velasco Lodge has been involved in many civic and philanthropic endeavors, including the establishment of a public library in 1898, the leveling of cornerstones on public buildings, and the support of educational activities. (1994)

Velasco Lodge No. 757, A. F. & A. M. is a historical marker in Freeport, Brazoria County, dedicated in 1994. It is one of 125 historical markers documented in Brazoria County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 223 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 28.9780, -95.3661 near Freeport. The nearest cataloged historic site is Beall Family Cemetery (cemetery), about 0.8 miles away. Others within a short drive include Velasco, Velasco, and Velasco Cemetery.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5039009609. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.