In 1847, eleven years after the city of Atlanta was established, Atlanta Lodge No. 59 was constituted on the second floor, over a grocery, of a wooden, two story, building at the corner of Alabama Street and Lloyd Street (now Central Avenue). It was in the same building that Fulton No. 216, Atlanta’s other antebellum Lodge, received its Charter from the Grand Lodge of Georgia on October 30, 1857.

At the time of its inception, Atlanta Lodge was in DeKalb County.  In 1853, Fulton County was set off from DeKalb County. Because of that creation, Fulton Lodge became the county’s first Masonic lodge. Therefore, according to T. C. McDonald, Past Master of Fulton Lodge and author of the definitive book on early Masonic history in Atlanta, “….Atlanta Lodge No. 59 and Fulton Lodge No. 216 are the two oldest Masonic Lodges in Atlanta and Fulton County, The former being the Father and the latter, the Mother Lodge.”

Working for a short time under Dispensation until it received its charter, Fulton Lodge's first returns to the Grand Lodge were made on August 31, 1857.  The Lodge started with 28 members and paid $14.00 in dues to the Grand Lodge.

By the late 1850’s five Masonic Lodges were meeting in that first Masonic Hall over John Ryan’s store on Whitehall St. In 1859, David Mayer, Master of Fulton Lodge, served as President of the newly incorporated Masonic Hall Company. A new Masonic Temple on Decatur Street was dedicated on June 19, 1860. The building was spared by General Sherman when he burned Atlanta during the Civil War, but it was destroyed by an accidental fire, May 1, 1866.

It should be noted that in the last two years of the Civil War, no returns were made from the lodge, but by 1866 the Lodge was again operating. It is not known how many brethren were involved in the war, but the minutes show that W.L. Hubbard, Sheriff of Fulton County, “Served his country – The South.” Alvin Alley was in Charleston, South Carolina when the first shots of the war were fired at Fort Sumter. Harry Banks, who later served as Grand Master of Masons in Georgia, Morris Hirsch, Levi Cohen and Otto Spahr also served in the Confederate Army. There could have been many others, but early records remain lost.

In September, 1866, a cornerstone was laid on the corner of Forsyth and Marietta Streets for a new Masonic Temple Building. Unable to raise the money for the building, it was sold by the Sheriff. The building became the DeGieves Opera House. After this, the various Lodges met over John Ryan’s store on Whitehall Street. In 1871, the Lodges moved to the Old Grant Building at the corner of Marietta and Broad Streets. In 1892, the Lodges moved to the Old State Capitol Building on the corner of Marietta and Forsyth Streets. On December 27, 1894, fire destroyed the building. All of Fulton Lodge’s records from the first organizational meeting in May 1857, until that date were burned.

The Lodges then occupied the upper floor of the Old Chamber of Commerce Building at the corner of Hunter and Pryor St until 1902. They then moved to the Concordia Hall at the corner of Mitchell and Forsyth Streets. In 1909, the Lodges moved to a new Masonic Temple at the corner of Peachtree and Cain St. At that time, Fulton Lodge was meeting the first and third Thursday of the month.

Once again, fire destroyed the Atlanta Masonic Temple building on Peachtree and Cain St. in September, 1950. Fulton Lodge met at Morningside Lodge until it moved to its current location, the Atlanta Masonic Center, Sept 7^th 1960.

In 1900, the lodge had 116 members. Due to rapid growth, by 1903, 170 members were on the books. By 1950 the lodge had over 685 members.

Over the years, Fulton Lodge has been known throughout the state as one of the premiere lodges in Georgia. The quality of its work and lectures has been recognized as a shining example for other lodges to emulate.