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Community
Vanished lodge lives on in memories
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photos by EMILY BARNES
Sedrick Cobey, left, and Mary L. Keys, right, stand nearby as Terawana Keys-Bowman looks at the constitution of Gethsemane Lodge 1, as they stand where the building once stood in Nanjemoy.
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Years ago, a wooden A-frame building with a tin roof stood atop the hill on Gethsemane Hall Place in Nanjemoy.
The building, Gethsemane Hall, served as the meeting place for members of Gethsemane Lodge 1.
The lodge was founded on Dec. 15, 1891, and was recorded in the Charles County Courthouse on Feb. 2, 1892, according to its constitution.
The constitution states, "the Rev. Wesley Carter, sensing the great need of help for those in trouble and, acting in a spirit of cooperation with the people of the community, formulated the plan and laid the foundation for this grand organization."
The purpose of the organization "(a) is to bring about a closer relationship between all citizens of the country, (b) to help alleviate the sufferings of the citizens of the country, (c) to zealously watch at the bedside of the sick, soothe the pillow of the dying, perform the last sad rites at the grave of the departed, offer consolation to the bereaved and afflicted, and to assist in the care of widows and orphans," according to the constitution document.
Chief cooperatives, or founding members, included the Rev. Wesley Carter, Robert Warren, James R. Gutrick, Thomas Gains and James Cunningham.
Community advocate Terawana Keys-Bowman said, "It's amazing that this came about in the 1800s with such poetic grace." Keys-Bowman is a member of New Life Missionary Baptist Church of Southern Maryland and Good Works in Western Charles County.
On behalf of her church and the Rev. Herman Warren, Keys-Bowman nominated the lodge for the 2010 Endangered Maryland List.
"I think it's a worthy cause," Warren said. "It's a part of history, and I hope it will be remembered as a historical site."
The Endangered Maryland List is a partnership between nonprofit Preservation Maryland and Maryland Life magazine.
"It's a great way, if you know of a threatened building in the community to start partnering with local organizations … and to get some attention drawn to those sites," said Jessica Feldt, education and outreach director for Preservation Maryland.
Selected sites for the list will be revealed in Maryland Life's March/April issue.
Although there's not a financial award, the list provides a tool that recognizes the site "as a valuable asset to the community," Feldt said.
About 15 years ago, the lodge burned down.
"If the lodge can be rebuilt and we can begin to teach the history then we will also be uplifting the community," Keys-Bowman believes.
The members of the lodge were strong people, she said.
They did what was necessary to survive.
Former Gethsemane Lodge President Sedrick Cobey, 65, said the organization helped those who couldn't help themselves.
For example, members would carry firewood to people's homes to help keep them warm, said Mary L. Keys, 76, of Nanjemoy.
The lodge also served as a place for fellowship, dances and dinners to raise funds for community service. It was the strength of the community, Keys-Bowman said.
Cobey, who still lives in Nanjemoy, would like to rebuild the lodge, but wants to make sure the interest is there, he said. "I've talked to a couple of people and they seem interested. … I can't do it by myself."
Today the lodge could be used for family functions, teaching children, a work-van program and more, Keys-Bowman said.
However, at this time, there is no funding to rebuild, she said.
