History of Hunter’s Lodge no. 156 A.f. & A.M.

Introduction

Colonel William Preston established his home, Smithfield Plantation, in 1774 near Draper’s Meadow, formerly a military and political capitol for the surrounding region. Early settlers of Scotch-Irish heritage, such as Draper, Ingles, Buchanan, Brown, Preston, McDonald, Henderson, Rutledge, and Robinson, and German heritage, such as Price, Harman, Harless, Kipps, Linkous, and Broce, settled the surrounding region. Black came about the region in 1772 and the town of Blacksburg derived its name from the son of a pioneer and preacher Reverent Samuel Black. Upon Samuel Black’s death, his sons, William and John Black, received portions of their father’s land. William Black provided his land for the establishment of the town of Blacksburg in 1798. John Black provided his land for the development and later establishment of the Olin and Preston Institute in 1854 and subsequently the land-grant Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1872.

In 1856, under a dispensation granted by the Right Worshipful Master of the Grand Lodge of Virginia, a called communication of Hunter’s Lodge No. 156 met in the Second Academic Building of the college in the town of Blacksburg.

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