2nd Monday · 7:30 PM
Masons OnlyStated Meeting
Our regular business meeting. Master Masons in good standing are welcome to visit — arrive early to be vouched for, or bring current credentials.
Our History
A Century of Light on the Hilltop
West Gate Lodge No. 623, F. & A.M. was chartered on July 17, 1913, in the heart of Columbus, Ohio's Hilltop neighborhood. In 1923, our historic temple was raised at 2925 W. Broad Street, and for more than a century these walls have witnessed generations of men coming together to improve themselves and strengthen the bonds of friendship.
We are part of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ohio, continuing the ancient tradition of using allegory and symbolism — drawn from the building of King Solomon's Temple — to help good men become better.
Why "West Gate"?
In the allegory of King Solomon's Temple, the West Gate was one of the three principal entrances through which the workmen passed. Symbolically, the West represents the setting sun, the completion of the day's labor, and the transition from active building toward reflection — and the hope of light renewed in the East.
Our founders honored that ancient symbolism while grounding it in a very real place and time.
On the Ground of Camp Chase
During the Civil War, Camp Chase served as a major Union training camp and prisoner-of-war facility along the National Road — now West Broad Street. Its main gate once lay adjacent to the land where our lodge stands; the historical marker sits in front of our temple today.
On ground once marked by division and the human cost of war, West Gate Lodge has worked for over a century to promote harmony, brotherhood, and relief — a beacon of unity raised on a site of strife.
West Gate Today
We labor in the quarry with the working tools of our profession — the twenty-four-inch gauge to measure our time wisely, the common gavel to chip away at our imperfections, and the trowel to spread the cement of brotherly love.
Our members come from many walks of life, yet we meet upon the level as equals. Through community breakfasts, charitable endeavors, and open fellowship, we strive to live our obligations in visible, meaningful ways.
