Garret J. Garretson rose from old Newtown to the New York Supreme Court, building a public life defined by civic duty, judicial integrity, and trust across party lines.

In 1867, twenty-two Masons in Astoria founded Advance Lodge to bring fellowship closer to home. Their charter reveals a rising village shaped by waterfront work, immigration, civic ambition, and the enduring belief that brotherhood should be built where life is lived.