Matagorda Lodge No. 7, A.F. & A.M., one of the oldest Masonic lodges in Texas, traces its history to the Republic of Texas. A group of Masons met on June 24, 1838, and petitioned the newly created Grand Lodge of Texas for a charter to form a lodge there. It was officially chartered on November 12, 1838, with Seth Ingram as First Master. From its beginning, the lodge was active and influential in the community's development: the first services of Christ Episcopal Church were held in the Masonic Hall, the Masons operated a lending library for the town's citizens, and they supported local public education projects. In 1868, because of financial difficulties and the strains of the Civil War, the lodge was deactivated. Its members maintained interest in it, however, and it was rechartered by the Grand Lodge in 1911 under its original number. Its members have included many prominent Texans, including local and state government officials, as well as veterans of the War of 1812, the Texas Revolution, Mexican War, Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.