Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-02-18
MASONIC MEMORIAL
ASSOCIATION MEET

slope fronting Alexandria. Inc
heighth of the elevation above tlde,
water is 145 feet and the temple VIII
tower 200 feet above this, overlooking
rand commanding a splendid vie" OF
wv shington, the Potomac river ana
bring its apex, or observatory Mount
Vernon in Plain view.
The proposed temple will be loo
by 200 feet and will comprise lodge
commandry, chapter and rooms Tor
other Masonic bodies including a
room for the members of the assocl-
alton to meet each year.
Apartments have been provided Tor
a museum, a memorial nall, art gal
lcry, executive offices and library al
50 an auditorium with seating ca
pacitay of about 1900 persons.
Even now the view of Washington
from the elevation is most imposing
and when the temple is completed 1t
will be easily visible not only from
the capitol and other high buildings,
but from the streets of Washington
as well.
In the room provided for the pur..
pose will be deposited the relics OF
Aiexandria-Wa shington Lodge which
room itself will be of deep interest
to the public as well as members OF
the Masonic order, as it will be an ex-
act reproduction Of the lodge room
erected by Washington's contempor-
ativcs in 1902 in which the collection
now priceless in historic and none
tary sense were first deposited when
they came gratutious from the rell-
taves and friends OF the great patriot.
One of the interesting features con,
nected with the site OF the memorial
is well preserved fortitication OF the
war between the states. 1t constltu-
ted one of the outer defences OF the
city OF Washington and was, and IS
still known as Fort Ellworth. The
association does not contemplate des-
troying this landmark, but will Ell
deavorto preserve it in It's present con-
dition as curiosity. The cost OF the
Cemplc will De 81 100000 and the land
scape gardening will cost about $780,
coo and the endowment fund will be
one-foulth of the sum expended, or
about $500,000. The committee III
charge has not dcfnately determined
what the temple will be built of, but
it is regarded as almost certain that
| il will be constructed of white marble
The tentative plans, a model OF
of which has just ben received, have
been prepared by Hclnlle and Corbctt,
of New York, with Osgood and Os-
good, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, rs
consulting architects and Olmsted
Brothers, of Brookline, Mass, as
The most important business that
will como before the association at
It's meeting Tuesday will be the final
consideration Of the plans for the tenn
pie and the perfecti:;G Of the organl-
cation collecting the fund which 1t IS
hoped to raise within the next two
year.
The movement to erect memorial
temple here TO place the priceless rel
les of Washington now stored in the
lodge room Of Alexandria ashington
Lodge of MasonS was launched about
twelve years ago by Alexandria Wash
ington Lodge Of Masons Of Alcxan-
drla. The promoters at the time did
not dream of making the affair nat
ional one, and as the movement be-
came discussed the proposition soon
became national in its scope and be-
fore the close of 1922 promises to see
the cornerstone laid of one of the
greatest and only one Of its kind in
the shape of Masonic Temple in the
United States as memorial to George
Washington the Mason's first master
of Aexandria-W Washington Lodge OF
Alexandria.