The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-04
Onus Restrictions Op T1uUees Rem0Ued By International Pdc


 and tower upward 200 feet. The main masses of the building will comprise a base, in which will be located the great Washington Me morlal Hall, and various Masonic rooms, where may be perpetuated in imperishable form the memory and achievements of the men whose distinguished services to freemason- ry merit particular and lasting re- ward. The Memorial Hall will be an imposing atrium, 70 feet wide and 100 feet deep, In it a statue of Washington will be placed. This hall will be 64 feet high, rising by a clerestory above the surrounding portion of the building. It will be flanked by great Ionic columns, 40 feet high, and surrounded by num- Der of rooms devoted to Masonic in- terests, above the roof of which will be clerestory lights.
 six-column portico of pure Greek Doric design forming the entrance to the building will be a marked con trast to the plain, unbroken walls of Above the massive base will rise tower-like structure of smaller di- mensions. Directly above the me morial hall the second story of the tower will form a museum room for the preservation of relics of George
  interesting relies connected with Washington's service as master Of the Alexandria Washington lodge. There will be a third level of slight ly smaller dimensions above the mu- scum room and above that an obser vation level with structure little smaller in size from which visitors will be able to view the country from the capitol brilding at Washington to the Washington homestead at Mount Vernon. Stately colonnades on all four sides of each of these three levels forming the tower-like structure will add to the beauty of the memorial. The architects are Helme x Corbett, New York. with s. Eugene Osgood, Detroit. as consult ing architect. Olmsted Brothers, Brook1ine, Mass. are the landscape architects with Carl Rust Parker in association.
 The memorial is to be the center and rallying point for Masons of the United States and other countries in addition to being the repository for the many valuable relics of George Washington which have been pre- served by the Alexandria Washington lodge. One of the most prized pos sessions of the lodge is the famous Williams portrait of General Wash ington in Masonic regalia. Another is the clock which was in Washing toms bed chamber on the night Of his death.
 The memorial building in which the Washington relies will be pre- served hereafter Is the outgrowth of necessity and was no single individ- uars idea Many members of the Ma scnic order in the caller days were privileged to see the articles so closely associated with Washington in possession of the Alexandria Washington lodge, but it was not un- til 1907 that the public generally was permitted to do so. Since then the number of visitors has increased year ly, gradually growing from 600 to | IS, 900. As the number of visitors in- creased, the demand for fire-proof structure in which the Washington heirlooms should be placed became more insistent, until finally the pro posed repository was decided upon.
 Shooters Hill, the site of the me- morial, was selected as 1t commands q view of the city of Washington, of Mount Vernon, of Alexandria and Of all the country most frequented by George Washington.
 Laying of the corner stone of the memorial marks the close of ITO years since George Washington be- came a Mason. He entered the order November 4, 175S. The Alexandria Blue Lodge, which was privileged to | add Washington's name to the name of the city so that 1t today is known as Alexandria Washington Lodge No. l 22, held the first regular communlca- ton of the first Masonic lodge In Alexandria on February 25, 17Ss. It