History of Our Lodge
On April 4, 1885 there met in the city of San Juan Bautista, for the purposeof establishing in this city a new lodge under the jurisdiction of the Most
Worshipful Provincial Grand Lodge of Puerto Rico. Master Masons Marcos, C.
O'Farril, Carlos B. Meltz, Francisco Acosta, Javier Zequeira, Antonio
Gutiérrez, Ramón Látimer, Carlos G. Borch, William H. Biscome and Teobaldo
Meltz. At this meeting the name of San Juan Bautista was selected for the lodge. The lodge suspended from 1887 to 1898 ( approximately 11 years ) on account
of the antagonism of the Clerical Party, then in power, and the arbitrary
and the unjust edicts issued by the Spanish Governor General against
Freemasonry in Puerto Rico. Upon the cession of the island to the United States, and the consequent
occupation of the island by the Army and Navy of the United States, the many
American masons - officers, soldiers and civilian employees - connected with
those forces looked for a lodge in which to make their temporary or permanent
home and selected this lodge, probably many of its members were familiar with
the English language. On March 17, 1900 the lodge performed it's last work in Spanish language and
in the Scottish Rite, and since that time all work has been carried in English
and in the York Rite and under the name of St. John the Baptist Lodge #12 F. & A. M.,
with the full approval of the Sovereign Grand Lodge of Puerto Rico Brother Kevin N. Mullert ( López ) PM / 32*