From Historical Rutland: an illustrated history of Rutland, Vermont, from the granting of the charter in 1761 to 1911 by Rev. F. E. Davison, Rutland, Vt.: P.H. Brehmer, 1911, page 55:
Secret Societies
The first Masonic lodges were chartered in this State early in 1784, Center Lodge of Rutland being among the first. organized October 15, 1794, the same year the Grand Lodge in Vermont was organized. Noah Smith, who resided for a time in Rutland, was the first grand master. Rutland has had but one grand master. Henry H. Smith, who filled the office in 1876-77. Among the men who were early promoters of Masonry was [56] Nathaniel Chipman, whose fame asa United States senator and jurist is excelled by few. Center Lodge was the first lodge granted by the Grand Lodge after its organization, and it was at the house of Tesse Gove in Rutland, October 15, 1794. The lodge was reorganized in later years, the first meeting after the reorganization being held February 3, 1853. On June 26, 1856, a public installation was held at the Congregational Church, with an address by Henry Smith of Claremont, N. H. The procession moved to the Franklin House, where dinner was served.
Odd Fellowship has flourished in the county for more than half a century. The first lodge installed in the county was Otter Creek Lodge No. 10, constituted March 9, 1847. The five original petitioners were prominent citizens of Rutland, and the first regular meeting was held in a lodge room in an ell-part of the old Fay printing office on Main Street, March 16, 1847. August 19th of that year the first public address on Old Fellowship in Rutland was delivered by A. E. Hovey of New York City. This lodge suspended operations in 1857. Killington Lodge No. 29 was organized, Sept. 11, 1868, with 12 members. This has been a prosperous lodge with an increasing membership. Rutland Lodge No. 61 was instituted Feb. 22, 1899. Otter Creek Encampment was instituted Feb. 27, 1871. Canton Rutland and Good Will Rebekah Lodges have a flourishing membership.
At the present time there are no less than 50 secret societies, social, fraternal, insurance, and labor organizations, whose lodge rooms are the scenes of nightly gatherings, and in whose membership a large number of citizens, both men and women, are enrolled.