‘Virginia legislature honors Masons’ Hall’

    

The brethren will gather at Masons’ Hall in Richmond next Saturday for the presentation of a Virginia legislature resolution that salutes the Masons’ Hall Historic Preservation Foundation “as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the foundation’s contributions to historical preservation in the Commonwealth.” From the publicity:

You are cordially invited to attend the Official Presentation of House Joint Resolution No. 63, commending the Masons’ Hall Historic Preservation Foundation for its dedicated work in preserving and interpreting the rich history of Masons’ Hall, one of the most treasured landmarks of our Craft.

Saturday, July 18 at 11 a.m.

Masons’ Hall

1807 East Franklin Street

Richmond

Delegate Hyland Franklin “Buddy” Fowler, Jr., member of the Virginia House of Delegates for the 59th District, will present the resolution.

A reception with light refreshments will follow the presentation. We look forward to sharing this meaningful moment with you and celebrating the ongoing stewardship of one of Virginia’s most significant Masonic sites.

Magpie file photo

Fowler, a Republican who has represented his district since 2014, introduced the resolution on January 20. It was agreed to by the House of Delegates on the twenty-sixth. The Senate did likewise three days later. The bill was passed by both houses on April 2.

It reads:

House Joint Resolution No. 63

    WHEREAS, the Masons’ Hall Historic Preservation Foundation has greatly served the community by preserving Masons’ Hall in Richmond and publicly interpreting its profound significance to the history of the United States, the Commonwealth, and the City of Richmond; and

    WHEREAS, the Virginia General Assembly, supporting Thomas Jefferson’s proposal, voted to move the Capitol of the Commonwealth to Richmond in 1780 during the American Revolutionary War; and

    WHEREAS, shortly after the Treaty of Paris officially ended the American Revolutionary War, the cornerstone of the current Virginia State Capitol building was laid on August 18, 1785, in a Masonic ceremony conducted by Richmond Lodge No. 3 of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; and

    WHEREAS, just two months later, on October 12, 1785, the same Masons laid the cornerstone for the historic Masons’ Hall in Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom, located at 1807 East Franklin Street; and

    WHEREAS, the construction of Masons’ Hall was led by Edmund Randolph, Governor of Virginia and the future first Attorney General of the United States, and John Marshall, the future Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court; and

    WHEREAS, Masons’ Hall provided the only public meeting space for Richmond’s 1,500 residents, along with space for the Henrico County Courthouse, in the post-revolutionary Federal Period; and

    WHEREAS, Richmond Randolph Lodge No. 19 of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, named in honor of Governor Edmund Randolph, was chartered in Masons’ Hall on October 29, 1787, and has met there continuously to this day; and

    WHEREAS, Masons’ Hall is recognized as one of only six remaining 18th century buildings in Richmond along with the Virginia State Capitol, the John Marshall House, the Old Stone House, St. John’s Church, and the Woodward House; and

    WHEREAS, in recognition of its historical and architectural significance, Masons’ Hall is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places; and

    WHEREAS, the Masons’ Hall Historic Preservation Foundation was established in recent years to spearhead preservation and public education efforts at Masons’ Hall, ensuring that its importance to the history of the United States, the Commonwealth, and the City of Richmond would be appreciated for generations to come; now, therefore, be it

    RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend the Masons’ Hall Historic Preservation Foundation for its legacy of service in pursuit of its mission; and, be it

    RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Masons’ Hall Historic Preservation Foundation as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the foundation’s contributions to historical preservation in the Commonwealth.

Congratulations everybody! Wish I could be there. Read about the Masons’ Hall Historic Preservation Foundation here. And a little more here.