Roanoke Lodge # 195 F. & A.M. was duly organized under dispensation of the Grand Lodge of Indiana F & A M on November 28, 1855 with the following officers:
Caleb Eldred, Worshipful Master; Samuel Daugherty, Senior warden; William Hendry, Junior Warden; C.B Richards, Treasure; R.F. Bleunt, Secretary; S.T. Morgan senior Deacon; S.N. Zent, Junior Deacon.
A charter was issued from the Grand Lodge on May 27, 1856
Roanoke Lodge # 195 was the second Masonic lodge formed in Huntington County, the oldest being Mystic Lodge of Huntington which has since surrendered its charter making Roanoke # 195 the oldest lodge in Huntington county.
Roanoke Lodge # 195 originally met in a frame building on Commercial Street about one hundred feet north of Second street on the east side facing west. Lodge meetings were held in this building until a fire on April 22, 1874 destroyed all records and property. There is no record of insurance and it is assumed no reimbursement was received for the property lost. It is not known whether the lodge owned any part of the building occupied or whether they rented the occupied portion from Wendell & Wasmuth, a local hardware merchant, whose property also burned in the fire.
The lodge obtained the use of the hall of Little River Lodge, I.O.O.F. #275 and then the home of Brother William Corkin on Seminary Street until December of 1875 when the moved to an upstairs room in the new Wendell and Wasmuth building on the North East corner of Second and Main Street. at an annual rent of 125.00.
In 1884 the Lodge obtained the title by Deed to the upstairs room of a building owned by Jacob and John Zent for the sum of 1,000.00. This was the first realestate owned by Roanoke Lodge. In October of 1897 gas was piped into the building replacing the use of kerosene and candles.
In 1914 the lodge building was sold to E.E. Richards for 1,250 and a new building was constructed at its present site for a cost to the lodge of $4,043.00. The lodge was dedicated on February 19, 1915.