Prince Hall Freemasonry began in the late eighteenth century when a group of free black men, led by Prince Hall (d. 1807), petitioned and were made members of a Masonic lodge attached to an Irish regiment stationed in Boston, Massachusetts. By 1784 the group had formed their own lodge and received a charter from the Grand Lodge of England. Since that time, Prince Hall Affiliated Freemasonry, with a predominantly black membership, has developed in a parallel evolution with so-called mainstream (i.e., predominantly white) Freemasonry in the United States. This is the case with the affiliated and appendant bodies as well, such as the Scottish Rite, York Rite, Eastern Star, and Shriners.

The first Prince Hall Masonic Lodge established in Columbus was Bradwell Lodge no. 4 (now Lewis Hayden Lodge no. 6) on 24 June 1871. Since 1871 seven additional lodges, as well as three Chapters of the Order of Eastern Star, have been established in Columbus. Many pillars of the community have belonged to Prince Hall Masonic bodies in the Columbus area. Martin Luther King, Jr., gave a speech at the Prince Hall building in July 1958.