About Us

An Historical Account of the United Grand Commandery, M.K.T. of PA, P.H.A.

The United Grand Commandery, Masonic Knights Templar, Jurisdiction of Pennsylvania, Prince Hall Affiliated, was organized as a Grand Commandery on December 12, 1830, and is the Mother Grand Commandery of Prince Hall Masonic Knights Templar.

The Knights Templar were the earliest of the Military Orders; and were strictly a religious group founded largely from the Monastic Order of the Benedictines, who professed the doctrines of the Living Christ.  France, England, and other countries formed Templar Knights Associations. Their dedication and consecration to the defense of the Christian religion are the Templars whose Christian principles we emulate and symbolically represent.

Masonic tradition states that in 1818, the Grand Master of England, the Duke of Sussex, deputized Passey Benjamine, a seafaring man, and a native of French West Indies, authorizing him to establish commanderies in West Indies and North America.  Benjamine had previously been made a Mason in St. George’s Lodge, Liverpool, England.  He became a resident of Philadelphia, PA and was made a member of the first African Lodge of Philadelphia.  On June 12, 1820, Benjamine organized St. George Commandery in Philadelphia, PA with Sir Joseph W. Smith chosen as Eminent Commander.  The commandery was named after a patron Saint of England, who was martyred under Diocletian after confessing Christianity.  During this time, there was dissension as Union Lodge #4 was expelled from First Independent African Grand Lodge of North America for Pennsylvania in 1819.  The Union Commandery was established on October 12, 1820 with Sir Caesar Thomas as Eminent Commander.

After other commanderies were subsequently formed in Philadelphia: Palestine Commandery No. 2 organized July 3, 1826 with Sir George Clark elected as Eminent Commander and Richmond Commandery No. 3 organized January 18, 1830 with Sir Isaac Sullivan elected as Eminent Commander; along with St. George Commandery No. 1, the First Independent African Grand Lodge of North America for Pennsylvania established the First African Grand Commandery, Masonic Knights Templar of Pennsylvania on December 12, 1830 in Philadelphia, PA with Past Most Worshipful Grand Master Peter Richmond appointed as Most Eminent Grand Commander.  The First African Grand Commandery of PA was re-organized on September 13, 1832, as the First Independent African Grand Commandery, Masonic Knights Templar of PA, independently from the Grand Lodge, in Philadelphia, PA with Sir Isaac Sullivan elected as Most Eminent Grand Commander.    On June 8, 1844, the First Independent African Grand Commandery of PA evolved into the First Independent African Grand Encampment of North America with Sir Thomas Henderson elected as Most Eminent Grand Master.  It was headquartered at the Masonic Temple, 409 S. 11^th Street, Philadelphia, PA.  Also in 1844, St. Andrews Grand Encampment of PA, affiliated with Hiram Grand Lodge of PA was organized in Philadelphia, PA with Union Commandery No. 1 and other commanderies.  It was headquartered at Union Hall, South 7^th Street, Philadelphia, PA and later moved to the Masonic Temple, 10^th & Hunter Streets in 1874 and subsequently to the Masonic Temple, 1227 Locust Street, Philadelphia, Pa in 1879. From these two Grand Encampments, commanderies were rapidly organized and constituted throughout America.

There were conflicts between St. Andrews Grand Encampment of PA and First Independent African Grand Encampment of North America as a result of the formation of the National Grand Lodge on June 24, 1847.  First Independent African Grand Encampment adhered to the National Grand Lodge and St. Andrews Grand Encampment adhered to the Independent or States Rights Grand Lodges.  As Hiram Grand Lodge of PA merged with First Independent African Grand Lodge of North America for PA on January 19, 1848, albeit temporary, St. Andrews Grand Encampment apparently refused to merge with First Independent African Grand Encampment.

On October 20, 1881, St. Andrews Grand Encampment of PA merged with the First Independent African Grand Encampment of North America to form the United Grand Commandery, Masonic Knights Templar of PA with Sir William H. Miller elected as Right Eminent Grand Commander; Sir Charles N. Brown, Very Eminent Deputy Grand Commander; Sir James T. Johnson, Eminent Grand Generalissimo; Sir Charles H. Edwards, Eminent Grand Captain General; Sir Jonathan Miller, Eminent Grand Treasurer and Sir Moses Wheeler, Eminent Grand Recorder.  Masonic Knights Templary spread rapidly throughout Pennsylvania among Prince Hall Freemasons who are Holy Royal Arch Masons.  The United Grand Commandery was headquartered at 1227 Locust Street and 409 S. 11^th Street, Philadelphia, PA until the early 1950’s when it moved to the Masonic Temple at 1632 W. Diamond Street.  It is presently headquartered at the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of PA Masonic Complex at 4301 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, PA.

In 1904, the Supreme Grand Court of America, subsequently the Most Royal Grand Court, Order of Cyrene, PHA, State of Pennsylvania was organized, and the Order of Cyrene was accepted as an Auxiliary at the 74th Annual Grand Conclave of the United Grand Commandery held in Williamsport. PA.  On August 27 and 28, 1942, the Most Royal Grand Court of Cyrene was accepted and adopted as the legal Auxiliary by the United Grand Commandery at the 112th Annual Grand Conclave held in West Chester, PA.  The Most Eminent Grand Commander was Sir Sparkman Dorsey; the Most Royal Grand Commandress was Mazie Atkins, and the Most Royal Grand Chief Engineer was Sir Edmund Scotti.

The United Grand Commandery is a supporting member of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar, U.S.A. and Its Jurisdiction, PHA, Inc. and the following Past Most Eminent Grand Commanders of Pennsylvania had served as Most Eminent Grand Master: Sir William T. Brister (1952-1956); Sir Sparkman Dorsey (1956-1958); Sir Henry Choya Smalls, Jr. (1996-1998); and Sir John C. Everett (2000-2002).  Sir L. Harold Gray was Right Eminent Deputy Grand Master at the time of his death in 1960 and Sir Armstead W. Joyner was Right Eminent Grand Captain General at the time of his death in 2013.  The following Sir Knights were conferred the title of Most Eminent Honorary Past Grand Master: Past Most Eminent Grand Commanders Sir John R. Gilmore; Sir Alexander Murphy; Sir James M. Thornton; Sir Joseph Purdie III; Sir James Sheppard, Jr. and Sir Walter J. Sims, Jr.; Past Eminent Grand Commander and Past General Conference Grand High Priest Sir John White; Past Most Worshipful Grand Master Sir Malcolm E. Harris and Past Imperial Potentate Sir John Chapman.

The following Sir Knights from Pennsylvania are currently serving the Grand Encampment: Past Most Eminent Grand Commander Sir Fred R.S. Nelson, Jr., Right Eminent Deputy Grand Master; Past Most Eminent Grand Commander and Most Eminent Honorary Past Grand Master Sir Joseph Purdie III, Right Eminent Grand Treasurer; Past Most Eminent Grand Commander and Most Eminent Honorary Past Grand Master Sir Walter J. Sims, Jr., Right Eminent Jurisdictional Deputy of PA; Past Most Eminent Grand Commander Sir Phillip Berry, Past Right Eminent Jurisdictional Deputy of MS and Past Eminent Grand Commander Sir Toby A. Bryant, Eminent Grand Marshal and Drill Master.

In 2008, the United Grand Commandery, organized December 12, 1830, and the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Pennsylvania, organized May 12, 1797, passed a resolution of fraternal recognition and intervisitation at their respective Annual Grand Conclaves.  The elected officers of United Grand Commandery of Pennsylvania: Sir Armstead W. Joyner, Most Eminent Grand Commander; Sir James Swinton, Jr., Right Eminent Deputy Grand Commander; Sir Walter J. Sims, Jr., Eminent Grand Generalissimo; Sir Antoine Small, Eminent Grand Captain General; Sir Rev. Gerald W. Saunders, Eminent Grand Prelate; Sir Ronald W. Barber, Eminent Senior Warden; Sir Benjamin Braxton, Eminent Grand Junior Warden and Past Eminent Grand Commander Sir William T. Furcron, Eminent Grand Recorder.  The elected officers of the Grand Commandery of Pennsylvania: Sir Bryan L. Berry, Right Eminent Grand Commander; Sir Leslie J. Loomis, Very Eminent Deputy Grand Commander; Sir John W. Hawk, Eminent Grand Generalissimo; Sir S. Timothy Warco, Eminent Grand Captain General; Sir John K. March, Eminent Grand Senior Warden; Sir Wilmer E. Hall, Eminent Grand Junior Warden and Sir Douglas M. Rowe, Eminent Grand Recorder.

In 2010, an historic moment occurred as the Most Eminent Grand Master of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar, U.S.A. and Its Jurisdiction, PHA, Inc., Sir Homer L. Buchanan and the Most Eminent Grand Master of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the U.S.A., Sir William H. Koon, II, both from the Jurisdiction of Ohio, attended the 180th Annual Grand Conclave of the United Grand Commandery of Pennsylvania at the invitation of our Most Eminent Grand Commander Sir James Swinton, Jr.

As we are in the 21^st Century, we can easily picture strides of rapid progress.  We, the Sir Knights of this day, must contribute to that progress.  We look to the future while commemorating the past, drawing lessons from the past for the future.

Sir Walter J. Sims, Jr. #2, KCT, KGC, KYGCH
Past Most Eminent Grand Commander
Eminent Grand Historian