Oxford Lodge No. 175 F. & A. M. was organized March 10, 1815. This Lodge has had the following Lodge Rooms:
March 1815 - May 1817 Mr. Eban Enos furnished Room
May 1817 - December 1823 Joseph Phillips, Long Room
December 1823 - May 26, 1831 Clarke Building
The last recorded communication bears the date of May 26, 1831 when it was probably disbanded, although there is no record of the Charter being surrendered.
The Lodge was reorganized as Chenango Valley Lodge No. 175 F. & A. M. on July 22, 1850 in Cyrus Tuttle's home in the Tuttle Block. Cyrus Tuttle's home was known as Bender's Diner. This charter was surrendered on November 26, 1861 in favor of the formation of Oxford Lodge No. 175 F. & A. M.
Oxford Lodge No. 175 F. & A. M., under Dispensation, held its first regular communication on December 16, 1861. The Lodge held its meetings, for a short time, in rooms formerly occupied by Chenango Valley Lodge. These meetings were held in the second story of a building owned by William G. Sands (M.D.). This building then stood on the corner of the premises later owned by J. E. Packard on Washington Park. The Episcopal Church presently stands there. The William G. Sands building was moved and now stands on the Southeast comer of Merchant and Greene Streets.
The Lodge moved to rooms in the Clarke Block on June 17, 1862. The building is on the Northeast Comer of North Canal Street and State Street on Lafayette Square.
December 29, 1862 the Lodge made still another move. The Lodge moved to rooms on the third floor of the Lewis Block, a portion of Lewis Hall having been cut off, fitting it for Lodge purposes. Lewis Hall stood where the Navy Island Block now stands.
Late in 1881, the Lodge moved to J. B. Brown's new building located on the East side of North Canal Street.
In the spring of 1895, Oxford Lodge No. 175 F. & A. M. moved to new rooms over the bank and remained there until October 1941, when the Lodge moved to the second floor of the Navy Island Block.
The Main Lodge Rooms, with their furniture and contents, were destroyed by fire on January 2, 1961. Oxford Lodge, during the brief time of remodeling, met in Norwich Lodge No. 302 F. & A. M. rooms and returned to their own Lodge Rooms in April of the same year.
In 1985, the Lodge moved to the Chapel Building owned by the United Church of Oxford, where it presently meets. Grand Master M.•. W.•. Roswell T. Switts presided at the dedication of the facility.
Oxford Masonic Lodge purchased the property at 29 Main Street in 1999. This property is located directly adjacent to the Lodge. This property originally was a lovely old home that had been very much the envy of the neighborhood. Due to a very destructive fire in the 1970's, attempts were made to rehabilitate it to a worthwhile structure without much success. It became an eyesore to the neighborhood and to the Village of Oxford.
The purchasing of the property, the razing of the buildings, and installation of a parking lot on the site has become a convenience to the Lodge for parking. It has also become a convenience to the United Church of Oxford for parking when it is in session.
This project was very much appreciated by the village residents and is an excellent example of the Oxford Masonic Lodge's effort to contribute to the community at every opportunity.
The following are Community activities Oxford Lodge No. 175, F. A. M. supports:
Awards the Leslie Wedge Memorial Scholarship to a graduate of Oxford Academy and Central School on an annual basis.
Sponsors Masonic Youths by sending them to Camp Turk each summer.
Sponsor the Drug Free Schools Program in Oxford.
Several monetary awards are given to school students each year to further their education in various musical, leadership and academic programs.
Habitat for Humanity in Chenango County.
The Lodge has presented the DeWitt Clinton Award to the following individuals and/or organizations for their outstanding contribution to the Village of Oxford:
The Oxford Emergency Squad
Delvan Sullivan
Charlotte Stafford
The Chenango County Chapter of Habitat for Humanity
W.•. Kenneth Hawkins
The Grand Master approved the consolidation of Norwich Lodge No. 302 into Oxford Lodge No. 175 in May 2005.
