Masonic Village at Dallas History

A joint venture between the Masonic Villages and the Irem Shrine, the Masonic Village at Dallas was founded on March 9, 2005, on the grounds of the Irem Country Club and Golf Course. The first residents moved into the community in January 2007.

The Irem Shrine, located in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., was the 71st Shrine Center chartered in 1895 by the Imperial Council. A part of the Family of Freemasonry, the Shriners are known for their colorful parades and circuses, but most especially for their official philanthropy: the Shriners Hospitals for Children, a network of hospitals that provide free orthopedic, burn and spinal cord injury care to children under 18.

The Irem Shrine Center established the Irem Country Club and Golf Course in 1923 after purchasing the Derr Estate in Dallas Township in 1922. The Irem Country Club has grown over the years, and now includes one of the largest pavilions in Northeast Pennsylvania, an RV park with a pavilion and a smaller pavilion at the Gun Club.