USA > Washington DC > History of the Grand lodge and of freemasonry in the District of Columbia : with biographical appendix > Part 4
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Alexandria-Brooke Lodge, No. 47, located at Alexandria, was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Virginia, November 29, 1796, and as it was one of the original lodges uniting to form the Grand Lodge of the District, and as it subsequently, for a period of years, was an important member of the local Ma- sonic confederation, it may properly be considered our prop- erty, and its birth and development noted in regular course.
With the closing hours of the century the immortal Wash- ington passed away at his Mt. Vernon home. His life and death, his character and works, are matters of household his- tory the world over, and need no fulsome repetition here; yet a brief sketch of his Masonic career must needs find place in the history of the Fraternity in this jurisdiction, which owes its very existence to his forceful will and which was the object of his especial solicitude and care during the latter years of his life. November 4, 1752, shortly before reaching his majority, he was initiated in Fredericksburg Lodge, No. 4, Fredericksburg, Va .; March 3, 1753, nine days after his twenty-first birthday, he passed to the degree of Fellow-craft, and on the 4th of the succeeding August was raised to the degree of Master Mason. Washington was therefore dur- ing his entire adult life a Freemason, and no opportunity was ever permitted by him to pass without manifesting his con- fidence in and respect for the Fraternity. That he took an active part in the formation and conduct of traveling or army lodges during the Revolution is evidenced by the following statement of Brother Scott, P. G. M. of Virginia, in his ad- dress at the laying of the cornerstone of the Washington Mon- ument at Richmond, Va., February 22, 1850: " Frequently when surrounded by a brilliant staff, he would part from the gay assemblage and seek the instruction of the lodge. There lived, in 1842, in our sister State, Ohio, Captain Hugh Maloy, then ninety-three years old, who was initiated a Mason in
.
28
HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY
the marquee of Washington, he officiating and presiding at the ceremony."
December 27, 1779, a convention of army lodges met at Mor- ristown, N. J., and the subject of a General Grand Lodge was discussed and a committee appointed to address the several existing Grand Lodges on the subject, which, February 7, 1780, was done, and while the name of Washington was not mentioned as first General Grand Master yet it was generally understood to be the choice of the convention. A month pre- viously, at an emergent session of the Grand Lodge of Pennsyl- vania, it was by ballot determined that it was for the benefit of Masonry that there be "a Grand Master of Masons throughout the United States," and upon ballot "his Excel- lency, George Washington, Esq., General and Commander- in-Chief," was unanimously elected. Massachusetts, however, concluding that the movement was " premature and inexpedi- ent," and Virginia, the only remaining Grand Lodge, making no movement, the project died. The action of Pennsylvania doubtless gave rise to the historical error, widely prevalent and stoutly maintained, that Gen. Washington was at one time General Grand Master of the United States.
That he was the first Master of Alexandria-Washington Lodge, No. 22, is shown by the fact that the charter is di- rected to "our illustrious and well-beloved Brother, George Washington, Esq., late General and Commander-in-chief of the forces of the United States of America. *"
Not only was he an active worker in his own lodge, but by the testimony of cotemporaries we learn that he often visited Lodge No. 39, of Alexandria. The prominent part taken by him in the ceremonies incident to the laying of the cor- nerstone of the Capitol building has already been touched upon, and of itself effectually sets at rest the malicious as- sertions appearing from time to time that Washington was not a Mason-a statement so fully controverted by document- ary evidence as to require no denial.
The body of the illustrious dead was consigned to the tomb December 18, 1799, the two Alexandria lodges and
-
REAR 1417 F STREET, N. W., ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS THE LITTLE HOTEL. Home of Federal Lodge, No. 1, 1796-1804.
Y
WASHINGT
LUNCH
THIS STORE · GALY CIGARS
LUNCH
GIGAISTIES MEN FAPITS
-
-
PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NEAR FIFTEENTH STREET, N. W., ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS LOVELL'S HOTEL.
First Home of Columbia Lodge, No. 3. 1802-1804.
29
IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Federal Lodge of this city uniting as a funeral lodge and being escorted to the vault by an imposing procession in the follow- ing order :
Companies of cavalry, artillery and infantry ; military guard of honor; a led horse, bridled and saddled, with the spurred boots of its late rider in the stirrups, and his sword and gaunt- lets at the saddle; the body on a bier covered with a black pall, the tassels of which, three on a side, were held by six colonels of the Revolutionary Army, all Freemasons; rela- tives and intimate friends; funeral lodge of Freemasons; the municipality of Alexandria; citizens; servants of the estate.
As the procession moved to the sound of muffled drums minute guns were fired from a vessel anchored near the wharf.
Upon arrival at the tomb the mourners and Freemasons formed an inner circle enclosed by the military, citizens, and servants. The chaplain of the Alexandria Lodge conducted the burial service from the Book of Common Prayer, and closed with a brief address, after which the Masonic rites were fully performed according to the ancient usage. As bearer of one of the " lesser lights," Brother McCormick entered the tomb, and the unconsumed part of the sperm candle he carried was suitably inscribed and preserved by him, and in 1867 came into possession of the Grand Lodge of the District. Ac- cording to the custom of the time, refreshments were served throughout the day.
The beginning of the nineteenth century found Masonry languishing on this side of the river, Federal, the lone rep- resentative, experiencing a period of depression which, how- ever, soon passed, and when on November 8, 1802, the Grand Lodge of Maryland, upon the recommendation of No. 15, granted a charter to Columbia Lodge, No. 35, with a list of twenty-one members, largely drawn from the employés of the Treasury Department, an era of comparative activity set in. The two lodges in 1804 united in the erection on Eleventh Street, N. W., of the building long known as Union Lodge Room, a more particular account of which is given in another chapter, and by this enterprise placed the Fraternity
30
HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY
on a more substantial and promising footing than it had yet enjoyed.
Over in the East End, or to use a colloquial phrase, " on the Navy Yard," the Masonic leaven was also working, and in re- sponse to a petition from "sundry Brethren working under a dispensation in the Navy Yard at Washington," on May 14, 1805, the Grand Lodge of Maryland issued a warrant to Washington Naval Lodge, No. 41. The selection of the name is easily traceable to the location, and perhaps also to the fact that the war with Tripoli had just ended and the country was ringing with the daring deeds of Decatur and his fleet. This latter assumption seems all the more probable because it was in this city that many of the crews from the fleet were discharged. Tradition indeed holds that from this source the lodge obtained large accessions of membership. As a sample of the warrants issued by the Grand Lodge of Maryland at that time the one granted to Naval Lodge, which is still pre- served, properly calls for reproduction here as one of the valued documents of the Fraternity :
A PRO
P
No.
41.
JOHN CRAWFORD, M. D., G. M.
RIA PRI
CTUS & FINIS +
R. NELSON,
D. G. M.
MAP
AN
To All Whom It May Concern.
We the GRAND LODGE of the STATE OF MARYLAND of the most Ancient and HONOURABLE FRATERNITY of FREE & ACCEPTED MASONS (according to the OLD INSTITUTION) duly established, constituted and organized for the said STATE DO HEREBY constitute and appoint our trusty and well be- loved Brethren JOHN DAVIS of Abel, MASTER, WILLIAM SMITH Senior WARDEN & JOHN CUMMINS Junior WARDEN of a NEW LODGE to be held in the CITY of WASHINGTON in the DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA by the name of " WASHINGTON NAVAL LODGE" NUMBER FORTY-ONE, and We do HEREBY authorize and empower our said trusty and well beloved Brethren to hold their Lodge at the place hereby appointed and directed at such times as they shall think necessary and convenient and according to the CONSTITU- TION of MASONRY and to admit and make FREE MASONS according to the
31
IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
most HONOURABLE custom of the ROYAL CRAFT in all NATIONS throughout the known WORLD and not contrariwise: AND WE do further authorize and empower our said Brethren and their successors to hear and deter- mine all and singular matters and things relating to the CRAFT within the Jurisdiction of the said Lodge No. 41. AND LASTLY, WE DO HEREBY authorize and empower our said trusty and well beloved Brethren JOHN DAVIS, WILLIAM SMITH, AND JOHN CUMMINS to nominate choose and INSTALL their successors to whom they shall deliver this WARRANT, and invest them with all their Powers and Dignities as FREE MASONS and such successors shall in like manner nominate, choose and Install their successors, &c. &c. &c. such INSTITUTIONS to be upon or near ST. JOHN the EVANGELIST'S DAY during the continuance of this LODGE for EVER; PROVIDED always that the said above named Brethren and their successors pay due respect to the RIGHT WORSHIPFUL GRAND LODGE from whom they have their authority otherwise this WARRANT to be of no FORCE Or VIRTUE.
Given under our HANDS and the SEAL OF THE GRAND LODGE at the City of BALTIMORE this fourteenth day of MAY in the Year of OUR LORD, One thousand eight Hundred and five and of MASONRY, Five thousand eight hundred and five.
JACOB SMALL S. G. W. Pt. JAMES SMYTH J. G. W. Pt. SAML. VINCENT G. Sec.
At the same communication of the Grand Lodge there was received and read the proceedings of a lodge held in the City of Washington, termed "The Congressional Lodge," work- ing under a dispensation granted by the Rt. W. G. M., author- izing Bro. Roger Nelson to obtain a charter, and "whereas no other proceedings of said lodge were transmitted, the dues not paid nor the dispensation returned," it was "resolved that no further proceedings take place respecting said lodge and that said lodge be suspended agreeable to the tenor of said dispensation."
Events now moved rapidly. Some little temporary dissension arising between Federal and Naval, the ill-feeling seems to have been carried to the Grand Lodge, and is alleged to have been the cause of the suspension by that body of the charter of Federal, May, 1806, on the charge of having admitted " irreligious and unworthy characters" to membership. Six months later, however, the Grand Lodge removed the sus- pension on the ground that Federal had not been given a proper hearing and that the information on which the pre- vious action had been based had been found to be erroneous.
32
HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY
An appropriation of $55 was voted to the lodge to reimburse it for expenses incurred in its defence, and this amende hon- orable clears the record of one of our oldest and most valued lodges.
Over in Georgetown, also, the long dormant Masonic spirit was awakening, and at the communication of the Grand Lodge of Maryland November 6, 1806, a charter was granted to a number of brethren to hold a lodge to be known as Potomac Lodge, No. 43. At the first election of officers Valentine Reintzel, later the first Grand Master of the District, was chosen Master, and under his administration and through his activity the lodge obtained a foothold which has enabled it to weather the storms of more than a century. For the reason that some of the same names appear in the records of Lodge No. 9, Columbia Lodge, No. 19, and Potomac, No. 43, and also because of the fact that fragments of the records of the first two are in the possession of the last named lodge, the conclusion is natural and logical that it may be considered to have been the same lodge with periods of inaction and under different titles.
While not strictly bearing upon the history of events, yet possessing no little value as side-lights to bring into stronger relief the details of the picture of the local Masonic world in those pioneer days, a few extracts from the by-laws of " Po- tomak" Lodge, No. 43, in force in the year 1807, may prop- erly find place here.
The curiously worded preamble is a gem and is as follows :
We, the Master, officers and members of Potomac Lodge, No. 43, of the most ancient and honorable fraternity of Free and accepted Masons, duly constituted by charter from the Grand Lodge of Maryland, bearing date the 12th day of November, A. D., 1806, and now in open lodge assembled at our lodge-room in Georgetown, this - day of January, 1807, Annoque Lucis, 5807, in order to pay homage and adoration to the Grand Architect, whose divine wisdom having resolved to form the world, and reduced a wild chaos to a fair, regular and permanent system; and who not only traced out the whole plan of the Universe, but gave life and being, form and figure, to every part of what before had been a rude indigested and immovable heap of matter, who said, "Let there be light, and there was light," and the dull, heavy and terrean parts of matter
WILLIAM W. SEATON. GRAND MASTER, 1822-1824.
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IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
which over clouded the expansion, obeyed the Almighty fiat, and began to range into form and order, and for the purpose of disseminating brotherly love, relief and charity; and to maintain the principles of benevolence and religion inculcated by our Order-have made, estab- lished and confirmed the following articles, as a constitutional code, for the government of ourselves and our successors.
* * *
Art. 1. Sec. 2 .- The Lodge shall be opened within thirty minutes of the stated hour of meeting and in case the Master and Wardens should be absent the last Past Master (if a member) shall take the chair; and in case no Past Master should be present the oldest Master Mason shall preside and after offering a prayer to the Divinity for a blessing on our labours proceed to business.
Art. II. Sec. 2 .- * * * $5 accompanying petition, $15 additional if accepted. * * * and provided also that where there is only one nega- tive the petition shall lye over until the regular meeting next following- and the member who blackballed the candidate shall in the intermediate time make known his objections with the reason of the same to the Master and Wardens who shall be competent to judge whether they are sufficient and if they are adjudged insufficient or if he neglects or refuses to make them known the candidate may then be received.
Sec. 3-Each step balloted for as above.
Art. XII, Sec. 3, provides for fining the Master $2, the in- stalled officers $1, and the members 50 cents for non- attendance.
And thus in our hasty survey we have passed through the formative period of organized Masonry in the District of Columbia and stand upon the threshold of our existence as an independent jurisdiction.
3
34
HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY
CHAPTER IV.
INDEPENDENCE.
THE BIRTH OF THE GRAND LODGE-PIONEER OFFICERS-FORM
OF WARRANTS ISSUED TO SUBORDINATE LODGES- FORMAL NOTIFICATION TO OTHER GRAND LODGES.
"The childhood shows the man as morning shows the day." -TENNYSON.
BY THE END of the first decade of the nineteenth century Masonry was in a comparatively flourishing condition in the District of Columbia, with four lodges, Federal, Columbia, Potomac, and Naval, north, and two, Alexandria-Washington and Alexandria-Brooke, south of the river, and while the ag- gregate membership did not equal that of many of our present lodges, yet in proportion to the population it was numerically strong and healthfully active. As the local fraternity ex- panded and prospered there rapidly developed the American spirit of independence, which soon culminated in a successful movement looking to the formation of a Grand Lodge in and for the District.
The history of this movement and the birth of the Grand Lodge, being events of the most vital moment in our local history, demand as full a report as the scope of this work will permit, and so, as succinctly as may be without sacrificing any essential feature, the following account is presented.
The agitation of the subject, covering a period of several years, resulted in the appointment of delegates by the several subordinate lodges and the meeting of those delegates in con- vention in the then Union Lodge Room, on Eleventh Street,
35
IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
N. W., December 11, 1810, to consider the advisability of " establishing and organizing a Grand Lodge in and for said District." Alexandria-Washington Lodge alone held aloof, and tho afterward courteously requested to join the union and as courteously declining, still remained friendly and interested, while continuing to hold to its former allegiance. At this con- vention there were present :
Brothers Alexander McCormick, Patrick Magruder, C. Wil- lis Weaver, Archibald Van Horn, and Charles Glover, of Fed- eral, No. 15 ; James Galt, Amos Alexander, and James Carson, of Alexandria-Brooke, No. 47; Charles Jones, Orlando Cooke, and Ninian Beall, of Columbia, No. 35; John Davis, of Abel, Shadrach Davis, Joseplı Cassin, James Kemp, and David Dob- byn, of Washington Naval, No. 41; Henry Pyfer, Daniel Kurtz, and Lewis P. W. Balch, of Potomac, No. 43.
It having been unanimously resolved that it was right and expedient to establish and organize a Grand Lodge in and for the District of Columbia, it was further resolved to notify the several lodges to appoint deputies to meet in convention Janu- ary 8, 1811, with full power to form a Grand Lodge and elect and install Grand Officers.
Pursuant to this plan, the authorized deputies met in Union Lodge Room, at 3 P. M. on the date mentioned, and, having resolved that the installed officers of the Grand Lodge should be a Grand Master, a Deputy Grand Master, Grand Senior Warden, Grand Junior Warden, Grand Secretary, and Grand Treasurer, to be elected by ballot (the deputation from each lodge to have collectively one vote), and that not more than one of the five first-named officers should be chosen from the same lodge, proceeded to an election, which resulted as follows :
Valentine Reintzel, Potomac, No. 43, R. W. G. Master; John Kinkaid, Brooke, No. 47, R. W. D. G. Master; Alex- ander McCormick, Federal, No. 15, R. W. Senior G. Warden; Joseph Cassin, Washington-Naval, No. 41, R. W. Junior G. Warden; and Charles Jones, Columbia, No. 35, R. W. G. Secretary.
36
HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY
The selection of a Grand Treasurer was postponed until the next meeting, and, after the appointment of a committee to prepare and submit a constitution for the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, the Secretary was " requested" to for- ward copies of the proceedings of the convention to the sec- retaries of the Grand Lodges of Maryland and Virginia, to be laid before their " respective lodges," and adjournment was had until February 11, 1811, on which date, for reasons im- possible to gather from the meager records, further adjourn- ment was taken until the following Tuesday.
No further adjournment being deemed necessary, this lat- ter date, February 19, 1811, saw the convention again in session and witnessed the birth of the Grand Lodge. Brother John Kinkaid, having in the interim passed away, Brother John Richards, of Brooke, No. 47, was duly elected R. W. D. G. Master, and the position of Grand Treasurer was filled by the selection of Brother John Davis, of Abel, of Washington- Naval, No. 41. The Secretary reported that he had, agree- able to the resolution of January 8, forwarded to the secre- taries of the Grand Lodges of Maryland and Virginia a copy of the proceedings, and accompanied the same with an ex- planatory letter in which he had incorporated the request that the lodges here be permitted to retain the warrants under which they were then working.
The Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia then, by unanimous consent of the deputies present, was opened in ample form, when the officers-elect, enumerated above, with the exception of Bro. Chas. Jones, were severally installed and proclaimed as such according to ancient form.
The roster of officers was increased by the selection of Brother Daniel Kurtz, of Potomac, as W. S. Grand Deacon ; William O'Neale, of Federal, No. 15, as W. J. Grand Deacon, and Thomas Summers, of Brooke, No. 47, as Grand Tyler.
The committee on preparation of a constitution not being ready to report, a committee to prepare a suitable form of warrant was appointed, and the first meeting of the Grand Lodge closed.
SAMUEL BURCH, GRAND MASTER, 1825; GRAND SECRETARY, 1815-1821.
37
IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Tuesday, March 12, 1811, the Grand Lodge met agreeable to adjournment, heard the report of the committee on consti- tution, which, after consideration and adoption in part, was referred back to said committee for further consideration. The report of the committee on form of warrants was re- ceived, considered, and unanimously adopted, and then the Grand Lodge " closed in harmony."
These warrants, while following in a general way the form of the Grand Lodge of Maryland, are our own, and a sample, that of Federal Lodge, No. 1, is therefore given :
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.
THE
DISTRIC
T
VALENTINE REINTZEL, Grand Master.
ALEX'R MCCORMICK, Senior Grand Warden.
JOHN RICHARDS, Deputy Grand Master.
GRAND LODGE OF
COLUMBIA
JOSEPH CASSIN, Junior Grand Warden.
A. L.5811
TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN :
Know ye that we, the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, of the Ancient and Honourable Fraternity of FREE and ACCEPTED MA- SONS, duly established, constituted, and organized for the said District. by and under the authority of a Convention of Deputies from five Lodges, held at the city of Washington on the nineteenth day of Feb- ruary, in the year of Masonry five thousand eight hundred and eleven, do hereby constitute and appoint our trusty and well-beloved brethren, Nicholas D. Queen, Master; Archibald Van Horn, Senior Warden, and Patrick Magruder, Junior Warden, of a Lodge to be held in the city of Washington, in the said District, by the name of FEDERAL LODGE number one, late Federal Lodge number fifteen, working under the authority from the Grand Lodge of Maryland.
AND WE do hereby authorize and empower our said trusty and beloved brethren, and their successors, duly elected and installed, to hold their Lodge at the place aforesaid at such times as they may deem necessary and convenient, and to admit and make FREE MASONS according to the Most Ancient and Honorable custom of the CRAFT.
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HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY
AND WE do further authorize and empower said brethren and their suc- cessors to hear and determine, all and singular, such matters and things relating to the Craft within the jurisdiction of their said Lodge, with the assistance of the members thereof.
AND LASTLY WE do further authorize and empower our said truly and well-beloved brethren to install their successors, being first duly elected and chosen, to whom they shall deliver this warrant and invest them with all their powers and dignities as Free Masons, and their successors shall in like manner install their successors, &c., &c., &c., such installation to be on or near SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST's day, during the continuance of this Grand Lodge. PROVIDED ALWAYS, That the said above named brethren and their successors pay due respect to THIS RIGHT WORSHIPFUL GRAND LODGE and the ordinances thereof; otherwise this warrant to be void and of no effect.
GIVEN in OPEN GRAND LODGE, under the hands of our Right Worshipful Grand Officers and the Seal of our GRAND LODGE, at the City of Washing- ton, this nineteenth day of February, Anno Domini one thousand eight hundred and eleven, and of MASONRY five thousand eight hundred and eleven.
CHAS. JONES, Secretary.
Warrants were issued as follows: To Federal, as No. 1; Columbia, as No. 2; Brooke, as No. 3; Naval, as No. 4, and Potomac, as No. 5, all bearing date of February 19, 1811.
At the next meeting, occurring April 9, 1811, the following resolutions were adopted :
Resolved, That the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia recom- mend to the different lodges under its jurisdiction the appointment of delegates to meet the Grand Lodges of Maryland and Virginia at their next grand convention, and that they pay their respective dues to said Grand Lodges, and do all other necessary acts and things in relation to obtaining a discharge therefrom.
Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed for the purpose of informing the R. W. Grand Lodges of Maryland and Virginia that we have organized and established a Grand Lodge for the District of Colum- bia, giving our reasons therefor, and that they request their concurrence therein.
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