WILTON – Nestled next to an apple orchard, land on Bryant Road has been prepared for a new Masonic building to be shared by Farmington’s Lodge No. 20, Wilton’s No. 156 and the York Rite Body, an arm of the Masons.

“Most towns have Masonic lodges but does each need their own or could we gain by partnering?” Farmington lodge master Rick Dorian asked Wednesday.

That was the question for the two lodges, which faced similar trials of accessibility with second and third story halls located in large, aging buildings in need of repair.

Both Farmington and Wilton sold their buildings last summer and united in an effort to regionalize a meeting place for the lodges and York Rite Body as well as for public use, Dorian said.

The two groups have shared Wilton’s lodge hall since last summer. While doing so, each lodge holds its own meeting on different nights of the month, he said.

A large dining area and kitchen are planned on one end of the 130- by 40-foot Masonic building that will be available to rent for functions, he said. With seating for more than 100 guests, that area should be ready before the lodge hall on the other side of the building.

A fundraising campaign will begin soon for the interior furnishings, he said.

“It was difficult last summer for each lodge to sell their buildings … there was history and strong feelings about them, but there was a deeper commitment to get every member access to the lodge,” Dorian said.

Everything will be on one level, he said, including storage and a library/museum where rings and items associated with Masons will be cataloged and displayed, he said.

“It’s exciting to think that when an older Mason passes on and the family doesn’t know what to do with his Masonic items, we’ll be able to collect and display their stories,” he added.

A longtime Wilton Mason, Harland Harnden, donated the three acres of land for the building. It will be built on a slab with radiant heat in the flooring, said Robert Lawrence, president of Farmington lodge’s building association and joint building committee.

A crew will construct the shell of the building leaving inside finish work to lodge volunteers. The lodges hope to hold their first meeting there in September, he said, although the inside work won’t be finished.

“It’s quite an undertaking for the entire group,” Lawrence said.