Ancient Free & Accepted Masons · Est. 1923
For over three centuries, Freemasonry has gathered men of integrity under a shared pursuit of moral truth, civic virtue, and fraternal fellowship. Guilford Lodge #656 carries that tradition in the heart of Greensboro, North Carolina.
The Craft
Freemasonry is not a religion, a political body, or a secret society — it is a society of secrets, a fraternity devoted to making good men better.
Every Mason enters the lodge as a stranger and leaves as a brother. The bonds forged here cross every boundary of background, profession, and belief, united by a common commitment to each other's wellbeing.
Rooted in the philosophical tradition of the Age of Reason, Masonry encourages the pursuit of knowledge, the exercise of sound judgment, and the cultivation of wisdom through allegory and symbol.
Masons are called to serve their communities. Through relief of the distressed, support of education, and acts of civic generosity, the lodge extends its light into the world beyond its doors.
"Masonry is founded on the immovable basis of faith in God, the practice of a comprehensive morality, and the exercise of the most extensive philanthropy."Albert G. Mackey — Historian & 33° Mason
Guilford Lodge #656
Chartered in 1923 under the Grand Lodge of North Carolina, Guilford Lodge #656 has been a steadfast pillar of Masonic tradition in Greensboro for over one hundred years. Our members represent every walk of life, bound together by the same apron, the same obligations, and the same aspiration toward virtue.
We meet on the first and third Monday of every month at the Masonic Temple, 426 West Market Street, Greensboro, NC.
Learn More About UsThe Path
Becoming a Mason is a deliberate, meaningful process — not a transaction, but a transformation.
Ask questions. Contact the lodge or a Mason you know. There is no pressure, no obligation.
Submit a petition and be interviewed by a committee of brothers who will learn who you are.
Receive the three Masonic degrees — Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason.
Take your place in a lodge that spans centuries and a brotherhood that spans the globe.
The Heart of the Craft
Masonry attracts people of many demographics — different ages, religions, economic backgrounds, races, and sexual orientations. Yet despite this diverse membership, or in honor of it, the one thing that binds all of us together is brotherly love and friendship.
Despite the wonders of technology, and indeed perhaps because of it, men today are lonelier now than ever before in history. We exist in a world depleted of third spaces. We have home and work and then nothing. Instead of community centers, we have message boards. Instead of fellowship at the cafeteria, we have video games. And tainting these virtual spaces are agendas of hatred and division.
In this lodge, we cultivate a safe island of community and fellowship in an otherwise desolate sea of isolation.Guilford Lodge #656 — Greensboro, North Carolina
Mentorship, friendship, brotherhood — that is what Masonry has to offer. We hope to assuage this crisis of loneliness and spread brotherly love amongst any demographic, to those who need it most.