1883 – Royal Masonic Institution for Boys, Woodgreen, London

Architect: Dunk & Geden

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From 1798 there were two Masonic charities for clothing and educating sons of indigent Freemasons. The charities operated separately for nearly 60 years, each providing for the education of sons by sending them to the nearest school to which they resided. Wood Green in North London was the first boys’ school, where 25 boys started in 1857 following an amalgamation of the two charities in 1852.

A new school was built in Bushey in Hertfordshire in 1903 with an adjoining Junior School added in 1929. By 1939 there were 800 boys aged 8 to 18 at Bushey. In the late 1950’s and 1960’s numbers declined and the two boys schools merged in 1970 and accepted boys from the age of 11.

Published January 27, 2010