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Creator
Knights of Pythias
Call number
Sc MG 504
Physical description
19 linear feet (14 record cartons, 3 flat boxes)
Preferred Citation
[Item], Knights of Pythias files, Sc MG 504, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, The New York Public Library
Repository
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division
Access to materials
Request access to this collection.

In 1869, the Knights of Pythias Supreme Lodge held a meeting in Richmond, Virginia, to discuss instituting a charter for an African-American lodge. Although the charter was denied, it prompted black men to create their own fraternal lodge. Dr. Thomas W. Stringer, was the founder of the black Order known as the "Supreme Lodge Knights of Pythias of North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa" (KPNSAEAA). Around 1880, the first black Orders were established in Mississippi: Lightfoot Lodge No. 1, Meridian Lodge No. 2 and Damon Lodge No. 3. KPNSAEAA's membership grew steadily. By 1897, 40,000 men had been initiated, including those in the West Indies and Central America; however, the majority of members were in the United States. The collection is primarily comprised of ledgers containing financial records, minutes and annual reports for the various lodges. The ledgers are organized by lodge, except for several oversized ledgers from different lodges that are housed together due to their size. Consult the finding aid for further details about specific lodges.

Scope and arrangement

The collection is primarily comprised of ledgers containing financial records, minutes and annual reports for the various lodges. The ledgers are organized by lodge, except for several oversized ledgers from different lodges that are housed together due to their size. Consult the finding aid for further details about specific lodges.

Of particular note are the death claim files and beneficiary applications, which hold membership information across all lodges including the Sojourna Household of Ruth, an auxiliary of the Order. Additionally, there are administrative documents belonging to the governing bodies i.e., the Master of Works Council #1 and the Pycal Holding Corporation, publications created by the different lodges and the Sojourna Household of Ruth, as well as miscellaneous paraphernalia.

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Gift, Denise Lamaute, 1988

Using the collection

Location

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division
515 Malcolm X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037-1801
Second Floor