Acacia Lodge

The Clifton Acacia Masonic Lodge is located in the County of Fairfax in the historic town of Clifton Virginia and is one of Clifton's original buildings, an old Saw Mill c.1870's. and was the first building in the town to have electricity. The building has played very impotent roles in the towns history over the past century, Clifton residents, church groups, Clifton Government, homeowner associations and many other groups have use it for meetings, parties, and gatherings. One such special meeting called by Mayor W. Swem Elgin on May 26, 1942 during WWII with Mr. Carper, Chief of the Fairfax County Fire Department and others gave birth to Clifton's first volunteer Fire Department Station 16.

In 1985 the Acacia Masonic Lodge building was register with the United States Department of Interior Park Service, National Register of Historic Places as a Historical Landmark.

In 1903 the Freemasons of Acacia Lodge No. 16 entered into an agreement with Mr. R. C. Hickey to purchase the saw mill on a five year note at a cost of $250 at $14 a year interest through 1908 when $40 was applied to the principal bring the yearly interest rate down to $6 where it remained until early 1920 when an agreement was reached with Mr. R C. Hickey to exchange lots for one more convenient on Main Street and abolish the debt of $100 still owed on the Deed of Trust. The Acacia Masonic Lodge was moved to its’ present site in June 1920 at a cost of $130 and the final transaction of acquiring the Deed took place on July 18, 1921 going beyond it’s original 5 year time to 18 years.

On March 19, 1971 a 20x25 foot parcel on land adjoining its current property was purchased from Theodore E. Namey for the cost of $5, this is where the water Well is located.

About 1921 electricity was installed with the help of Mr. R. E. Simpson, General Manager of the Southern Railroad. Also eliminated the steps outside and move them inside by adding a 13' 5" extension to the building on the north or left end., and later the main entrance was moved to the center front side of the building facing Main Street, as it is today.

During October 2008 at a cost of over $120,000.00 the building was picked up and moved back temporally and placed on the adjacent property so that a new three foot high concrete foundation could be constructed. The left front of the new foundation was rotated about four feet counter clockwise which brought that corner closer to Main St. This was done to square the building on its property lot and make it parallel to Main St. The new foundation was needed after major flooding in June of 2006 washed out the old foundation supports that had already been withstanding abuse from occasional flooding over the past 86 years. Other repairs and improvements are planned in the next couple of years at an additional cost of over $140,000.00.