Hours • Museum: Monday Through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Library: By Appointment Only
Hours • Museum: Monday Through Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Library: By Appointment Only
The nation would slowly heal and rebuild after the Civil War. By the early 1900’s, there was renewed interest in honoring George Washington. Washington’s Lodge, Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22, had retained many items connected to him. In addition to honoring this great Mason, there was growing concern that those items needed to be protected from both fire and theft.
On May 14, 1908, Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 voted to build a new Lodge and museum. Charles H. Callahan, Senior Warden of the Lodge, believed that Shooter’s Hill overlooking Alexandria and looking out upon Washington, D.C. was an appropriate location. With his own funds, he purchased four lots on Shooter’s Hill giving them to the Lodge.
In 1909, the Grand Master of Virginia, MW Joseph W. Eggleston, extended an invitation for other Grand Masters to join a meeting on February 22, 1910, to discuss creating a Masonic Memorial Temple to George Washington.
A year later, multiple Jurisdictions reconvened with a clear message that the endeavor should proceed.
The organization was formed with a preliminary constitution prepared and adopted along with the election of officers. President William Taft was in attendance of this meeting, and he gave his full support.
In 1913, the Constitution and By-Laws were ratified, and the group went to Shooter’s Hill to look out over the location of the temple they were going to build. It was quickly decided that they needed to acquire more land, and there would be a great deal of fundraising needed for the project. Education to the Brothers across the country would be paramount.
Jacob Lampert was Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Missouri (1912-1913). At Annual Communication, he brought this movement again to the attention of the Grand Lodge having attended the annual meeting of the Association in February. He supported the endeavor both personally and as the Grand Master of Missouri. While in attendance in February, he joined the charter roll of honor membership by paying $100 to the Association. As Grand Master, he advocated for the creating of a Committee to attend the 1914 Association meeting.
A year later, the Committee would return to the Grand Lodge Annual Communication and endorse the object and purpose of this Association with the recommendation for the Grand Lodge to become a member. They further recommended that Masons and Masonic bodies in Missouri that were financially able become charter members. Finally, they recommended that the Grand Master going forward be authorized to attend annual meetings or appoint a representative. The report was unanimously adopted, and the Grand Lodge of Missouri officially became affiliated with the George Washington Masonic National Memorial.
February 22, 1922, the Associations Treasurer’s report showed they had funds necessary to begin work. On June 5, 1922, a small group of Masons walked to the top of Shooter’s Hill and broke ground on the Memorial.
At the February 1923 meeting, the By-Laws were changed to increase the number of directors from nine to twelve. It was at this time that Missouri was honored to have Grand Master Bert S. Lee selected as Fourth Vice-President of the Board of Directors. It was also at this meeting that the Association asked each state to raise and remit one dollar per member as quickly as possible with the cornerstone laying set for November 1, 1923.
The laying of the cornerstone was a national affair with the attendance of President Coolidge and Chief Justice Taft.
Missouri was formally represented by the Grand Master Joseph S. McIntyre, PGM Corna H. Briggs, PGM Frank R. Jesse, PGM Bert S. Lee, Deputy Grand Master Orestes Mitchell, and Senior Grand Warden William W. Martin.
Missouri answered the call from the Memorial for more funding. At Annual Communication, the decision was made that for every person on the Lodge roll, one dollar would be paid.
By February 1924, it was reported that the total contributions from Missouri to the Memorial were well over $100,000. The Grand Lodge of Missouri’s goal of 100% participation was reached.
By February 1928, Association President Watres stressed there was a need for additional funding, particularly larger donations. These ranged from $200,000 for the amphitheater to $1,000 for each museum window.
Missouri’s Grand Master Anthony Ittner called together a Missouri delegation. The decision was made for the Grand Lodge of Missouri to raise $25,000 for one of the large portico columns. They raised the money by Annual Communication in September.
1932 was the 200th Anniversary of George Washington’s birthday.
The second week of May 1932 was chosen with the Bicentennial Commission to be set aside as Masonic Week.
Missouri was once again proud to have a contingency of Past Grand Masters and Grand Lodge Officers led by its Grand Master Ray V. Denslow.
Arrangements were made for the group to leave St. Louis by train in time to reach Washington for the week’s program, which included the Conference of Grand Masters.
During the trip, the Association gave Missouri the honor of holding the first specific communication of a Grand Lodge in the new Memorial. On May 11, 1932, the day before the dedication, with the permission of the brethren in Virginia, the Grand Lodge of Missouri for the first time opened in a territory other than its own Jurisdiction.
An invitation was extended to all Grand Masters in attendance and to each Missouri Congressman who was a member of the Fraternity to join them.
Although the dedication and the outer building construction was complete, the work was far from finished. One of the rooms in need of completion was Memorial Hall. In February 1934, the Colorado Preceptor DeMolay Legion of Honor asked the Association if they might open a nationwide campaign to raise funds to pay for the proposed bronze statue of George Washington.
The estimated cost was $35,000. On March 17, 1934, the DeMolay Legion of Honor met and approved the proposition.
In the auditorium there are sixteen beautiful columns, eighteen feet and six inches high, two feet and six inches in diameter at the base, and two feet at the top. Each of these columns weigh one-half tons, of beautiful pink marble from St. Genevieve.
In addition to the columns, marble from Ste. Genevieve is used in the balustrades of the two stairways adjacent to the Auditorium, and also for the windows and door frames and for the walls of Memorial Hall.
It seems most fitting that these stones come from a quarry in the same place that Missouri’s first Masonic Lodge was established.
