From the ferry-house at Hunters Point to the great temples of Elmhurst and Astoria, this article traces the story of three historic Queens Masonic lodges whose legacy now lives on in Advance Service Mizpah Lodge No. 586. It is a story of builders, brotherhood, and an unbroken chain stretching across more than 150 years of New York history.

Advance Service Mizpah Lodge No. 586 carries forward more than 160 years of Masonic history, uniting the legacies of six predecessor lodges across Manhattan, Long Island City, Astoria, Elmhurst, and Flushing. From Civil War–era meeting halls to the enduring Advance Masonic Temple in Astoria, this remarkable lineage reflects the growth of New York City itself and the enduring strength of Freemasonry in Queens.

Raised a Master Mason at Geba Lodge in 1919, Brother David Wechsler went on to create the intelligence scales that reshaped psychology worldwide. This article explores his Masonic roots, his work at Bellevue, and the enduring impact of the Wechsler tests on how we understand human intelligence.

Abolitionist, Lincoln elector, Masonic leader, and Broadway’s first legal champion—Abram J. Dittenhoefer lived a life that reads like a novel. Discover the story of the Jewish New Yorker who turned down a judgeship from Lincoln and once tried Mark Twain for “unconscionable lying.”