Virginia
City 3
Virginia City Nevada
Virginia City Lodge #3 was originally chartered as #162 on the Grand Lodge roll of California. It was issued a dispensation on January 15, 1863 and chartered on May 4, 1863 at Virginia City, Storey County, Nevada.
It joined with Escurial Lodge #171, also of Virginia City, to issue a call to other lodges in Nevada to join in a convention to form the Grand Lodge of Nevada. It was represented at that convention by its Master, Charles Fish, Senior Warden Joseph Barnert and Junior Warden M. J. Kern. Worshipful Brother Charles Fish was selected as Secretary of the convention. After the formation of the Grand Lodge he was elected as the first Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Nevada. As it was the third oldest lodge in the State, it was assigned Number 3 on its new Charter.
On the returns to Grand Lodge in 1865 it listed its Master Masons on the rolls as 101 and in 1869 as 153. By 1914, with the playing out of the silver and gold, and the decline in population of Virginia City, its membership had declined to 40 members. In the three years prior to 1914 only one Candidate was raised.
In Grand Lodge of 1915 Grand Master, Most Worshipful Theodore Steinmetz stated that Virginia City Lodge #3 had surrendered its Charter on November 14, 1914 by a voluntary action of its members. This action was referred to the Charters Committee and on June 9, 1915, without further comment, the committee report was adopted. No mention is made as to the disposition of its membership.