On June 21, 1848, the Grand Lodge of Delaware, Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons approved a petition from local residents to establish a Masonic Lodge in Milton. The charter for Endeavor Lodge #17 of Frederica, which had ceased to exist some years earlier, was revived and transferred to the Milton organization. Its first Worshipful Master was James Ponder (1819 1897), a successful merchant and business leader who later served with distinction in the state legislature and as Governor of Delaware from 1871 until 1875. Sources indicate the Lodge first met in Ponder's Store House. The present Lodge Hall was built here on land conveyed by Samuel J. Martin in 1883, with the upper room used for meetings and the lower story rented as a store. A two-story addition was constructed in the early 20th century. Endeavor Lodge #17 was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 as part of the Milton Historic District.