Kilwinning Lodge Chapter House

Mother Kilwinning History

The history of the Mother Lodge dates back to the year 1140 at the building of the Abbey, the ruins of which lie to the rear of the Lodge. The Lodge was founded in the chapter house within the Abbey and remained there until the reformation in 1560 when the Earl of Glencairn, a blood enemy of the Earls of Eglinton who hold a long tradition with the Lodge, sacked the Abbey.

Little is known of the masons at this point but they still met at various locations including the Abbey in 1598-1599, the house in the Crossbrae in the town centre in 1643 known as the "masons howf" and the court house of the Earl of Eglinton.  In the mid 1700,s the masons decided to build a new Lodge and in 1779 the old Lodge was built at the entrance to the Abbey. Unfortunately 100 years later due to decay and fear of the building collapsing it was demolished and a new Lodge was built 30 yards from the former site and remains there today. The present Lodge was consecrated in 1893.

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