Excerpt from The Centennial History of St. John's Commandery, No; 4: Knights Templar, A. O. 701-801, A. D. 1819-1919; Masonic Temple, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Compiled From the Minutes and Records of the Commandery and Other Authentic Sources A century of unbroken existence and activity has been accomplished, by St. John's Commandery, No. 4, Knights Templar, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is fitting, therefore, that a permanent and accessible record should be made of the Constitution, growth, struggles, and successes of the Commandery, and due honor rendered to the memory of the Valiant and Magnanimous Knights, whose labors and sacrifices have culminated in the splendid prosperity which characterizes the century's close. St. John's Commandery, we believe, is the oldest Commandery in the United States, in uninterrupted existence, and, as its history is most intimately related to that of the Order, almost from the time of its introduction into America, it is hoped that this compilation will have some value as a contribution to its literature. As a Mother of Commanderies, the annals of Old St. John's should be of interest to her children, and the story of her early struggles and successes a legacy of honor. The transactions and vicissitudes of a hundred glorious years have been presented chronologically, and with the utmost condensation, so that a consecutive view of men and events can be readily obtained. The committee gratefully acknowledges the valuable assistance and courtesy of Sir Julius F. Sachse, Curator and Librarian of the Masonic Temple, in furnishing material for the history, and the painstaking labors of the Recorder of the Commandery, E. Sir George J. Schaefer, in the preparation of the roster of knights and other collateral matter. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.