‘Masonic cornerstone at Washington Square’

    

Magpie file photo

It’s had quite a history these first 130 years of its existence, but it was on this date in 1890 when Grand Master John W. Vrooman laid the cornerstone of what then was called the Washington Memorial Arch in the traditional Masonic ceremony.

Today, the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation calls it the Washington Square Arch, as it stands at the principal entrance of Washington Square Park at the foot of Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village. That entire quad, spanning slightly less than ten acres, has an amazing past that is integral to the city’s story, but this edition of The Magpie Mason concerns that cornerstone dedication 135 years ago today.

The Craft was well represented that day, but this event was not a Masonic project. For all the obvious reasons—from the Order’s prominence in city life in 1890, to the singular appropriateness of the Masonic cornerstone-laying ceremony, our Grand Lodge leadership was key to this celebration. But first, some necessary backstory:

There had been a predecessor arch almost on the same site the previous year. New York City would not neglect the centennial anniversary of George Washington’s first inauguration as President of the United States. As you know, that axial moment in world history happened at Wall Street on April 30, 1789. As its hundredth anniversary approached, an effort was made in the Washington Square neighborhood to organize a team to raise funds, hire an architect, and erect an arch as part of the commemoration. This was to be a temporary structure; it was built of wood with a plaster skin, had garlands and laurels rendered in papier maché, and was painted an ivory white. Its design, by none other than Stanford White, was in keeping with similar architecture Washington knew in his lifetime.

On its top stood a ten-foot statue of Washington, also of wood, that dated to 1792 and had been situated at the Battery. This arch did not loom over the northern edge of the Square as does the marble arch we’re remembering now. This one stretched across Fifth Avenue about a hundred feet north of the Square. Figure its piers stood at about today’s 2 Fifth Avenue on the west side, and at Glucksman Ireland House across the street.

The arch stood 71 feet high (including that statue) and 51 feet wide. At night, it was illuminated by hundreds of Thomas Edison’s incandescent lights. Having walked that block a few thousand times, I imagine that nighttime sight was aptly spectacular for Gilded Age New York. Let me just trace the parade route to illustrate the great significance of the dedication of this early arch (and this will impress everyone who knows Manhattan):

Departing from Wall Street, up Broadway to Waverley Place, across Waverley to Fifth Avenue, and then up to Fifty-Ninth Street! And then back!

Google Maps

Google Maps says the one-way trip runs 6.4 miles and is a two-and-a-half hour walk. It would be out of the question today. It’d screw up half of Manhattan. And the whole project got done in less than two months, which also would be impossible today. But enough on this very temporary arch hardly anyone knows about.

The permanent arch with the amazing life story we know today was prompted by the first one’s success. A $100,000 budget for creating the Washington Memorial Arch was set, and when the first $60,000 was in hand, the work commenced. Ground-breaking was April 30, 1890—the first anniversary of the Washington Inauguration’s centenary. May 30, which was Decoration Day (today’s Memorial Day), was the time for the cornerstone-laying.

Thus far, I have been borrowing from The History of the Washington Arch in Washington Square, New York, published in 1896 by the Committee on Erection of Washington Arch at Washington Square, but now I quote it directly:

Imposing ceremonies attended the laying of the cornerstone on Decoration Day: May 30, 1890.

The National Guard of the City of New York, commanded by General Fitzgerald, marched between the stands which had been erected. A vast concourse of citizens surrounded the spot. Henry G. Marquand, chairman of the committee, acted as Master of Ceremonies. Bishop Henry C. Potter opened the exercises by prayer. Following this, a hymn, especially written for the occasion by Robert Underwood Johnson, was sung by the Oratorio and other singing societies, in all 200 voices led by Frank H. Damrosch.

Addresses were made by Henry G. Marquand and Waldo Hutchins, representing the Park Commission, and the chorus sang patriotic airs. The oration was then delivered by George William Curtis who concluded it with a quotation from Washington’s Address delivered in the Constitutional Convention: “Let us raise a standard to which the wise and the honest can repair. The event is in the hands of God.” These words, at Mr. Curtis’ suggestion, have been inscribed on the large panel of the attic on the south front of the Arch.

The actual ceremonies of laying the cornerstone were then conducted in accordance with the Masonic ritual by the Grand Lodge. The Rev. Robert Collyer, Grand Chaplain, used in the service the Bible on which Washington took his oath of office, and from it read the chapters of Genesis which, as he explained, had been read at Washington’s inauguration.

From Grand Lodge’s 1890 Proceedings.

A copper box containing coins, medals, newspapers, and articles relating to the Arch and the committee was deposited in a receptacle provided for it. The architect Stanford White offered the plumb, level, and square for testing the stone which was then partially lowered. Grand Master John W. Vrooman, with a silver trowel presented to him by the committee, laid the mortar above the receptacle, and the stone was then lowered into its place.

After the stone had been tested and pronounced truly laid, prayer was made by Grand Chaplain Collyer and an address delivered by Grand Master Vrooman.

This concluded the ceremonies which were witnessed from a stand erected by the committee by a number of distinguished persons including President Cleveland (then ex-President) and Mrs. Cleveland, Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Fairchild, William E. Dodge, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Watson Gilder, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cooper, Lispenard Stewart, John Jacob Astor Jr., Charles H. Russell, Mr. and Mrs. Frank S. Witherbee, Augustus St. Gaudens, Eugene Kelly, Mr. and Mrs. Butler Duncan, Theodore W. Myers, Samuel D. Babcock, Daniel Huntington, Donald McNaughton, Bishop Henry C. Potter and Mrs. Potter, Charles S. Smith, William L. Strong, John A. King, Rutherford Stuyvesant, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick G. Lee, and many others.

Several months were spent after the cornerstone had been laid in the perfecting of the final designs for the superstructure of the Arch in the preparation of specifications and in tests of marbles submitted from different quarries. The marble finally selected was from the Tuckahoe Quarry in Westchester County.

Watch this two-minute video from the Chancellor Robert R. Livingston Masonic Library of the Grand Lodge of New York to get a look at that silver trowel.

More details about the cornerstone ceremony, quoted from The History of the Washington Arch book: 

The Masonic Ceremony

At the close of Mr Curtis’ address, the direction of the further ceremonies was turned over by Chairman Marquand to John W. Vrooman, Grand Master of Masons in the State of New York, who formally proclaimed that the cornerstone of the Arch would then and there be laid in accordance with the ancient rites of Masonry. Mr. Marquand thereupon presented the Grand Master with a beautiful silver trowel suitably inscribed.

The following officers of the Grand Lodge then took their places around the stone: John W. Vrooman, Grand Master; William Sherer, Deputy Grand Master; F.A. Burnham, Senior Grand Warden; E.B. Harper, Junior Grand Warden; John J. Gorman, Grand Treasurer; E.M.L. Ehlers, Grand Secretary; F.W. Morris, Senior Grand Deacon; Edward B. Price, Junior Grand Deacon; William W. Wallace, Grand Sword Bearer; John G. Janeway, Grand Standard Bearer; and William C. Prescott, Grand Marshal.

The Rev. Robert Collyer, Grand Chaplain, then arose in the speakers box and, lifting into plain sight of the multitude a large open book, explained that he held in his hand the Bible upon which George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States. The book was then, and is now, the property of St John’s Lodge of Masons in this city. It was upon this page, said the white haired clergyman, glancing down upon the open book that Washington is said to have placed his hand while taking that historic oath. It contains portions of the forty-ninth and fiftieth chapters of the Book of Genesis. Dr. Collyer read a few verses from those chapters and then uttered a brief prayer.

The Masonic ritual proceeded. The small copper box, with its collection of medals and coins and the records of the event commemorated, stood ready to be deposited in the heart of the great granite block. Grand Treasurer Gorman announced the contents of the copper box to be deposited in the stone as follows:

• the St. Gaudens Washington Centennial medal bearing the date May 30, 1889

• a souvenir of the Washington Centennial celebration of 1889 with designs by Blashfield and Low

• a catalogue of the Centennial Loan Exhibition 1889 with portraits and relics

• a souvenir of the Committee on States of the Centennial celebration

• invitations, tickets, and circulars of the various committees on the Centennial celebration of 1889

• silver, nickel, and copper United States coins of 1889

• a United States silver coin of 1799

• a souvenir of the Centennial Judiciary banquet 1889

• a copy of the Constitution of the Society of the Sons of the Revolution

• a copy of the Constitution of the St. Nicholas Club

• the directory of the New York Board of Education

• a list of the officers of the Grand Lodge F and AМ of the State of New York

• a subscription blank for the Washington Memorial Arch

• newspapers of New York of the mornings of April 27th and 29th 1889; and May 29th and 30th 1890

• the personal card of William Rhinelander Stewart, the leading promoter of the Arch project

• the cards of the reporters present

• a silver dollar sent by Vice President Morton

The Grand Treasurer further stated that one coin, a silver dollar, and the autographs of President Harrison and Vice President Morton, contributed by a lady, had been received after the box was sealed and therefore would be placed in the aperture beneath the box.

The usual test was then applied; the box was inserted in the aperture provided for it; and the heavy stone was lowered into its bed of mortar. The impressive test and consecration of the cornerstone followed.

Stanford White, the designer and architect of the Memorial Arch, handed to Grand Master Vrooman the implements of his Craft: the square, the level, and the plumb. Each implement was applied to the stone by the proper officer of the Grand Lodge and the stone was reported to be of proper form.

The golden horn was then produced and Deputy Grand Master Sherer poured upon the imbedded stone a bit of ground corn emblematic of goodness and plenty. Wine and oil from the silver chalices were next poured upon the stone to symbolize joy and peace.

The formal surrendering of the stock into the keeping of the architect ended the ceremonies.

And what about that address delivered by The Most Worshipful John W. Vrooman, Grand Master of Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the State of New York? For that speech, we’ll turn to Grand Lodge’s 1890 Proceedings. The 109th Annual Communication was opened June 3, only a few days after the celebration at Washington Square.

Address by the Grand Master.

John W. Vrooman

Among these illustrious patrons, the revered and honored name of WASHINGTON appears upon the page of history as the ideal man and Mason. I will briefly refer to him as a member of our Fraternity, leaving his civil and military career to the distinguished orators of the day. 

Official records inform us that WASHINGTON was made a Mason in Fredericksburg Lodge, No. 4, on the 4th day of November 1752, at the “mature age” of twenty years, while serving as an adjutant-general in the British Army. He was chosen some years after Worshipful Master of Alexandria Lodge, No. 22, receiving his commission from Grand Master EDMUND RANDOLPH, Governor of Virginia.

The active military life of WASHINGTON as commander-in-chief seemed to inspire active Masonic labor. He encouraged military lodges, and frequently participated in their work. It was upon one of these occasions that he made General LAFAYETTE a Freemason. The Grand Lodge of Virginia in the early days of its organization elected WASHINGTON as its Grand Master; not being eligible at the time, he was compelled to decline the honor.

If time would permit, we would gladly recall his unceasing love and loyalty to the Craft, as evidenced by his Masonic visitations, letters, and addresses.

On the 18th day of September 1793, GEORGE WASHINGTON, President of the United States, acting as Grand Master, laid, with appropriate Masonic ceremonies, the cornerstone of the Capitol of this great Republic.

On the 4th day of July 1848, the Grand Master of Masons of the District of Columbia laid the cornerstone of that mighty monument at Washington which is the wonder and admiration of a civilized world, and on the 21st day of February 1885, it was dedicated by the Grand Master of that jurisdiction, in presence of the President and Congress of the United States. It is, therefore, most fitting that the cornerstone of this Washington Memorial Arch should be laid with Masonic ceremonies, thus following a long line of precedents, and affording the Fraternity an opportunity to once more give public evidence of their loving remembrance of a distinguished brother, and of their “loyalty to the government in which they live.”

The ceremony before us—the erection of this monumental arch as an enduring token of the lasting memory of an appreciative and affectionate people—vividly recalls the wonderful Centennial celebration of a year ago, which made this occasion possible.

The Masonic Brotherhood of the Empire State was deeply interested in that great demonstration—doubly interested because the central figures in that historic inauguration were in the forefront of our beloved Institution, and among the most talented and illustrious men and Masons of that or any other age.

There stood GEORGE WASHINGTON, the pride of his countrymen, the beloved of his brethren, awaiting the oath of office. Then appeared ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON, the Grand Master of Masons in the State of New York, who, as Chancellor of this State, administered the oath of office to WASHINGTON. Most Worshipful BRO. LIVINGSTON was one of the ablest statesmen and jurists this country ever produced, and our honored Grand Master for sixteen years.

A valuable aid in furthering the success of that inauguration day was JACOB MORTON, Chief of Staff, who was at the time Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of New York. Most Worshipful BRO. MORTON, a brave and accomplished military officer during the Revolution, held the office of Grand Master for five years. Standing there as witnesses to the impressive inauguration of the first President were many of the signers of the immortal Declaration of Independence. Do you wonder that the Declaration proclaimed Freedom when you consider the great fact that fifty-two of the fifty-six signers were Freemasons?

A worthy successor to the honors of the Brethren just mentioned was found in the person of DE WITT CLINTON, one of the renowned governors of this State, who held the office of Grand Master for fourteen years. During the War of 1812, DE WITT CLINTON, Grand Master of Masons, convened a Grand Lodge of Emergency on the first day of September 1814 in this city, for the sole purpose of volunteering for government duty, and the Brethren under his leadership were assigned by the Committee of Defense for receiving the services of the Craft on the fortifications at Brooklyn, pursuant to resolution, and they diligently labored through the day. One week later they again volunteered their services on the fortifications erecting on Brooklyn Heights, and more especially there as one of the forts had, in honor of the Craft, been called Fort Masonic.

The history of Freemasonry in this State is therefore coeval with the history of our National Government. Then, as now, Freemasons obeyed the teachings “to be true to your government and just to your country, yielding obedience to the laws which afford your protection.”

The wise and patriotic administration of Grand Master CLINTON was followed by DANIEL D. TOMPKINS, governor of this State, Vice-President of the United States, and also the honored Grand Master of Masons for several years.

These and other eminent Craftsmen, leaders in civil as well as Masonic affairs, inspired confidence in the plan and purpose of our Institution, elevated its character, developing its growth and usefulness to such an extent that at the present time it commands the respect and admiration of all mankind.

Permit me, in passing, to make brief allusion to another matter of historic interest. The Holy Bible borne today in the Grand Lodge procession, and now before you, is the property of St. John’s Lodge, No. 1, A.Y.M., of the city of New York, and has been jealously guarded by that noble band of brethren for more than one hundred years. Upon this sacred volume, GEORGE WASHINGTON took the oath of office as first President of this nation. It is a part of our unwritten history that as the moment approached for the oath to be administered, no Bible was at hand, nor could one be secured in the building. Chancellor ROBERT R. LIVINGSTON, as Grand Master, knew that every Masonic lodge-room contained a copy of the Holy Scriptures. He remembered that the Chief of Staff, JACOB MORTON, was Worshipful Master of St. John’s Lodge, No. 1, and that the lodge-room was nearby. A word to MORTON; a hastening to the lodge-room; a return with the Holy Bible; and without seeming delay the oath was taken. Thank God that the Great Light in Masonry must always have honorable place in every lodge-room!

One more brief allusion to a matter of similar interest. This medallion, accompanied by an autograph letter (the property of the Grand Lodge of New York), is said to possess the best likeness of WASHINGTON now in existence; it also contains a lock of his hair, and was presented by him, in June 1783, to Major BILLINGS, a member of his staff. At that time Major BILLINGS was Worshipful Master of a lodge located at or near Newburgh, and had frequently received General WASHINGTON as a visitor.

A gavel, which I hoped to use upon this eventful occasion, but an unforeseen circumstance has prevented, was expressly prepared for presentation to WASHINGTON, used by him as President, and also as acting Grand Master of Masons in laying the cornerstone of the Capitol of the United States. After the ceremonies, he presented it to Potomac Lodge, No. 9, F.&A.M., District of Columbia, and it has been carefully guarded by that lodge as a precious treasure since that time. It was used by the Grand Master in laying the cornerstone of the great monument at Washington; also at the laying of the cornerstone and dedication of the equestrian statue of Washington at the National Capital. It was likewise used at the laying of the cornerstone of the Yorktown Monument, and upon many other occasions in laying the cornerstones of public buildings and monuments in several States of the Union. 

Fitting it would be to make the present ceremony the more interesting and memorable by using that emblem of authority once wielded by him whose memory we hold sacred and this day further perpetuate. There are now in existence twelve different medals which were struck, in the early days of the Republic, to commemorate the Masonic virtues of WASHINGTON. At the close of his earthly labors, the lodge over which he presided as its first Master buried him with Masonic honors.

I conclude this hasty sketch by strongly commending to the Craft the following beautiful words of WASHINGTON, spoken while President of the United States. Replying to an address from some Rhode Island Brethren, he said:

“Being persuaded that a just application of the principles on which the Masonic Fraternity is founded must be promotive of private virtue and public prosperity, I shall always be happy to advance the interests of the Society, and to be considered by them as a deserving brother.”

To the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts he said:

“To enlarge the sphere of social happiness is worthy the benevolent design of a Masonic institution, and it is most fervently to be wished that the conduct of every member of the Fraternity, as well as those publications that discover the principles which actuate them, may tend to convince mankind that the great object of Masonry is to promote the happiness of the human race.”

We are assembled here today in the presence of this vast audience to perpetuate the memory of a man who left on record such inspired words of wisdom, and while we build this Memorial Arch, which, we pray God, may be as enduring as the granite itself, we nevertheless firmly believe that the greater monument of WASHINGTON’s pure life, valiant deeds, and fraternal advice will be erected in the hearts of a grateful people, to remain spotless and perfect forever.

The officers of the Grand Lodge assembled at the residence of BROTHER the Hon. EDWARD COOPER, ex-mayor, and marched thence in procession to the site of the proposed Memorial Arch in Washington Square.

Okay, so you can see this likely was kind of a stump speech, and I won’t address its various factual errors (remember, this was 1890, when people had a folklorist approach to history).

Magpie file photo

I don’t doubt it was an awesome day for the city, and I’d bet the participants would be happy to see the Arch not only remains in place, but also is a prominent landmark in a part of the city where the buildings are short and the streets are narrow. 

Ownership of the Arch was duly transferred to the City of New York, and on May 4, 1895, the completed marble Arch was dedicated. It has been an anchor in time, not flinching as the world around it ever changes.

    

‘Our craving for remembrance and a tangible blessing for posterity’

    

Grand Lodge of Rhode Island

Next Saturday morning, Rhode Island Freemasons will gather at Freemasons Hall in East Providence (222 Taunton Avenue) to commemorate the centenary of the temple’s cornerstone ceremony, which occurred Saturday, October 25, 1924. Today, the building also is the headquarters of the Grand Lodge, but then it was home only to Rising Sun Lodge 30 which, by then, had been at labor half a century, having been established July 4, 1874. From the publicity:

A Century of Masonic Heritage

The magnificent Temple was built in 1924 for Raising [sic] Sun Lodge No. 31 [sic] and was designed by renowned architect William Gilbert Upham of Norwood, Ma. Who was a member of Orient Lodge and specialized in the design of Masonic Temples.

The original Cornerstone was laid on October 25, 1924, by the Most Worshipful Grand Master, Henry C. Dexter and it was rededicated in 1992 when Grand Lodge took ownership of the property.

The ceremony of rededication is an ancient, solemn and significant event in Freemasonry. It marks the renewal of our commitment to our principles of Truth, Relief and Brotherly Love, and the consecration of our meeting place.

Freemasons Halls:

Temples of Virtue

Freemasons Halls have a long history and are rich in symbolism, they are literally Temples erected to Virtue. These buildings serve not only as the physical place where Masons meet but also as enduring material representations of our ideals.

Grand Lodge of Rhode Island

Many Freemasons have enjoyed the brotherhood fostered within these walls. Here, they have become great leaders, shared knowledge, worked together for common goals, and nurtured their dreams. These buildings are silent witnesses to history, having seen generations of men strive to become better versions of themselves and contribute positively to the world.  

These are only a few reasons why the rededication ceremony will be a very significant event. It is definitely something to witness. The ceremony is open to Freemasons of all degrees and the general public and will begin at 10 a.m. with a procession from Haven Methodist Church on Taunton Ave. to Grand Lodge.

Looking back the hundred years, the occasion’s oration was delivered by W. Bro. Chester W. Barrows, Grand Orator, who also served as an Associate Justice of the state’s Superior Court. Excerpted:

We are laying a cornerstone of a Masonic Temple. Freemasonry as an institution is already old. It will continue to exist while men are social beings. It has certain attributes that do not change, but its character at any given time will be affected markedly by the men who then compose it. We are the Rhode Island Masons today. We shall leave our more or less lasting marks on the organization. What shall our imprint be?

Grand Lodge of Rhode Island

We have placed beneath this stone certain temporal and transient things deemed by us of some importance. There, sealed away from mortal sight and corroding air, they will be preserved long after we have been forgotten. Antiquarians, a half century or more from now, when this temple shall be razed to give way to a more glorious one, will curiously examine these tokens, will try to follow the thoughts that influenced us, and to discover what manner of men and Masons we were. Today’s civilization, with all its wonders, will doubtless seem as curious and quaint to them as our ancestors’ does to us. Our Masonic forbears led a simple life as we see it. Their opportunities were limited, but we know their sterling, though stern, worth. What we are, what our influence is upon the Order, in part, is due to what they were. We glory in their pioneering for institutions adapted to free-born men and dedicated to God and native land.  Ours is not to pioneer, but to preserve those institutions. If our efforts shall appeal to those who follow us, as do our grandfathers’ to us, we may feel that this generation is a not unworthy link in the chain of progress.

Chester Barrows

Why do we have a ceremony at the laying of a cornerstone? Because it is traditional perhaps, but what reason is there for the continuance of tradition? What is there here to talk about? Talk often is only the outward evidence of a vacant mind, the rambling of aimless thought. Such is not for us on this occasion. Nor is the fact that here is our own building a cause for boastfulness. Is not the real reason for this occasion that we are doing something which we hope will be worthy of remembrance; something for which we believe our “Children will rise up and call us blessed.” At man’s best, there is always an aspiration to do or say something worth preserving. The endless struggle to be remembered is traceable through the ages. We hate the thought of being forgotten. A few exceptional individuals successfully perpetrate themselves, but most persons fail to do so.

 

As groups, however, men often can succeed when singly they would fail. Among the lasting and proper accomplishments of a group is the erection of a Masonic Temple. When we lay the cornerstone of such a building, we have taken a step toward satisfying our craving for remembrance, as well as left a tangible blessing for posterity. We are warranted in talking about it.

This is a cornerstone. We shall not presume to tell you of the part that it physically plays in the structure. We only know that it rests upon what has been done. It supports what is to follow. It bears the relation to the building that your life and mine bear to past and future human life. As we prove square and true, so will our descendants.

The following year, W. Barrows would be elevated to Rhode Island’s Supreme Court, where he would serve until his death in 1931 at age 58.

Locate your copy of this Grand Lodge’s 1925 Proceedings to marvel at this wonderful speech in its entirety, as well as to peruse the lengthy list of those “temporal and transient things” deposited inside the “beautiful, neatly engraved copper box, hermetically sealed,” placed inside the cornerstone.

Also, I can’t help but claim to have found on other pages a terrific name for a lodge: What Cheer.

What Cheer Lodge 21 was set to labor in 1857 in Providence. The phrase “What cheer?” is elemental to Rhode Island lore and concerns the arrival of Roger Sherman himself upon the shore of the Seekonk River where he was greeted thusly by local Native Americans. Read more about that here.

    

‘Join the procession at the Mt. Vernon cornerstone ceremony’

    

Alexandria-Washington Lodge 22 will visit historic Mt. Vernon in October to dedicate a cornerstone following the extensive rehabilitation of George Washington’s Virginia mansion—and lodges and grand lodges are welcome to join the procession. From the publicity:

Freemasons are summoned from across the United States to celebrate the symbolic Cornerstone Ceremony for George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime historic Masonic event as we dedicate the cornerstone of Brother George Washington’s Mount Vernon on Monday, October 14.

To attend, buy your tickets here. After your purchase, AW22 will contact you about your lodge’s participation.

The mansion has been undergoing an extensive and necessary restoration. Washington’s membership in Craft Masonry underscored his character and demeanor and has lent credibility to the good works of our lodges for more than two centuries.

At the request of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, the stalwart and dedicated stewards of Washington’s home and legacy, the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Virginia and Alexandria-Washington Lodge 22 invite Freemasons throughout the country to witness this historic event. By ensuring a sound foundation for Washington’s Mansion House, we are provided the unique opportunity to serve our Brother and support the preservation of his home and the sharing of his important story for future generations.

The Masonic Cornerstone Ceremony harkens back to the age of stonemason guilds formed to construct the cathedrals of Europe. Laying the cornerstones of buildings in Europe and North America was once an occasion for parades, orations, and general celebrations of the effort. Freemasons continue the tradition of checking the stone to ensure it is sound and symbolically consecrating it with representations of health, peace, and prosperity.

Cornerstone Ceremonies are one of the few public exhibitions provided by Freemasons and offer insight to the tenets of the historic organization.

8 a.m. - Arrive at Mount Vernon

9:00 - Marshaling of Masonic Lodges

9:30 - Grand Lodge of DC Wreath Laying Ceremony

10:30 - Procession of Lodges

11:00 - Procession of the Grand Lodge of Virginia

11:15 - Commencement of Cornerstone Ceremony

12:15 p.m. - Conclusion of Ceremony

12:30 - Lunch on the East Lawn

1:30 - Toast to Washington

2:00 - Event Concludes

Times are subject to change

Order of March

The procession will proceed in the following order:

First Virginia Regiment and Color Guard: Leading the way, they will set the tone for the procession.

Individual Grand Lodges: grand lodges will lead their jurisdiction’s delegation. States will be organized in order according to their date of admissions into the Union.

Subordinate Lodges: Each subordinate lodge will march in its assigned order, following the grand lodge of their states.

This sequence (grand lodges, followed by the subordinate lodges) will continue until all participating lodges have marched and are seated.

Grand Lodge of Virginia: The Grand Lodge will conclude the processional, then begin the ceremony.

Procession Formation: lodges and grand lodges are permitted and strongly encouraged to carry gonfalons (tall, upright banners) at the head of their contingent (flag size only). Horizontal banners are not allowed in the processional.

Prior to the event, each participating group will be assigned a number indicating their marching order. On the day of the event, look for markers with your assigned number to find your designated staging area. A volunteer will guide you to the staging point.

     

‘Capitol cornerstone commemoration Monday’

    

No red-blooded American Freemason needs to be told Monday is the 230th anniversary of the cornerstone-laying ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, and that Bro. Washington himself led the Masonic rites, but maybe you don’t know that a lodge in Delaware will commemorate the historic event with a re-enactment led by the Grand Master.

Doric Lodge 30 even garnered some media coverage already. Looks like fun, and it will be open to the public. Click here for details.

     

‘Jersey research lodge to meet in the Washington Memorial’

    

GWMNM photo

Merry New Year! I wish you a 2023 even more positive than your own hopes for it.

Hey, if you will be in or near Alexandria, Virginia on Presidents’ Day and, especially, the day before, please feel free to join us at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. On Sunday, February 19 at 4:30, New Jersey Lodge of Masonic Research and Education 1786 will hold an Emergent Communication in one of the lodge rooms.

The room is booked and Bro. Shawn Eyer will be our speaker, discussing William Preston (I’ll have the specifics on the topic soon).

I’m inviting the brethren of A. Douglas Smith, Jr. Lodge of Research 1949, who meet in the Memorial regularly, and George Washington Lodge of Research 1732, from not far Fredericksburg, and other researchers to enjoy the time with us. You should come too!

The next day, President’s Day, the Memorial will host the centenary celebration of its cornerstone laying ceremony. And the City of Alexandria will hold its George Washington Birthday Parade earlier that afternoon; NJLORE is signed up for that as well, so march with us. It’s a public parade with, I expect, many Masonic groups in formation. It’ll be like it’s 1780 again or something.

     

‘Next February in Alexandria’

    

Courtesy GWMNM

I’m still working on several editions of The Magpie Mason to recap the terrific conference last weekend at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, and I am reminded of the next big event there next February. In fact, registration is open now for the cornerstone re-dedication on February 20, just one of several celebratory happenings in commemoration of the Memorial’s centenary.

Courtesy GWMNM

Click here to see the itinerary.

There will be meetings and tours Friday through Sunday, and your lodge (if you plan ahead) may hold a tiled meeting in one of the Memorial’s lodge rooms! On Monday the 20th, there will be a parade and the cornerstone re-dedication.

Mention of this parade during the events of last week caught my attention. Generally, I am not a parade marcher, but that’s in terms of, say, a Masonic contingent in a St. Patrick’s Day parade or other civic display. This will be Freemasons only on the march like it’s 1740s Dublin or something! For some reason that’s different to my mind, so I believe I will don my new apron (blue borders with rounded flap and edges) and a Past Master jewel (TKS!).

We had a procession from Fredericksburg Lodge to a historical site in town last Friday when some clod in a passing car shouted we Masons are going to hell. The sight of this procession will give them something to howl about!

From the publicity:

All grand lodges, lodges, Masonic groups, and Freemasons in amity with the Grand Lodge of Virginia may participate in the Parade from historic Old Town Alexandria up to the Memorial’s beautiful grounds. The Parade will step off at 1 p.m. The Re-dedication Ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. All individuals attending the events of February 20 should register here. Those who register and attend will receive a special poster celebrating the event.

The Memorial’s traditional Washington’s Birthday Gala will be held on Wednesday, February 22. This elegant formal event, as always, will include a reception in Memorial Hall, entertainment in the Theater, and a Gala Banquet in Grand Masonic Hall.

Click here to read more about the events planned. And seriously, get your lodge or chapter or whatever to book a lodge room for a meeting. And petition the Grand Architect for favorable weather!

     

‘The cornerstone of a Temple of Justice’

    

MW John Hodge

Happy Independence Day to Magpie readers across the United States. Today I am sharing a gem of a speech that was delivered in public on this date in 1894 when MW John Hodge, our then Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New York, led the cornerstone dedication ceremony at the Monroe County Courthouse in Rochester.

Hodge was a highly prominent citizen, a leader in business (Merchant’s Gargling Oil!) and government in his part of the state. He died August 7, 1895. His widow funded construction of a hospital in Lockport and named it in his memory.

Hodge served five years as Junior Grand Warden, two as Senior, and one as Deputy Grand Master before being installed into the Grand Master’s chair in 1894. John Hodge Lodge 815, now of the Ontario-Seneca-Yates District, was set to labor in 1897.

The speech says a lot, without running too long, as it weaves Americanism and Masonic theory—the kind of oratory you just don’t hear anymore—at a time when greatness still was thought to be good. Enjoy.

Fellow Citizens:

In accordance with the time-honored custom of the Masonic fraternity, we, who represent that ancient, honorable, and patriotic order, have assembled with you here today, and with the solemn ceremonials of the Craft have laid the cornerstone of a new Temple of Justice for the large community of Western New York, of which the City of Rochester is the geographical, social, and political center.

Postcard of the courthouse.

In peace we have laid this cornerstone, and without fear have performed our work, because the laws of our country which are to be here administered, and the principles of Masonry are in unison in favoring equal justice to all men. The flag of our country, that glorious emblem of freedom floating proudly above us, which today is receiving special honors throughout the length and breadth of the land, like the Masonic creed, shields no favored class, but proffers the assurance of justice alike to the Jew and Gentile, the representatives of all nationalities, and the adherence of all religious and political faiths.

It is peculiarly appropriate that the magnificent structure, whose foundation we have this day laid, should be erected in this beautiful City of Rochester. From the earliest period of the pioneer history of Western New York, Rochester has been foremost in everything pertaining to the development of all the material interests of the State upon the immutable principles of justice. Nature’s bounty of scenic beauty and wealth of material resources have been well supplemented by a patriotic, God-fearing people, whose untiring industry and noble spirit of heroism and self-sacrifice enabled them to patiently pursue to the end the arduous work of subduing the wilderness, and supplementing the virgin forest with beautiful homes and well organized society, now presenting to the world a city which includes industrial and commercial interests, educational, religious, and beneficent institutions, of which any nation of the globe might justly be proud. And especially, in view of her record in educational work in every field of intellectual activity, which has given the country not only many eminent scholars and divines, but also a long list of jurists of well-earned fame for the extent of their legal lore, and the wisdom and justice that have marked their decisions, Rochester may will claim the privilege and distinction of erecting a Temple of Justice that shall be second to none in the land.

Another postcard.

And what of the future? As meritorious as has been the work done by your judiciary in the old courthouse which this new and elegant building is to supersede, much more important, doubtless, to the peace and prosperity of the community will be the decisions to be handed down from the bench of the new courthouse in the far distant future. Law is declared to be the product of human experience. We are living in an era when questions of great importance, not only to individuals, but to aggregations of individuals, and to the peace and good order of society, are constantly arising. Many of these questions, whose solution is of the greatest importance. Law is declared to be the product of human experience. We are living in an era when questions of great importance, not only to individuals, but to aggregations of individuals, and to the peace and good order of society, or constantly arising. Many of these questions, whose solution is of the greatest importance to the parties interested, must be settled for the first time by the courts.  Which, under our system of government, constitute the last resort for the redress of real or imaginary wrongs, and the settlement of differences between the employer and the employees, the rich and the poor, alike.

And is it not at all improbable that some of the very important issues presented by this situation may be argued and decided by the courts to be held in your new courthouse. The future of your new Temple of Justice is, therefore, full of promise, not only in the assurance that it will present an ample field for the full display of all the powers of the most learned and brilliant advocates, but also bring to the bench the opportunity of rendering decisions, which, by their justice and their importance to the welfare of society, will invest the judiciary with an enduring fame, whose luster will stand undimmed through the many successive generations.

Modern times!

Fellow citizens and brethren, our work is done. The cornerstone of this building has been tested by the working tools of our Craft. It has been found square, plumb, and level. The cement that unites it with its brother stone has been spread, and all has been pronounced perfectly done.

This speech and several score more are found in the pages of Jewels of Masonic Oratory, anthologized by L.S. Myler; printed in New York in 1900.

May this be in truth a Temple of Justice, where all men may come and have their wrongs redressed; where oppression and intolerance may be throttled, and the rights of every man, from the humblest citizen to the highest official, be honored and respected. Justice is the platform for all mankind. The people who live upon this great round globe are the creatures of one Great Father, and have equal and inalienable rights, duties, and obligations. Those rights must not be disregarded. Those duties and obligations must not go unperformed. This building whose walls will be reared upon this cornerstone is to be a city of refuge to which the oppressed may flee; and we pray God that it may in truth deserve to prosper, and become the place of concourse for all good men, and from this house the spirit of harmony and brotherly love be disseminated throughout the whole community.

     

‘With the solemn and imposing rites of Masonry’

    

A 1908 photo of the monument,
which was completed in 1890.

Still curious about the time capsule opened Tuesday in Virginia (see post below), I peered into the Masonic history there to learn more. I shouldn’t be surprised, although I am, to find out this wasn’t merely Freemasonry donating items for inclusion in a time capsule, but the cornerstone ceremony was a Masonic rite. And requested by the governor at that.

As I mentioned yesterday, that time capsule dates to October 27, 1887. On December 12 of that year, the Grand Lodge of Virginia convened in St. Alban’s Hall in Richmond for its 110th Annual Communication at which time Grand Master William F. Drinkard recollected to the brethren how the Craft became involved. The following comes from the Book of Proceedings:

On the 27th of October I laid the corner-stone of a monument to be erected in this city to the memory of General Robert E. Lee. This was done at the request of the Lee Monument Association, whose Board of Managers is presided over by the Governor of Virginia, himself a Lee. Governor Lee wrote me a letter stating that it was the wish of the Board that the corner-stone of the Lee Monument should be laid, to use his own words, “with the solemn and imposing rites of Masonry.”

Fitzhugh Lee

Accordingly I convened the Grand Lodge in special communication, and on the day named proceeded to perform the usual ceremonies. The occasion was one never to be forgotten. Thousands and tens of thousands of people crowded the sidewalks of the streets and the doors and windows of the houses bordering on the line of the procession. Thousands made up the general procession. The immense crowd of course could not be accommodated with seats at the site of the proposed monument, but notwithstanding the extraordinary inclemency of the weather (it being both cold and rainy) a large number of persons remained upon the grounds during all the ceremonies. When the work was done it was accepted in a feeling and appropriate speech by Governor Fitzhugh Lee.

The occasion was one that no considerations of inclement weather, or of personal inconvenience or discomfort, could have caused the people of Virginia to neglect or overlook. As when the corner-stone of City Hall was laid, so when the corner-stone of the Lee Monument was laid, the Knights Templar most thoughtfully and generously tendered their services as an escort to the Grand Lodge, and entitled themselves to the credit of having done more than any other one organization to render the ceremonies what [Governor] Lee described them as being—namely, “solemn and imposing.” These are our brethren, and therefore I have deemed it proper for the Grand Master to mention their services. I leave it to others to name the many distinguished gentlemen from all parts of the Union who witnessed and participated in so much of this memorable work as was not under the control of the Masons.

The first Lincoln statue,
dedicated 1868.

For some reason, that wording “solemn and imposing” pinged something in my mind, and it turns out to be a well used adjectival phrasing in the nineteenth century. A cliche, really. I mention it because of its noteworthy appearances in written and spoken words concerning Abraham Lincoln. The occasion of the Gettysburg Address was, according to the New York Times, “solemn and imposing.” Later in the 1860s, the annual ceremony of mourning U.S. war dead, a new national rite conducted at Arlington on the land where Robert E. Lee had dwelled, was described the identical way. On April 15, 1868, the third anniversary of Lincoln’s death, another Masonic ceremony in the rain seen by tens of thousands accompanied the dedication in Washington of the first statue erected in his honor. Bro. Benjamin B. French, the Lincoln Administration’s Commissioner of Public Buildings (and namesake of the lodge in D.C.) recalled in his oration the national mood in the wake of the assassination, and described the funeral procession as “solemn and imposing.”

Anyway, the Grand Lodge of Virginia’s outlay stemming from the Lee Monument that dreary October day totaled $235.32. That’s fourteen dollars more than what it expended for the City Hall cornerstone ceremony. It was a lot of money. In contrast, the Grand Treasurer’s salary that year was $300. It is impossible to transubstantiate the $235 into today’s worthless currency, but in the gold coins of that time, the gold would weigh about eleven ounces, which this morning costs $19,811.

In review of MW Drinkard’s speech, the Grand Lodge’s Special Committee on the Address of the Grand Master reported, in part:

It has been always one of the most impressive teachings of Free Masonry to pay the full measure of honor to those to whom honor is justly due, and for ages they have exemplified this sentiment by laying the corner-stones of monuments erected to testify the admiration of mankind for those virtues which have merited such distinctions.

No occasion in the history of this Grand Lodge has afforded a more sincere and heartfelt satisfaction to the great body of the patriotic Masonic sons of our Ancient Commonwealth than that which afforded them the privilege of participating in the ceremonies of laying the corner-stone, on the 27th day of last October, of a monument designed to faintly express the unmeasured love and the profound admiration which fills every breast within the confines of Virginia for the illustrious man, General Robert E Lee, our State gave to stand, for time, before the world, the exemplar and the monument of every patriotic and heroic virtue.

We congratulate our brethren, that they lived to participate in the proceedings mentioned by the Grand Master.