Historic Universal Lodge In Annapolis To Be Renovated

ANNAPOLIS, MD — The historic Universal Lodge #14 on Clay Street will undergo an exterior facelift thanks to a $200,000 grant awarded to the City of Annapolis from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development. The renovation is expected to take about 10 months.

“This grant will help the community preserve the significant legacy of Annapolis’ African American community and contribute to the revitalization of the Clay Street neighborhood,” said Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley.

The historic Universal Lodge #14 is an African-American Masonic Lodge located at 64 Clay Street, in an area known as the “Old Fourth Ward.” The structure dates back to 1880 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The members acquired the building around 1940 for the lodge’s headquarters.

The lodge was founded in 1865 by a group of African America civilian employees of the Naval Academy. The building is important to the city's history, because the lodge and its members contributed in a significant manner to the fabric of the Clay Street community, especially in the 1960s. The last major renovation of the building was in 1956.