“What happened at the Flint Hill Freemason's Lodge was a tragedy. NG Turf is honored to have been able to be part of the reconstruction efforts.”
Whitesburg, GA (PRWEB) November 25, 2015
When tragedy struck the Flint Hill Freemason’s Lodge in August of 2014 the community banded together to rebuild this 130 year old piece of history. Among the generous local businesses and individuals contributing to the efforts were NG Turf, Ben Hill Roofing, Tippens Gutters, Moody Heating and Air, King of Pop Nurseries, Groundscapes, Albertson Construction, Jourdan Technologies (security), Sheffield Electric (wiring and lighting), Robert Clemente (sound system), and Will Hester (carpentry).
“What happened here was a tragedy,” comments Aaron McWhorter, president of NG Turf. “We are honored to have been able to be part of the reconstruction efforts.”
“We will be moving into our new building in about a week,” says lodge member Brian Albertson. “That simply wouldn’t be possible without the generous outpouring of support from our community. The arson fire devastated the building – it was a total loss. But what we found even more distressing was losing many historical documents, artifacts, and irreplaceable photos, some dating back to our founding in 1892.”
To honor the historic significance of the location, the members of Flint Hill Lodge have named their building McWhorter Freemason’s Hall. “The original building, which we once shared with New Covenant United Methodist Church, was the last standing edifice of McWhorter, Georgia,” explains Albertson. “We wanted to do all we could to preserve this important piece of local history.”
The middle of the night arson attack on August 29, 2014 was not the first time vandals took aim at the Flint Hill Masonic Lodge. Just weeks before the fire, someone threw rocks through the windows. Shortly before that, vandals broke in and stole the Holy Bible and Masonic furnishings.
“Why anyone would want to do this is beyond me,” says lodge member Ross Laver. “We are a peaceful group of people dedicated to helping others in need.”
Nationally, the Freemasons are well known for their support of widows, children, and the poor. The Freemasons helped found the Scottish Rite Children’s hospital in Decatur, Georgia, in 1915 to provide care to poor crippled children. Scottish Rite, now a part of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, is a world-renowned medical facility still supported by Freemasons.
As part of a state-wide Freemason sponsored event, the members of the Flint Hill Masonic Lodge provide thousands of free state-of-the-art child identity kits every year to help families safely store vital information and DNA samples should their child ever go missing. They also support the Masonic Home of Georgia – a safe place for children from broken homes offering financial and educational opportunities, including a free college education.
The members of the Flint Hill Freemasons Lodge will be celebrating their grand reopening of McWhorter Hall on December 19th at 4:30 pm. The public is invited to join in the festivities as new officers are installed and awards are given.
About NG Turf
NG Turf is a family-owned and operated turfgrass grower with over 2,500 acres at six locations across Georgia. Members of the Urban Ag Council, the Georgia Green Industry Association, and certified by GCIA (the Georgia Crop Improvement Association), their 10 proprietary varieties of sod include Zeon Zoysia, TifGrand and TifWay Bermuda, Rebel Supreme Fescue, and TifBlair Centipede. Founded in 1985, NG Turf has become Georgia’s premier sod grower and supplier for landscape professionals, golf course developers and superintendents, athletic field managers, municipalities, and homeowners. http://www.ngturf.com
