The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-07-03
Memorial to
George Washington

'he turning OF the first sod on ,
beautiful spot on the outskirts o.
Alexandria overlooking the Nationa
Capitol, work has begun on a memo
rial to George Washington which will
be fitting companion piece to the
Lincoln Memorial at Washington.
The edifice, stately temple in.
spired by Greek and Roman archi.
lecture, is being erected by the COM
bined efforts of all the Masons and
Masonic orders in the United States
and will be tribute to Washington
the man and Mason. 1t will be two
hundred feet from portico to obser-
vatlon platform on the top, and will
be surrounded by an extensive land
scape garden to be known as George
washington Park. It is expected the
memorial will be completed in from
four to five years, The cost will be
approximately $2,50O,OOO.
Constructed of snowy marble and
white concrete, the columned struc-
ture will tower high above the river
and will stand out from back
ground of densely verdued hillsides, a
fitting tribute, visible for miles, and
within short distance of the Ma
tions Shrine, Mount Vernon.
Every Mason has been asked to
contribute a dollar toward the fund,
and already more than 100000 has
been collected. Additional pledges
bring the figure to almost $1,000, 900.
Masonic orders and individuals con-
tributing $1.00 toward the fund will
be placed upon the honor charter roll
to be kept among the temple archives.
The building, according to archi-
tects, will be after the style of hero
memorials placed at the barbor en-
frances of ancient Greek and Roman
cities. 1t will be erected on a ridge
200 feet above the Potomac, and from
its tower, 200 feet higher, a grand
panamora of the City of Washing
ton will lie under the observers feet,
as we'll as the country bordering upon
Mount Vernon, so lived by Washing
ton himself.
Pilgrims to the patriots former
home and tomb will pass under the
shadow of the temple, going either
by land or river.
The first floor will be given over
largely to memorial hall, the com
manding feature of which will be &
heroic statue Of Washington. How
ever, as the memorial as whole viii
be dedicated also to the memories O.
other great Masons of the country
there will be available to the granc
lodges of each state space in the me
mortal hall in which they may en-
shrine portraits or other tributes tt
Masons whose deeds place them be-
sides the First President.
Such men as Paul Revere repre-
senting Massachusetts,; Dewitt Clin
ton, New, York; Benjamin Franklin
Pennsylvania; Henry Clay, Lewis anc
i Clark, Blair, Randolph and many 9th
ers have been suggested to be re
membered thus as prominent history
making Masons.
The temple will be the active lodg,
quarters of Alexandria ashingtor
Lodge No. % A. F. and A. NJ, o.
which Washington was first master
when it was lodge No. 80. OtheI
rooms surrounding the trium will b,
given over to the uses of grand ma
tional bodies of the order. At al
times, except when used in ritual b.
the Alexandria lodge, the entir,
temple will be open to the public.
Above the hall, which will rise IL
a clerestory from the ground foo
will be a museum and Masonic ar
lgallery. Here will be placed Ma
sonic portraits and the many histori,
relics Of Washington and several 9th
er noted Virginians who from tim,
to time have been members of tn,
Alexandria lodge.
A replica of the first lodge hous
used by Alexandria lodge, and whicl
was dedicated by Washington, will b.
included Other souvenirs include
the clock which stood beside Wash
ington's bed, and the pendulum cor
of which was cut at the moment O
his death; pocket knife given Wash
ington by his mother and which wa
carried by him as boy and man
his old hour glass; the chair he occu
pied as worshipful master and whic
was used for 1872 years; and the Wi
liams portrait of Washington O
which he approved.
With these will also be placed tn
spade used in the ground-breakin
ceremony by Louis A. Watres, pres
0 dent of the Masonic National Memo
5 rial Association. AS this simpl
ceremony was planned hastily, an
completed on an hours notice, n
0 special tools were provided, but
workman's spade lying nearby at til
5 time was utilized.
5 The 80 acre tract surrounding tn
5 temple has already been obtained b
8 the Association. The larger portion