The Grand Lodge of the Republic of Liberia is a fraternal organization based on the principles of Prince Hall Freemasonry. Prior to 1980, its membership tended to consist of Americo-Liberians and it was influential within the ruling True Whig party from its founding until the coup of Samuel Doe in 1980, when much of its senior leadership was killed and the new military regime banned masonic activities in the country.
History
thumb|Grand Masonic Temple in Monrovia Prior to the War
Founding
According to the Grand Lodge's official history, Freemasonry in Liberia traces its origins to settlers who arrived in 1822, including craftsmen from Prince Hall-affiliated lodges in the United States. Efforts to formally organize Freemasonry in Liberia developed after the settlement became an independent republic. Matters of state were widely believed to have been decided from within the lodges. The President of Liberia and the order's Grand Master, William R. Tolbert, Jr., was overthrown and killed in the coup. Freemasonry was banned by Doe in 1980, which caused the Grand Lodge's influence in Liberia to greatly diminish. President Doe, who later desired to become a Mason, lifted the ban on Masonic activities which led to the convening of a special Prince Hall meeting held in New Orleans in 1987 to elect a new Grand Master. This was followed by a meeting in Monrovia in 1988 when Freemasonry was formally reinstituted. President Doe was subsequently initiated in 1989. and its ruins became home to thousands of squatters. On trial, President Charles Taylor made light of allowing his troops to post human heads and skulls of enemies at checkpoints, saying it was no worse than the display of skulls in “Western fraternal organizations.”
The Masons evicted squatters from the Grand Lodge by 2005, Benoni Urey, a Freemason who is considered Liberia’s richest man and a possible candidate for the Liberian presidency, has said he wants to see the Masonic Order of Liberia return to prominence in Liberian politics.
In 2025, In Profile Daily Newspaper reported that the Grand Lodge had expanded to more than 19 active lodges across Liberia and identified Anthony W. Deline, who became Grand Master in 2021, as its 37th Grand Master.