Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-06-02

to your inspection, and my past &C.
tions, rather than my present declara-
tons, must be the pledge Of my flu
ture conduct"
A year prior to this. April %. 1888,
Washington was designated by Ed
mund Randolph, Governor of the
Commonwealth and grand master of
Masons of Virginia, as the first or
charter worshipful master of what is
now Alexandria-W Washington Lodge,
No. %. Apparently Washington was
a popular Mason. He received his
blue lodge degrees in Fredericksburg
Lodge, No. 4, A. F. and A. M, of Fred
erickSburg, Va, in 1928, and was
made an honorary member of old
Alexandria Lodge, No. SO then under
the Provincial Grand Lodge of Penn
sylvania), when that lodge was
formed in 1888.
When the Grand Lodge of Vir-
ginia was instituted in l778, Gen.
Washington was the first choice for
grand master. but declined it because
he did not think it was legal or right
for one to be elected to this high
Office who had never served as master
or warden of a subordinate lodge
Pennsylvania, as early as 1880,
strongly favored making Washing
ton general grand master, and subse-
quently even went so far as to elect
him to that position, but, for lack
of cooperation from the other juris-
diction, the matter was dropped.
According to Hayden, the English
Masons claim that Washington was
made member of the craft during
the French War, in British military
lodge. holding warrant from the
Grand Lodge of Ireland, granted in
1852. The name of this lodge is said
to have been the Lodge of Social
and Military Virtues" and it was
No. 227 on the registry of the Grand
Lodge of Ireland, and was held in
the 46th British Regiment. In 1867
the further claim was made that this
lodge still existed as Lodge of An
tiquity" in Canada, and that this
lodge had in its possession the Bible
upon which Washington was obli-
gated. Many reasons have been adj
vanced for refuting this claim. which
is regarded as not well founded.
Alexandria Washington Lodge has
many relics and reminders of the
first Presidents activities in Masonry.
WHILE Washington resided at
w Mount Vernon he was a fire.
quent visitor to Alexandria, and often
attended Christ Episcopal Church
commenced in 1765 and completed in
1773, and later somewhat remodeled
He was a member of the vestry and
purchased and occupied pew No. SO
on the left of the left aisle, for f36
los, the highest price paid for a pew
Gen. Robert E. Lee of the Confederate
forces occupied pew No. As. little
way back of where Washington sat
The cemetery connected with this old
church is very interesting and dates
back to the beginning of the edif1ce
There are several old churches and
sites of churches to be seen here In
addition to Christ Church. One OF
these, the First Presbyterian Church
was restored about seven years ago
Because of the fact that many OF
washington's friends belonged here
is is said by some that he also attend
ed this church about as often as he
did Christ Church. The known
burials in the churchyard include an
unknown Revolutionary War soldier
Col. Dennis Ramsey, Washington
closest friend in Alexandria; MAI
John Carlyle, DR.. James Craik. his
personal physician, and others with
whom the general must have been on
intimate terms. Under the pulpit Is
buried DR.. James Muir, first pastor
of the church, to whose sermons
WASHINGTON often listened.
In st. Paul's Cemetery there are