Masonic Gavel Used By George Washington For Capitol Cornerstone At Tonight's State of the Union Address

Allyn Cox 1955 mural at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial

by Christopher Hodapp

President Donald Trump's State of the Union message is taking place tonight, and there will be an important Masonic artifact there for this special occasion. 

The famous gavel used by George Washington at the Masonic cornerstone ceremony for the new U.S. Capitol building in 1793 will be displayed on the Speaker's podium in the House of Representatives tonight during the joint session of Congress.

Speaker Mike Johnson requested the gavel be present at the State of the Union address for the first time in history. The gavel is owned by Potomac Lodge No. 5 in Washington, DC.

The ceremony has been depicted several times by artists. The image at the top of this article was painted by Allyn Cox as a massive mural at the George Washington Masonic National Monument in Alexandria, Virginia. Installed in 1955, the mural underwent careful restoration in 2017. Cox also painted another version of the ceremony that is in the Cox Corridor of the U.S. Capitol.

From a press release on the Capitol History website:

 

Today, the U.S. Capitol Historical Society proudly announced that Speaker Mike Johnson will become the first House Speaker in history to display George Washington’s Gavel during the State of the Union Address to Congress. The historic Gavel was first used in 1793 to lay the cornerstone of the United States Capitol building: “The People’s House” and the physical manifestation of our democracy. Since that ceremony, the Gavel has been in the care of Potomac Lodge No. 5, the oldest Masonic Lodge in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Capitol Historical Society worked diligently with the Lodge and Speaker’s Office to enable the Gavel to rest on the rostrum during this year’s Address—marking the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.

“The U.S. Capitol Historical Society would like to thank Speaker Johnson and Potomac Lodge No. 5 for working with us to ensure the display of a historic treasure for this year’s historic Address,” said Roswell Encina, President & CEO of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society. “Complementing the State of the Union with George Washington’s Gavel beautifully reflects the importance of preserving and sharing the Capitol’s history; helping Americans connect with the people, places, and traditions that continue to shape our nation. A significant part of the Society’s mission is to bring Congress to the People. During America250, it is especially satisfying to have helped bring the People to Congress.”

In 1793, U.S. President and Master Mason, George Washington, laid the cornerstone of the United States Capitol Building. At the time, a growing schism between “Federalists” and “Republicans” threatened the American experiment in its infancy. Washington therefore lent his prestige to such events as the laying of the Capitol cornerstone to give credence to the new U.S. Government: established in 1789 after our Constitution was ratified.

Allyn Cox painting of the Masonic cornerstone ceremony in the Cox Corridor
of the U.S. Capitol. 

On the morning of September 18, 1793, Washington and a procession of artillery and Masonic lodges crossed the Potomac River to the new Federal City. They did so, a newspaper reported, “with music playing, drums beating, colors flying, and spectators rejoicing.” At the Capitol site, Washington stepped into a dug trench, laid a silver plate onto the ground, and set the cornerstone atop it. He was accompanied by brethren who conducted a Masonic ritual with corn (a symbol of nourishment), wine (a symbol of refreshment), and oil (a symbol of joy). Witnesses then chanted and celebrated until night.

After the ceremony, Washington bestowed the Gavel to Valentine Reintzel, the head of Potomac Lodge No. 5, who assisted that day and cared for the artifact until his death. In the two centuries since, Potomac Lodge No. 5 has been the Gavel’s custodian, loaning it to other cornerstone ceremonies, including the Washington Monument, National Cathedral, and Smithsonian Institution.

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As Washington himself told Congress in his first State of the Union Address:

“Knowledge is in every Country the surest basis of public happiness…To the security of a free Constitution it contributes in various ways: By convincing those, who are entrusted with the public administration, that every valuable end of Government is best answered by the enlightened confidence of the people: And by teaching the people themselves…to discriminate the spirit of liberty from that of licentiousness, cherishing the first, avoiding the last, and uniting a speedy, but temperate vigilence against encroachments, with an inviolable respect to the laws.”

In addition to the gavel, another artifact from that same ceremony is owned by Virginia's Alexandria-Washington Lodge 22: a large silver trowel used to symbolically spread the cement of Brotherly Love.

Tri-State Masonic Degree Exemplification in Grand Rapids, MI: 11/23

On Saturday, November 23, 2019 three midwestern U.S. Grand Lodges will come together for a Tri-State Masonic Degree Exemplification. This is a rare opportunity to see how the three Craft Lodge degrees are conferred in these sister jurisdictions. The Grand Lodge of Michigan F&AM will be hosting the Tri-State Degree Day at the Grand Rapids Masonic Center. 

Grand Rapids Masonic Center

The three Blue Lodge degrees will each be presented by the grand officers of the Grand Lodges of Ohio, Indiana and Michigan respectively, without lectures and charges. 

The Entered Apprentice Degree will be performed by the Grand Lodge F&AM of Indiana; the Fellow Craft Degree by the Grand Lodge F&AM of Michigan; and the Master Mason Degree by the Grand Lodge F&AM of Ohio. 

All Master Masons in amity with the Grand Lodge of Michigan are welcome to attend this demonstration of the degrees. 

Obviously this is a tyled event, so be sure you bring your current dues card - Membership will be verified. And if last year's gathering in Indianapolis was any barometer, it wouldn't hurt to toss in an apron if you have one, just in case the supply is tight.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE!

This event begins promptly at 1:00 PM. Please know that the schedule for the day is full and they will be moving from one degree right into the next.   

• Entered Apprentice Degree - presented by the Grand Lodge F&AM of Ohio 
• Followed by the Fellow Craft Degree - presented by the Grand Lodge F&AM of Indiana
• Followed by the Master Mason Degree - presented by the Grand Lodge F&AM of Michigan

3:45 PM (Estimated) - Light Reception with Cash Bar

Registration with payment of $20 is due by Friday, November 15, 2019. This may be paid via PayPal or check payable to Grand Lodge of Michigan mailed to 1204 Wright Ave., Alma, MI 48801.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE!

Wreath Laying Ceremony To Follow at President Gerald Ford's Gravesite

At 5:00 PM that Saturday there will be a wreath laying ceremony at President Gerald R. Ford's gravesite presented by the Grand Lodge Officers of Ohio, Indiana & Michigan.  The Ford grave is located at 303 Pearl Street NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504

Because of the tumultuous twists of history, Gerald Ford is the only person ever to have served as both Vice President and President without being elected to either office. 

Brother Gerald Rudolph Ford served as the 38th President of the United States between 1974-77 after the resignation of Richard M. Nixon. Ford had been appointed as Nixon's Vice President in December 1973 following the resignation of Spiro T. Agnew. He lost the presidential election of 1976 to Jimmy Carter, and his was the shortest term in history for an American  president who did not die in office. But Ford's steady, affable nature combined with his moderate political views and policies helped to calm a nation at one of the most fraught political periods in U.S. history.

To date, Gerald Ford is the last U.S. President to have been a Freemason. 

Brother Gerald Ford was initiated as an Entered Apprentice on September 30, 1949 in Malta Lodge No. 465 in Grand Rapids Michigan, along with his three half-brothers Thomas Gardner Ford, Richard Addison Ford, and James Francis Ford. Brother Gerald's Fellow Craft and Master Mason degrees were conferred by Columbia Lodge No. 3, Washington, D.C., on April 20 and May 18, 1951 as a courtesy to Malta Lodge. He was also a member of the Scottish Rite and the Shrine.

In 1975, Ford was made an honorary grand master of the Order of DeMolay. That same year, he visited the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia for the unveiling of a plaque in the auditorium marking his own presidency. Ford's speech at the event was later published in his public papers, and in it he spoke of his own Masonic journey.

"When I took my obligation as a master mason — incidentally, with my three younger brothers — I recalled the value my own father attached to that Order. But I had no idea that I would ever be added to the company of the Father of our country and 12 other members of the order who also served as Presidents of the United States. Masonic principles — internal, not external — and our order's vision of duty to country and acceptance of God as Supreme Being and guiding light have sustained me during my years of government service. Today especially, the guidelines by which I strive to become an upright man in Masonry give me great personal strength.

"Masonic precepts can help America retain our inspiring aspirations while adapting to a new age. It is apparent to me that the Supreme Architect has set out the duties each of us has to perform, and I have trusted in His will with the knowledge that my trust is well-founded...

"Let us today rededicate ourselves to new efforts--as Masons and as Americans. Let us demonstrate our confidence in our beloved Nation and a future that will flow from the glory of the past. When I think of the things right about America, I think of this order with its sense of duty to country, its esteem for brotherhood and traditional values, its spiritual high principles, and its humble acceptance of God as the Supreme Being..."

After the post-degree reception at the Masonic Center, the grand officers will depart for the Ford gravesite at 4:30PM. 

If you require overnight accommodations in Grand Rapids, there is a limited block of rooms available at the Amway Grand Plaza. Feel free to use the link below:

Amway Hotel Booking Website:
https://book.passkey.com/e/49907135

If you have any questions, feel free to contact a representative directly at 989-466-3091

Site of Harry Truman's Historic Masonic Visit Damaged By Fire

THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED 7/11/2019

Fire broke out at about 3 AM Monday morning at Beech Grove Lodge 694 on the south side of Indianapolis. 

Beech Grove Lodge is noteworthy in Indiana’s Masonic history, as well as to the cultural heritage of the fraternity. In 1948, President Harry S Truman famously snuck away from the press during a campaign stopover in Indianapolis to attend the Master Mason degree of Donald Bauermeister, a young sailor from Indiana who was his physical therapist on board the Presidential Yacht back in Washington. The President was crisscrossing the Midwest on a whistle stop campaign tour, and was traveling through Indiana at the time. Don and his father had attended Truman’s stump speech in Kokomo earlier in the day, and were invited by the President to ride in his private railroad car the rest of the way into the city. While underway, Truman suddenly informed his staff that he wished to visit the Beech Grove Masonic lodge that evening. 

Harry Truman was an enthusiastic Freemason. Before becoming President in 1945, Truman had served as Grand Master for the Grand Lodge of Missouri, and remained an active supporter of the fraternity all his life. 

Rumors of the President’s ‘secret’ trip to Beech Grove that night spread like wildfire, especially among the railroad community. The Secret Service had taken pains to convince the press that Truman had gone to bed early aboard his train at Union Station, and even used a body double decoy to convince them. Nevertheless, over a thousand people gathered in the streets outside of the lodge to try to catch a glimpse of the President entering the Masonic Hall at 7th and Main Streets.

He arrived just before the second section of the degree began, and nearly three hundred Masons packed into the lodge room, the social areas, and even lined the staircase. Because Masonic degree rituals are considered secret, Truman’s non-Mason security agents were not permitted to actually enter the lodge room during the ceremony. Forced to wait nervously outside, the President assured them he was in the safest possible place on Earth. Inside, Truman was invited to preside over the ceremony, and sat in the Master’s chair. When asked how he wanted to be formally introduced to the gathered members and visitors, he humbly declined the presidential title and instead asked to be identified simply as a Past Grand Master of Missouri. 

Monday's blaze started on the second floor near the East in the lodge room, and authorities have determined the fire was caused by an electrical problem. Thankfully, there were no injuries. The lodge room and about a third of the roof and attic area are a total loss, but the flames were confined to those areas by the closed Tyler's and Preparation room doors. 

The present hall of Beech Grove Lodge was dedicated in 1942. Because of the major structural loss and tremendous water and smoke damage, it is expected that the building will be gutted and rebuilt, but the exterior facade will be retained.

Charters of the lodge and the Eastern Star chapter were both consumed by the fire. On Wednesday members and work crews were hurriedly attempting to remove all surviving paper records and any other salvageable items, as the building is now unstable.

Members of the lodge report that the famous meeting’s 1948 register book with the President’s signature suffered smoke damage from the fire, along with original photographs from the event. The Master's chair that President Truman sat in is currently buried under the collapsed portion of the roof beams, but a preliminary look holds out the possibility that it can be salvaged. 

Local news station WXIN Fox 59 aired a follow up report by reporter Nick McGill about the lodge on Wednesday, featuring an interview with Worshipful Master Kevin Upshaw. SEE IT HERE.

The Masonic ring given to Don Bauermeister by his parents and handed to him by Harry Truman himself, along with his Masonic Bible signed by the President are still safely on display at the Masonic Library and Museum of Indiana, located in the Indianapolis Masonic Temple.

Details about Truman's visit to Beech Grove Lodge in 1948 can be found in Dwight L. Smith's Goodly Heritage (1968), Allen E. Roberts' Brother Truman (1985), and most recently in my own book, Heritage Endures (2018).