Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-05-20
THE MASONIC TEMPLE.
Laying the Corner stone-Imposing Pro.
cession and Ceremonies.

This afternoon, the Grand Lodge of Masons
OF the District OF Columbia are engaged IN lay
ing the cornerstone ofthe new Masonic Temple.
on the corner Of and 9Th treets In the presen &c
| OF nearly every member of the craft in the
| Jurisdiction, and a very large concourse of
\ spectators. The procession OF the various
Lodges; Chapters, Com nm h and the
and streets, and a three o'clock the line.
| under the direction OF Grand Marshal
MCGOWAN, moved down 9th street TO Penusyl
! street, street TO New York avenue, New York
/ avenue to 9th street, yth street 10 the new
Temple, where the ceremonies took place.
| The order of the Lodges was as follows
Tyler, with drawn sworn; Entered Appren-
! tlces-two and two; Fellow Crafts-tEo and
/ TWO: Master Masons-two and two; Treasurer
and Secretary; Junior and Senior Wardens:
| Junior Deacon, Jewel and Blue Rod, w
Master, Senior Deacon, Jewel and Blue Rod
The Grand Chapter and subordinate Chap
| ters, columbia. Washington, Mount Vernon,
Eureka, and Lafayette,l appeared in the fol-
lowing order Sentinel. Mark Masters, Past
Masters, NJ. f. Masters, Royal Arch, and off,
q. c. II. y
The Grand Lodge, escorted by the Washing
ton and Col umbla Communicates of knights
Iemplar was in the following order:-Grand
Tyler, with drawn sword: Grand Director of
Ceremonies; Grand Purs uivants: Grand Stand.
ard Bearer, with the banner of the Grand
Lodge, supported by two Master Masons; The
THREE Lesser Lights-in a triangle-carried by
three Master Masons; Silver Goblets with corn.
wine, and oil; Architect and Master Builders:
Grand ChaplaIns and Orator; Past Grand
Treasures and Grand Secretaries; R. w
Grand Treasurer and Grand Secretary; Past
Junior and Senior Grand WaIdens; K. W.
uty Grand Masters; X. w. Deputy Grand Mas
ter; Past NJ. W. Grand Masters; w. Junior
Grand Deacon, Jewel and Rod; NJ. W. q. NJ;
W. Senior Grand Deacon, Jewel and Rod;
Grand Sword Bearer: Two Grand Stewards
with white rods.
The procession was as follows:
Band of the iith u. s. Infantry. led by
Hope Lodge, No. 90, First ward3 Lafayette,
No. ~; Acacia, No. II; Harmony, No II; Daw.
No IA; National, No. -; ST. Johns No. IL,
meeting at the Central Hall;) Hiram, No 10,
lEirst Ward;) New Jerusalem, No. o; Lebanon
tOwnD Washington Naval, No 4, Navy Yardo
Columbia, Nc. 3: and Federal, No. 1, Central
HalI)
Grand Chapter R. A. Masops with members
Washington Commandery, No. I, and Column.
bia Commandery. No. ,. of Knights Templar
escoThng the N; W. Grand Lodge ID. c., headed
by Heald's Washington Brass Band.
The members generally Were in dark suits
with white gloves, and the procession was one
OF the most imposing that has ever been seen
in the District.
President johnson walked with Grand Mas
ter French in the line. and General Bailock
appeared with the Knights Templar.
On arriving al the site of the Temple, and the
Grand Lodge being gathered about the north
east corner of the building, where the stone
was laid. the ceremonies took place as follows:
Music by the band.
NJ. w. Grand Master, (B. b. Frencb,-Ripbt
Worshipful Sebior Grand Warden: The Grand
Lodge having been assembled for the purpose
OF lay ing the cornerstone of the new Masonic
Temple, here TO be erected, 1t is my order that
silence be observed during the performance of
that important ceremony. This, my will and
pleasure you will communicate to the Right
EOrshIpful Junior Grand Warden, and be to
the brethren present,
Senior Grard Warden, u. H. Russell. fright
Worshipful Junior Grand Warden; IL IS the
order of the Most Worshipful Grand Master of
the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia
that silence be now observed. This, his will
and pleasure, you will proclaim to all present.
Junior Grand Warden, u. b. Will)-Breth.
the order of the Most worshipful Grand Mas
ter, as communicated TO me by the Right Wor-
shipful Senior Grand Warden, you will take
due notice thereof, and SO let il be done.
The following was chanted, after which Rev
J. n. Coombs, Grand Chaplain, offered a
frvent prayer:
Make joyful noise unto the Lord all We
lands. Serve the Lord with gladness and come
the Lord that he is God, and not ourselves.
We are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving. and
into his courts with praise. BE thankful unto
him and bless mis- name. For the Lord is good.
his mercy r. everlasting, ard his truth en-
dureth TO ali generations. Amen.
Grand Secretary: You will read the inserip-
uons on The cornerstone, and lists of the con-
tents of the box.
T7ha Grand Seoretary,( IN d. Larner) here
read the list of the contents as follows:
Proceedings of the Grand Lodge, ID. c., from
ISL TO 1c6o inclusive, including the proceed
ings of the con yenton called in 10 TO form the
Grand Lodge; proceedings of the Grand Lodge,
d. c., for 1857; copies of National FreemasOB,
New York; Masonic TrotreI, Springfield, Ill,
Fleendson. ST. Louis Mo: Masonic Sun. Will
min gfn n q inn of fha Ia of
G. rand Lodge and Grand Chapter in gold, pre-
sented by Bro. ii. o. Hood; impressions Of the
seals of the various lodges, chapters and COM
manderies in the District of Columbia: copies
of constitutions of Grand Lodge and Grand
Chapter. ID. G.; specimen of California gold.
dug from the north fork Of the American river
1850, presented by Bro. l.. Il. McGrotty.
California gold, twenty five cent piece, pre-
scented by Bro Il. b. French; three, five, ten
and twenty -five cent American silver coins.
presented by Bro. N u. Larner; half dollar,
presented by Bro. II. u. Hood. silver dollar, by
Bro. W. : Huntington; fractional currency,
presented by Bro. j Ii. Blake; piece of cedar
OF Virginia, l713; Washington cent, 1873; cents
of 1SO0 and 1s6s, presented by Bro. J. G. Brutf;
small cross made OF cedar from Mt. Lebanon;
three old copper coins found by ]. +. Essex in
l-5a OH the hills near Jerusalem. presented bv
Brother Josiah Essex; English penny OF
1893 and autograph of first Japanese Com
Brother L. Falk English penny, 1896, Ameri-
cents. 1916 ISL, l-p3. half cent of I.9l. pre-
scented by Brother Charles ]. Watson: IS cent
silver com of New Brunswick, presented by
Brother +. Il. NJ ctirotty; names of President
and Vice President: copies of the daily and
weekly papers of the city; volume containing
the constitution of the Grand Lodge of the Dis
trict of Columbia in 1o47 proceedings of same
for 1s45-'6.-'7-S; bylaws OF Federal Lodge, No
l, 1877, with q table giving the names Of tn
elective officers of the Grand Lodge, from its
organization to 1S4s, inclusive, presented by
Brother Joseph W. Nairn; piece OF copper con-
tsining THE inscriptions on this stone were
cut by Brother John n. Ball, of Lebanon Lodge.
No. =" piece Of marble from Solomon's Temple.
brought to this country by Hon. Isaac Dale,
presented by Brother &. T. Shepherd. These
articles were encased in q copper box, which
was set in the cavity of the stone.
The following inscriptions appear on the
stone. having been engraved by Bro. j. n.
Ball, of Lebanon Lodge. This cornerstone OF
the Masonic Temple of the District OF Column
bia, was laid on the 10th day of May, A. d.,
l-6s, A l.. 5S6S, by the Grand Lodge" ION the
front) directors of Masonic Hall Association.
Il. Ii. French. President; n. ID. Larner, Secre-
tary: John Purdy. y. H. Hooe, Nicholas Acker.
Building Committee, John Purdy, Nicholas
Acker, n. II. Larner;'' ION the reverse) the
square and compass on one side, and the names
of the officers of the Grand Lodge for 1866 on
the other. The stone is from the North Lee
Mass marble quarries, and is set in the
wall that the inscriptions on the front and re-
verse may be- read the first from 9th street and
the other from the IN terror.
Grand Master Grand Treas urer,
&c. Cammack. Sr }: II is my will and pleasure
that you now deposit the box, with its con tents