47,913 Freemasons under the authority of the Grand Lodge of
Ancient Freemasons of South Carolina, which is the descendant
of the old Provincial Grand Lodge.
Freemasonry in the state went through a period of disunity
after the Revolutionary War. In 1787 a second Grand Lodge
was formed in South Carolina, the Grand Lodge of Ancient
York Masons, which established many lodges, especially in the
backcountry. The original Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted
Masons, also known as the Moderns, was not strong enough at
this point in time to do much about it. The Moderns had large
numbers of Loyalists, and several lodges ceased to exist after
many of their members were exiled or chose to leave the colony
after the Revolutionary War. The two Grand Lodges argued
over jurisdiction until 1817, when they merged to form the
Grand Lodge of Ancient Freemasons of South Carolina.
What goes around comes around. History is prologue. These
clichés speak to the two men, Bros. George Washington and
Benjamin Franklin, who contributed greatly to the founding
of America. They are both pillars of American history, as well
as celebrated Master Masons. Bob “Cat” Taylor has chronicled
and celebrated their amazing contributions in a unique and fab-
ulous way. He and his students create murals. One in particular
has fired the imagination of his students and Freemasons.
“As a Lecturer at Coastal Carolina University I have taught a
Mural Painting class in some form every summer for the past six
years. While it has been a great way to make a little extra money
as a teacher in the summer, no other class is as stressful in the
beginning and as rewarding in the end!”
All murals start with a bright-eyed arts professor full of grandi-
ose ideas and sometimes end with a sunburnt, broken, and frazzled
professor with a dream that has been compromised. No matter the
outcome, in the eyes of the professor, the public usually stands in
awe of the behemoth mural before them, the real reward comes
from the attention that the students receive for a job well done.
“The mural, entitled Masters of the Revolution, was differ-
ent than anything than I had done before. It all began with an
empty wall calling me everyday, as I would meet my coach Alan
The Masters of the Revolution mural in its entirety on one of the
walls of Grand Strand Lodge No. 392, in North Myrtle Beach, SC.
Photography: Bro. Brian Robert “Cat” Taylor, MM
