Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-02-14

Moreover, Alexandria. like Mount Vernon is so
closely associated with George Washington that
the several memorials of the Potomac Valley seem
parts of a harmonious whole
In the near future there will be six of these
memorials Washington City itself; the Washing.
ton Monument; Mount Vernon, with its sacred
tomb; the National Cathedral on Mount ST. Alban
which George Washington specifically provided for
in his directions to Major L'Enfant when he and
the young French engineer laid out Washington
In 1890; the George Washington National Audi
forum, of which the foundations are completed
and the George Washington National Masonic Me
mortal Nowhere In the world is such a collection
of truly magnificent memorials to the memory of
human being And this 100000 Masonic Me-
mortal is by no means the least of these. Here is
its purpose:
The George Washington Magonic National
ington, the man and the Mason Its form is in
days Of Greece and Rome to mark the enranees
to their harboTs and from whose SUBMITS perma-
at sea guided the mariner on his way. The great
at guiding SPIRIT 81 ss
time viii set an eample bicb 5b b FOE AZ
may direct its course
II will be indeed a landmark and the good Amer
lean may catch afar its pharos glow. For it will
rise 200 feet high from Shooters Hill on the Ar
lngton Ridge. From distance 1t will appear as
a massive and lofty tower rising from a terraced
verdure-clad base. From its topmost colonnade
the visitor may view the Potomac Valley from
Washington to Mount Vernon, in whicJf Washington
passed most OF his life Indeed the thirty-two
acres of its grounds were once owned by Wash
ington himself.
The corner stone of this Masonic Memorial and
shrine for American Freemasonry was laid last
fall. President Coolidge, though not Mason,
spread the first mortar with the trowel used by
George Washington September Is, 1893, in laying
the corner stone Of the capitol building at Wash
ington Members of the cabinet, official person
ages Masonic dignitaries and an army of repre-
sentatives of Masonic organizations throughout
the country participated in elaborate ceremonies
RI. Rev. James Edward Freeman, Episcopal bishop
Of Washington, delivered eulogy to the nations
first president.
George Washington became charter member
of Alexandria Lodge in 1878, shortly after the APP
plcation for charter had been made to the grand
lodge in Virginia Upon the walls of the lodge
still hangs the document containing his name
signed by Edmund Randolph governor of Virginia
He served as master for twenty months being
reelected to succeed himself. But for years prior
to that time he had been associated with the lodge
and had been elected as honorary member shortly
after his return from the Revolution when the
lodge was within the jurisdiction of the provincial
grand lodge of Pennsylvania.
After Washington's death numerous relics, many
of which have been associated with his Masonic
life passed into possession Of the lodge.
II has been the great pride of the Alexandria
washington Lodge to have assembled so many me-
mentoes of the public and private life of the first
president, and by inheritance, tradition and affa-
ton it is peculiarly equipped to have inaugurated
the movement for the memorial.
A disastrous fire, however, occurred in May,
1871, in which were lost many valuable relics as
ISOLATED with the generals public career, with his
contacts with notable men of the day and with
his family life.
ofrp
Confederate forces during the Civil war no article
was touched For forty years thereafter the col
lection was closed to the public. But in 1907 the
display was placed under the custody of a member
of the lodge and thrown open to the public In
1919 the city council Of Alexandria set apart the
entire third story of the west wing of the city hall
for the Alexandria Washington Lodge Museum