The Hope pioneer., 1922-09-07
oround Already Broken for Glass;
10 Structure on Outskirts Of
Alexandria, Va.
COST IS PUT At s2,5oo,ooo
Every Mason In Country to 30 Asked
to Contribute 81, and Already
800, 900 Has Been Collected -
Hall Of Fame for Masons.

the outskirts Of Alexandria, over
looking the national capital, work has
begun on a. memorial to George Wash
in9ton which will be a fitting COM
panion-piece to the Lincoln Memorial
In Washington.
The edifice, stately temple inspired
by Greek and Roman architecture, Is
being erected by the combined efforts
OF all the Masons and Masonic orders
In the United States, and will be a
tribute to Washington, the man and
Mason. It will be 200 feet from por-
tico to observation platform on the
top, and will be surrounded by an ex-
tensive handicapped garden to be
known as George Washington park. It
L. expected that the memorial will be
completed in from four to five years.
The, cost will be approximately ST.
10000.
Constructed Of snowy marble and
white concrete, the columned structure
will tower high above the river and
will stand out from a background Of
densely wooded hillsides, visible for
miles, and within a short distance Of
Mount Vernon.
Masons to Contribute.
Every Mason has been asked to con-
tribute dollar toward the fund. and
already more than 100000 has been
collected. Additional pledges bring
the figure to almost 81, 100000. Mason
lc orders and individuals contributing
500 toward the fund will be placed
upon the honor charter roll to be kept
among the temple archives.
The building, according to architects,
will be after the style Of memorials
to heroes placed at the harbor en-
frances Of ancient Greek and Roman
cities. It will be erected on ridge
250 feet above the Potomac, and from
it, tower, 200 feet higher, a grand
panorama Of the City of Washington
win lie before the observer, as we'll
az Of the country bordering upon
Mount Vernon.
The first floor will be given over
largely to memorial hall, the COM
manding feature Of which will be a
heroic statue Of Washington. How
ever, as the memorial as whole will
be dedicated also to the memories
of other great Masons Of the country,
there will be available to the Grand
Lodges Of each state space In the
memorial hall in which they may en-
shrine portraits or other tributes to
Masons whose deeds place them be-
side the First President.
Such men as Paul Revere, represent
ing Massachusetts, De Witt Clinton,
New York; Benjamin Franklin, Penn
sylvania; Henry Clay, Lewis and
Clark, Blair, Randolph and many
others have been suggested to be re-
membered thus as prominent history
making Masons.
The temple will be the active lodge
quarters Of Alexandria Washington
Lodge No. % A. #. and A. M, of
which Washington was the first Mas
ter when it was Lodge No. 80. Other
rooms surrounding the atrium will be
given over to the uses Of grand ma
tional bodies Of the order. At all
times, except when used in ritual by
the Alexandria lodge, the entire tenn
pie will be open to the public.
Masonic Art Gallery.
Above the hall, which will rise In a
clear story from the ground floor, will
be q museum and Masonic art gallery
Here will be placed Masonic portraits
and the many historic relics of Wash,
ington and the several other noted
Virginians who from time to time
have been members Of the Alexandria
lodge.
A replica Of the first lodge house
used by Alexandra lodge, which was
dedicated by Washington, will be In
cluded. Other souvenirs include the
clock which stood beside Washington's g
bed, the pendulum cord Of which was
cut at the moment Of his death; a
pocket knife given Washington by his
mother, which was carried by him as
a boy and man; his old hour-glass, the
chair he occupied as Worshipful Mas
ter and which was used for 122 years,
and the Williams portrait Of Wash
ington, which he approved.
With these will also be placed the
spade used In the ground-breaking
ceremony by Louis A. Watres. Pres
ident Of the Masonic National Memoir