Trustees of the Masonic Hall and Asylum Fund
AT THE MASONIC CARE COMMUNITY, WE LOOK TO THE PAST, LIVE IN THE PRESENT, AND PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.
The Trustees of the Masonic Hall and Asylum Fund were created by an act of the New York State Legislature in April of 1864. With that decree, this group was entrusted with the maintenance and protection of various assets of the New York State Masonic Fraternity. The Trustees were empowered to build and maintain the Masonic Hall on West 23rd Street in New York City and from the revenue derived from those buildings, operate a home for the relief, support, and care of Masons, their wives, widows, and orphans. Originally founded as the “Masonic Home” in May of 1893, the Trustees help maintain the operations of the Masonic Care Community.
All volunteers, the Trustees also oversee operations of Round Lake Camp and the Camp Turk program in the Adirondacks, the DeWint House/George Washington’s Headquarters and Historic Site in Tappan New York, the Grand Lodge Building of the New York State Masonic Fraternity in New York City, Masonic Care New Rochelle, and development of a new property site in Henrietta, New York.
The New York State Masonic Fraternity supports the Masonic Care Community and has helped shape who we are today.
Members of the New York State Fraternity, and Brother Masons from around the country, have been leading contributors to the Masonic Care Community from its very beginning to today. They have helped create a safe haven and welcome place for tens of thousands of people in need.
Click here to access the latest issues of The Empire State Magazine and to learn more about the NYS Masonic Fraternity.
As we focus on the present, we celebrate improvements to the Masonic Care Community campus.
It was our past that shaped us, all while we’ve continued to remain focused on making continuing improvements to our campus. On any given day, you can see workers and trucks engaged in activities that enhance our buildings and our grounds for the people we serve.
Learn more about some recent improvements:
- Horticultural Center: One of the few horticultural centers to have ever been built on a senior care community campus, the Horticultural Center is a beautiful asset and resource for our residents. From growing clubs and activities, to events and gatherings, to S’mores on the outside patio, the Horticultural Center is a special place. We also grow lettuce and produce for resident meals, and flowers for outdoor use. Kids in our childcare program benefit from educational activities in the Horticultural Center’s classroom and engage in intergenerational programming with our residents.
- Daniel D. Tompkins Memorial Chapel: Built in 1912, the Chapel is the oldest building on the Masonic Care Community Campus. When you now visit the Chapel, you will see that the older, less architecturally appealing tunnel that ran between the Chapel and the Administration Building has been removed. The majestic Chapel now stands on its own, creating a beautiful new look for the most historic building on the Masonic Care Community campus.
Our future is in strengthening community bonds.
- Masonic Community Center: Plans are underway to convert the current Masonic Care Community Administration Building built in 1965 into a new Masonic Community Center to support both Masonic and community activities. There will be improvements in layout and equipment to enhance the use of the building as a training and education center. Discussions are also underway to build dining and kitchen areas on the ground floor to create a large dining venue with seating up to 400 for indoor dining. The present plans are to use geothermal energy for heating and air conditioning which will result in long-term energy cost savings. Major work is expected to continue on the development of the Masonic Community Center over the next several years so this historic ground can once again become a focal point for fraternal activity and outreach at the Masonic Care Community.
- Return of St. John’s Day: In June of 2022 the Masonic Care Community will proudly host St. John’s Day once again on our campus. St. John’s day is an annual Masonic Fraternity celebration and we look forward to welcoming more than 500+ Masonic Brothers and their family members back for this historic and meaningful event.
- Events: As part of our mission and to help strengthen our local community, the Masonic Care Community has sponsored events and activities on our beautiful 440-acre campus in partnership with other non-profit partners in the area. Following the pandemic, we look forward to the opportunity to host future events that help benefit our residents, community members and organizations, and to help promote and support the Mohawk Valley area.
We’re always happy to talk to you about the Masonic Care Community.
Whether you’re looking for care for yourself or a loved one, or would simply like to learn more about the Masonic Care Community, we’d love to speak with you! You may call us at (315) 798-4800 to learn more about how we can help, or click the button below to fill out our convenient contact form. We look forward to hearing from you soon!