George Washington Masonic National Memorial

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George Washington Masonic National Memorial
National Register of Historic Places
National Historic Landmark
George Washington Masonic National Memorial

George Washington Masonic National Memorial

George Washington Masonic National Memorial (Virginia)
Paris plan pointer b jms.svg
location Alexandria , Virginia
Coordinates 38 ° 48 '26.9 "  N , 77 ° 3' 57.5"  W Coordinates: 38 ° 48 '26.9 "  N , 77 ° 3' 57.5"  W.
Built June 5, 1922
NRHP number 15000622
The NRHP added July 21, 2015

The George Washington Masonic National Memorial is a monumental Masonic Temple built in memory of George Washington , the first President of the United States and practicing Freemason . It is located in Alexandria, Virginia on the top of Shuter's Hill and opens up a panorama of Alexandria and Washington, DC The ten-story tower is modeled after the ancient lighthouse of Alexandria . The nearest underground station is King Street, and there is also an Amtrak train station nearby.

The 101 m high construction started in 1922 and finished in 1932. The construction cost was $ 600 million. The inauguration, which was also attended by President Herbert Hoover , took place on May 12, 1932.

It is the only Masonic structure in the United States that is funded by all 52 grand lodges (usually state funding only). There are also numerous memorabilia of George Washington's masonry work here.

The building

The memorial was financed exclusively through donations. The New York architects Helmle & Corbett were responsible for the planning. The classicist building is bound by the strict Doric column order in the entrance area , the three subdivisions of the tower are ornamented in the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian styles. At the top of the tower there is a pyramid with a stylized flame (as a reminder of the lighthouse). All murals inside are by Allyn Cox.

The building contractor, owner and operator is the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association, which was founded in 1910.

It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since July 2015 . At the same time, the structure was awarded the status of a National Historic Landmark .

In the media and popular culture

A scene from the 2007 mystery-adventure film Legacy of the Secret Book was filmed at the Memorial Theater. The stage in the theater was a stand for a lecture hall. An additional scene was filmed in the memorial hall.

The memorial was also briefly featured in author Dan Brown's 2009 bestselling novel , The Lost Symbol . The monument is discussed in Chapter 78, but not visited by the novel's protagonists. When the book was published in 2009, the memorial received a lot of media attention. The Discovery Channel filmed part of a documentary about Freemasonry at the memorial in August 2009 (it aired October 2009). Brown himself recommended that The Today Show co-host Matt Lauer visit the memorial so that Lauer then filmed a segment in the Royal Arch Room (it aired on September 14, 2009, the day before Brown's book was published). NBC Nightly News interviewed memorial staff around the same time, and Dateline NBC also recorded part of a segment on Brown's book at the memorial (it aired October 16, 2009).

C-SPAN broadcast a special program about the building ( George Washington Masonic National Memorial ) on December 21, 2010 (the 100th anniversary of the creation of the memorial's ruling association).

Web links

Commons : George Washington Masonic National Memorial  - Collection of Pictures, Videos, and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Conroy, Sarah Booth, “Those Revolutionary Masons.” Washington Post. February 16, 1992.
  2. ↑ Dr. Arn Heads "Masonic Memorial Unit for Fourth Term." Washington Post. February 24, 1942.
  3. ↑ https://scottishrite.org/about/media-publications/journal/article/the-george-washington-masonic-memorial-centennial-celebration/
  4. ↑ George Washington Masonic National Memorial. In: The Masonic Trowel. May 22, 2014, accessed February 12, 2017 .
  5. ↑ https://gwmemorial.org/pages/architecture
  6. ↑ https://gwmemorial.org/
  7. ↑ http://focus.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/15000622
  8. ↑ Listing of National Historic Landmarks by State: Virginia. National Park Service , accessed February 27, 2020.
  9. ↑ a b Washington Post (ed.): More History Than Mystery in Alexandria . January 29, 2010.
  10. ↑ Deane, Daniela and Downey, Kirstin: Freemasonry, Eager to Step From Cultural Shadows . Ed .: Washington Post. December 24, 2007.
  11. ^ The Messenger. (PDF) 2007, accessed on May 16, 2018 (English).
  12. ↑ Hesse, Monica and Montgomery, David: Mysteries All Over the Map . Ed .: Washington Post. September 10, 2009.
  13. ↑ Burstein and De Keijzer . 2006, p. 228 .
  14. ↑ a b The Messenger. (PDF) 2009, accessed on May 16, 2018 .
  15. ↑ George Washington Masonic Memorial. Retrieved May 16, 2018 (American English).