HISTORY

Joseph McCutchen – Founder of McCutchenville & Guardian of Its Legacy

In 1827, Joseph McCutchen left Kentucky and journeyed westward to Ohio, first settling in the Tymochtee area of what would become Wyandot County. Just two years later, in 1829, he purchased land a few miles north and envisioned the creation of a permanent settlement. He commissioned Dr. George W. Sampson to survey and plat the land, giving rise to the village he proudly named McCutchenville. That same year, he constructed the community’s first home and established a hotel that served travelers along the busy stagecoach route known as Harrison’s Trail, making it a central hub for early pioneers.

Beyond his role as a town founder and businessman, McCutchen lived a life of service. During the American Civil War, he joined the Union Army and served as a Captain, demonstrating unwavering patriotism even later in life. He was also deeply devoted to Freemasonry, becoming a charter member and first Worshipful Master of Worpole Lodge No. 176 in Upper Sandusky. In 1866, he further solidified his legacy by becoming a charter member of McCutchen Chapter No. 96 of the Royal Arch Masons. His name also appears on the charter of Wyandot Lodge No. 314 in McCutchenville — the very lodge that would later occupy the historic structure now known as the 314 Masonic Temple.

The building itself was constructed in 1859 by Joseph McCutchen, a Freemason who envisioned it as a center for fraternal gathering and unity. Local tradition holds that the Knights of Pythias, another secretive fraternal society, once occupied the lower level, while the Freemasons conducted their meetings upstairs. By 1883, the Freemasons assumed full control of the structure, which would remain a functioning Masonic Temple for more than 150 years.

McCutchen’s personal residence stood across the street from the temple, and mystery surrounds the property still today. Within the temple’s basement lies a sealed section believed to be part of a hidden tunnel that may have once connected directly to his home — a passage whose true purpose remains unknown.

The building’s long history has also become entwined with reports of the unexplained. Previous occupants have described chilling encounters, including a shadow figure outlined in white descending the staircase, and a spectral man standing at the top of the stairs wearing a gray shirt adorned with medals and gold buttons who would silently vanish. Others reported seeing dark figures pacing the first floor late at night, as if echoes of the past still linger within the walls.

Joseph McCutchen passed away on March 13, 1869, in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, leaving behind a legacy that spans: