Evening star., 1937-09-12

MASONS IN HISTORIC EVENTS
Celebration by Order Comes Climax to Long
Series of District Ceremonies in Which Members
and Officers Were Prominent

tOu, WneIe Jrle grand marshal Ordered
a halt and directed each file in the
procession to include two steps, one to
the right and one to the left, and
faced each other, which formed an
hollow oblong square, through which
the grand sword bearer led the van,
followed by the grand master P. T.
on the left, the President of the
United States in the center and
the worshipful master of No. %, Vir-
ginia, on the right. All the other
orders that composed the process
sion advanced In the reverse OF
their order Of march from the Presi-
dents square to the southeast corner
of the Capitol, and the Artillery fled
of to destined ground to display
their maneuvers and discharge their
cannon, the President of the United
States, the grand master P. r. and
worshipful master of No. "a taking
their stand to the east of a huge
stone and all the craft forming a cir
Gle westward stood a short time in
aweful order.
THE artillery discharged q volley.
HE grand marshal delivered to the
Commissioners a large silver
plate with an inscription thereon,
which the Commissioners caused to be
read and was as follows:
This southeast corner stone of
the Capitol Of the United States of
America, In the City of Washington,
was laid on the 18th day of September,
1893, in the thirteenth year OF Ameri-
can independence, in the first year
of the second term of the presidency
of George Washington, whose virtues
in the civil administration of his
country have been so conspicuous
and beneficial as his military valor
and prudence have been useful in
establishing her liberties, and in the
year of Masonry 5793, by the Presi-
dent of the United States, in concert
with the Grand Lodge of Maryland,
several lodges under its jurisdiction
and Lodge No. % from Alexandria,
Va"
Two greatly priced relics of this
occasion. the trowel and gavel, are
still preserved as having been used
by President Washington, and are
still in the sacred keeping of the
fraternity. They were used in the re-
enactment of this important event by
the Masonic Grand Lodge of the Dis
trict of Columbia during the bicen-
tennial celebration a few years ago.
One of the earliest turnouts of
Importance after the Grand Lodge
was formed was the laying of the
corner stone of the City Hall. now the
Court House, which occurred on Au-
gust %, 1920. The parade upon this
occasion was formed in front of the
meeting place of the Grand Lodge,
then on the second floor of the Union
Lodge Room Building, on the Eleventh
street side of the square where is
now the old granite Post Office Build
ing on Pennsylvania avenue. From
here the lodge moved to Strothers
Hotel (now Willard's), where the
members were joined by a large civic
procession composed of almost every
able man in the city and the
surrounding country, all participating
in the march.
The procession arrived at the spot
at 10 am, with President James Mon
roe in line, and the corner stone was
laid in due form by the grand master,
aided by the Mayor and the building
commissioners, who deposited in Its
cavity the following articles:
"a silver plate on which was in
scribed a combination device, con-
sisting of q chisel, mallet, square,
compass, 24-inch gauge, trisquare,
triangle and sprig of acacia; also
the following inscription: City Hall.
This corner stone of the City Hall of
Washington. designed by George Had
field, was laid on the 22d day of
August, A. D. 1920, A. L. $780, in the
forty-fifth year Of the independence
of the United States of America, by
William Hewitt, R. w. G. M. of the
Grand Lodge of Free Masons of the
District of Columbia: James Monroe,
President of the United States; Sam
uel N. Smallwood, Mayor of the City
of Washington