On October 12, 2018, a small, self-appointed delegation of education-minded Freemasons, Adam Marks, District Education Officer and Past Master of Alpha Lodge, Don Crookes, Past Master, and Brother Christopher Childress, newly-made Master Mason, made a Masonic pilgrimage to the George Washington National Masonic Memorial seeking further light. These education-centric Masons were not just hoping for a tour of the beautiful museum but, like all good Masons, they were looking for those hidden gems, intentionally positioned within and without the temple, and, if you ask them, they might just tell you they found them--then again, they might not.
The morning started, like all tours, in Memorial Hall, with its imposing stone columns, familar murals, and a larger-than-life statue of George Washington, accented by natural light coming through delicately crafted stained glass artwork.
This tour was led by a talented and informed young student of history, a member of Job's Daughters--a Masonic organization for young woman not unlike the Order of Rainbow for Girls. The Replica Lodge Room, meant to be a replica of Alexandria-Washington Lodge as it had been in the early 1800s, displayed original furniture from the lodge.
The "Family of Freemasonry Exhibit" displays the Masonic appendant orders. The Knight Templar Chapel is a functioning chapel used for ceremonies and weddings and includes four magnificent stained glass windows by Brother Allyn Cox.
The George Washington Museum contains portrays many aspects of our first leader's life as a citizen, a farmer, a stateman, an officer, and includes a masonic apron as well as his personal writing desk.
The observation deck provides a 360ยบ view of Alexandria and the surrounding area and includes a high-powered camera that can be operated by visitors to zoom in on specific areas of interest surrounding the memorial.
The balconies and rich wordwork of the North Lodge Room with its Gothic style and the light and airy South Lodge Room with its Classical Style was the precursor to a visit to the Theater, a semicircular stone amphitheatre that boasts sixteen Doric columns, 14 bronze plaques depicting the Masonic Presidents of the United States, and Washington's family coat of arms.
Upon completion of the tour, this educational delegation met with Brother Shawn Eyer, Masonic Author, Editor, Communications and Events Director for the GW, and key figure in the Observant Masonry movement. In truth, the purpose of the trip was to meet with Brother Eyer to spend time discussing the state of Masonic Education and his hopes and vision for the future for the Observant Masonry movement.
What was to be a working lunch to discuss Masonic education lead to a walking tour of Alexandria and a geographical history lesson. We passed the Carlyle House, built in 1753 by city founder John Carlyle. They saw Gadsby's Tavern, built around 1785, where George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madinson, James Monroe, and the Marquis de La Fayette were all known to have visited. They went through the grounds of Christ Church, where George Washington attended service and had a box family pew.
With the city tour complete, the group returned to where they had started, at the GW. They said goodbye to their friend and Brother with promises to meet again in the not-too-distant future.
In 2023, the Memorial will celebrate the centennial anniversary of the laying of its cornerstone. By becoming part of the Landmark Century Campaign, you can provide the support essential to that success. Please consider pledging your financial support to the GW,
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