The Historical Society of Avon ParkAVON PARK, FL · EST. 1886
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Leigh Chapter No. 85, Order of the Eastern Star, was active in Avon Park by 1915

Leigh Chapter No. 85, Order of the Eastern Star, met regularly in the Masonic hall of Avon Park by January 1915, operating alongside Poinciana Lodge No. 227 of the Free and Accepted Masons.[desoto-1915-01-14][maxwell-1976]

Organization and Meeting Place

In May 1913, visiting New Haven businessman Harry Leigh reported that Avon Park builders were erecting a new business block intended to house a Masonic lodge, and that the wives of the local members had already sewn ten Masonic aprons.[nhu-1913-05-04] The Grand Lodge of Florida chartered Poinciana Lodge No. 227 on 21 January 1914, which occupied upper-floor quarters in the Avonian Block on Main Street beside the Verona Hotel.[maxwell-1976]

The female fraternal counterpart, Leigh Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, was instituted soon after. The local column in The De Soto County News recorded on 14 January 1915 that “Leigh chapter Order of the Eastern Star met Friday evening in the Masonic hall. There was a good attendance and the ladies served a lunch after the meeting.”[desoto-1915-01-14] A subsequent notice on 15 April 1915 confirmed ongoing Friday evening sessions in the Masonic hall.[desoto-1915-04-15]

Delegates to Grand Chapter in 1916

By the spring of 1916, the chapter was fully incorporated into the statewide governing structure as Leigh Chapter No. 85. On 17 April 1916, a delegation of three Avon Park women traveled to Jacksonville to represent the lodge at the annual sessions of the Grand Chapter of Florida, Order of the Eastern Star:

  • Mrs. Nathan Smith, wife of pioneer merchant Nathan Smith
  • Mrs. J. F. Caulfield
  • Mrs. DeForest Canfield, wife of pioneer merchant and future Highlands County tax collector DeForest Canfield[desoto-1916-04-20]

At the same time, regular chapter meetings continued in Avon Park. On Friday evening, 14 April 1916, Leigh Chapter No. 85 assembled at the Masonic hall, followed by refreshments and games in the hall library.[desoto-1916-04-20]

The Leigh Name and Later Continuity

The chapter took its name from the Leigh family of New Haven and Atlantic City. Philip J. Leigh maintained a large winter estate and grove on Lake Lotella and downtown property, while his brother Harry Leigh was an active Connecticut Mason (Olive Branch Lodge and Harmony Council) who invested in Avon Park real estate and promoted the founding of the town’s Masonic body.[nhu-1913-05-04]

Leigh Chapter No. 85 remained an active fraternal institution in Avon Park through the twentieth century, moving with Poinciana Lodge No. 227 from the old Avonian Block to the modern Masonic Temple completed in 1961 at 939 West Main Street.[maxwell-1976][irs-990-leigh-85]

References

Where this comes from

Evidence
corroborated — More than one independent source agrees.
Review
unverified — Drafted from sources but not yet checked by a volunteer.
Rights
society

Sources

  1. The De Soto County News, The De Soto County News (Arcadia, Fla.), 14 January 1915, page 14 (1915)
  2. The De Soto County News, The De Soto County News (Arcadia, Fla.), 15 April 1915, page 4 (1915)
  3. The De Soto County News, The De Soto County News (Arcadia, Fla.), 20 April 1916, page 5 (1916)
  4. The New Haven Union (New Haven, Conn.), Winter Scenes Down at Avon Park, Florida / Misses Japan But Lands in Florida — Harry Leigh's Fine Outing in the South, The New Haven Union (New Haven, Conn.), 4 May 1913, page 23 (1913)
  5. Leoma Bradshaw Maxwell, The First Hundred Years of Avon Park, Florida (references/first-hundred-years.md) (1976)
  6. Internal Revenue Service, Order Of The Eastern Star Of Florida, 85 Leigh (EIN 59-6213794) (2024)

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