USA > Washington DC > The chronicles of Georgetown, D.C., from 1751-1878 > Part 18
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" Of this lodge we possess no record or relic but the gavel used by Gen. George Washington, then President of the United States, at the laying of the corner-stone of the Capitol, September 18th, 1793, and
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by him then, according to tradition, handed to the Master of the lodge. The following account of the ceremony of laying the corner-stone of the Capitol was published in a newspaper in Georgetown, on Sep- tember 21st, 1793; and as it is very rare and inter- esting, and shows the connection of this lodge with the Masonic ceremonies, we give it in full :
""'GEORGETOWN, September 21, 1793.
"' On Wednesday one of the grandest Masonic pro- cessions took place for the purpose of laying the cor- ner-stone of the Capitol of the United States, which, perhaps, ever was exhibited on the like important oc- casion. About ten o'clock, Lodge No. 9 was visited by that congregation so graceful to the craft, Lodge No. 22, of Virginia, with all their officers and regalia ; and directly afterwards appeared, on the southern banks of the great river Potowmack, one of the finest companies of Volunteer Artillery that hath been lately seen, parading to receive the President of the United States, who shortly came in sight with his suite, to whom the Artillery paid their military honors; and his Excellency and suite crossed the Potowmack, and was received in Maryland by the officers and brethren of No. 22, Virginia, and No. 9, Maryland, whom the Presi- dent headed, and preceded by a band of music; the rear brought up by the Alexandria Volunteer Artil- lery, with grand solemnity of march, proceeded to the President's square, in the city of Washington, where they were met and saluted by No. 15, of the city of Washington, in all their elegant badges and clothing,
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headed by Brother Joseph Clark, Rt. W. G. M., P. T., and conducted to a large lodge prepared for the pur- pose of their reception. After a short space of time, by the vigilance of Brother Clotworthy Stephenson, Grand Marshal P. T., the brotherhood and other bodies were disposed in a second order of procession, which took place amidst a brilliant crowd of spectators of both sexes, according to the following arrangement, viz :
""' The surveying department of the city of Wash- ington ; Mayor and Corporation of Georgetown; Vir- ginia Artillery; commissioners of the city of Wash- ington, and their attendants; stone-cutters; mechan- ics. (Here follow all the various officers of Free- masonry, amongst whom appears Grand Master P. T., George Washington; Worshipful Master of No. 22, Virginia.)
"' The procession marched two abreast in the great- est solemn dignity, with music playing, drums beating, colors flying, and spectators rejoicing, from the Presi- dent's square to the Capitol, in the city of Washington, where the Grand Marshal ordered a halt, and directed each file in the procession to incline 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 Mas- ter of No. 22, Virginia, on the right; all the other orders that composed the procession advanced in the reverse of their order of march from the President's
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square to the southeast corner of the Capitol, and the artillery filed off to a destined ground to display their manœuvres and discharge their cannon ; the President of the United States, the Grand Master P. T., and Worshipful Master of No. 22, taking their stand to the east of a huge stone, and all the craft forming a circle westward, stood a short time in awful order.
"' The artillery discharged a volley.
"' The Grand Marshal delivered the commissioners a large silver plate with an inscription thereon, which the commissioners ordered to be read, and was as fol- lows :
" ' 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, 1793, in the thirteenth year of American Independence, in the first year of the second term of the Presidency of George Washington (whose virtues in the civil admin- istration 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 1793, by the President of the United States, in concert with the Grand Lodge of Maryland, several lodges under its jurisdiction, and Lodge No. 22, from Alexandria, Virginia.
THOMAS JOHNSON, - DAVID STUART Commissioners. DANIEL CARROLL, ) JOSEPH CLARK, R. W. G. M. P. T. JAMES HOBAN, Architects.
STEPHEN HALLATE,
COLLIN WILLIAMSON, M. Mason.
"' The artillery discharged a volley.
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"' The plate was then delivered to the President, who, attended by the Grand Master P. T. and three Most Worshipful Masters, descended to the cavazion trench and deposed the plate, and laid it on the corner- stone of the Capitol of the United States of America, on which was deposited corn, wine, and oil, when the whole congregation joined in reverential prayer, which was succeeded by Masonic chaunting honors and a vol- ley from the artillery.
"' The President of the United States and his at- tendant brethren ascended from the cavazion to the east of the corner-stone, and there the Grand Master P. T., elevated on a triple rostrum, delivered an ora- tion fitting the occasion, which was received with brotherly love and commendation. At intervals, dur- ing the delivery of the oration, several volleys were discharged by the artillery. The ceremony ended in prayer, Masonic chaunting honors, and a fifteen volley from the artillery.
"' The whole company retired to an extensive booth, where an ox of five hundred pounds weight was bar- becued, of which the company generally partook, with every abundance of other recreation. The festival concluded with fifteen successive volleys from the ar- tillery, whose military discipline and manœuvres merit every commendation
"' Before dark the whole company departed, with joyful hopes of the production of the labor.'
" Two members of this lodge (No. 9), Gen. James Thompson and John Mountz, for over fifty years clerk
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of the corporation of this town, died only ten years ago, in 1855. Both visited our lodge in 1854, and testified that the gavel in our possession, to the best of their knowl- ledge and belief, was the same used by General Wash- ington at the laying of the corner-stone of the Capitol.
" In 1854, Bro. John Mountz, in response to a com- munication from this lodge, addressed us the following letter :
"' I was secretary of Lodge No. 9, now Potomac Lodge, No. 5, in the year 1793, and am now in the eighty-third year of my age and have never had occa- sion to regret my connection with our ancient and honorable order. I was present and near our late brother, George Washington, first President of the United States, when he laid the first corner-stone of the Capitol of the United States, on the 18th of Sep- tember, 1793, which he did Masonically with a marble gavel, which, I believe, is the one now in possession of your lodge.
" ' I am, brethren, sincerely, your brother, JOHN MOUNTZ.
"'TO JAMES GOSZLER, W. M., WALTER H. S. TAYLOR, S. W., JOHN S. MOORE, J. W., of the brethren of Lodge No. 5, George- town, D. C.
"'GEORGETOWN, D. C., June 13, 1854.'
" According to Bro. James King, this gavel was the one used by the Master of the lodge at the time he was initiated, in 1810, and for some years afterwards, up to 1818. A committee, of which he was chairman, made a report September 28th, 1846, concerning the Washington gavel, from which we will give an extract: 36
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"' This gavel was manufactured for M. W. Bro. General George Washington, for the express purpose of laying the corner-stone of the Capitol of the United States, in Washington City, in the year 1793, and used by him on that occasion, and then deposited in Lodge No. 9, of Maryland.'
" According to tradition, General Washington, after the ceremony was performed, presented the gavel to Lodge No. 9, by placing it in the hands of the Master, who, at that time, was Valentine Reintzel, afterwards elected the first Master of Potomac Lodge, No. 43, of Maryland, when it was reorganized in 1806, which office he held until 1810; and in 1811, when the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia was formed, he was chosen as the first Grand Master.
" It is singular that we can nowhere find this lodge formed in 1789, recorded by any other name than that of Lodge No. 9. Although it seems in 1793 to have been in a very flourishing condition, yet from some cause it soon afterwards ceased to exist as then organ- ized.
" Bro. John Mountz, Secretary of Lodge No. 9, in 1793, has said that it received great accessions of men- bers, and fell to pieces by its own weight, and as all its members have passed away, this is all that we can probably know of the cause of its suspension.
" On 22d October, 1795, a petition was again re- ceived by the Grand Lodge of Maryland. from a num- ber of brethren in Georgetown, praying for a warrant, and recommended by Federal Lodge, No. 15, city of
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Washington, which petition was granted, and the sec- retary ordered to make out a warrant for the lodge, under the title of Columbia Lodge, No. 19.
" The charter for Federal Lodge, No. 15 (the first lodge formed in Washington), had been granted by the Grand Lodge of Maryland, September 12th, 1793, just six days before the corner-stone of the Capitol was laid.
" Of Columbia Lodge, No. 19, we have one book of records, commencing with its by-laws, and then the proceedings of the lodge from 7th November, 1795- James Thompson, Master, and John Reintzel, Secre- tary; to 12th December, 1796, Charles Minor, Master, and James Thompson, Secretary.
" James Thompson, first Master and then Secretary of this lodge, died in 1855, and visited our lodge in 1854, when, with Bro. John Mountz, he testified to his belief in the authenticity of the Washington gavel.
" The accounts of this lodge are kept in pounds, shil- lings and pence, Maryland currency. Members were fined 3s. 9d. (half-a-dollar) for non-attendance, and on every stated meeting night, refreshments were fur- nished to the brethren. The 13th article of their by- laws provides for the appointment of a committee of three, to furnish refreshments, under the direction of the lodge, on all stated meeting nights, which were on the second Monday of each month, and at every stated meeting the account for refreshments furnished at the preceding one, would be read, passed and ordered to be paid. Of this lodge it is probable we possess but a small part of the records. On 12th December, 1796,
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the last meeting of which we have any account, they elected their officers for the ensuing year, accepted an invitation from Federal Lodge, No. 15, to join them in procession on the next St. John's day, and passed a bill to pay for refreshments furnished at the last stated meeting, amounting to £1 38. 92d., all tending to show that the lodge was then in a vigorous and healthy state, but at some time between that date and 1806, they, too, suspended operations.
" As all the members of Lodge No. 19, have also passed away, we do not know the reasons why, or the time when the lodge ceased, and we have been una- ble to trace any tradition on the subject.
" In November, 1806, we find from our next book of records, that a number of Masonic brethren, hav- ing the good of Masonry at heart, as well as for their own convenience. as that of others, think it proper that there should be a lodge held in Georgetown, and for that purpose had a meeting, when it was unanimously agreed that each of the subscribers should pay into the hands of their trusty brother, Thomas Pryse, the sum of five dollars for the benefit of the same. The names of ten brethren are recorded as agreeing to this, and Thomas Pryse was authorized to attend the meeting of the Grand Lodge of Maryland, to be held at Easton on the 12th of November, 1806, with a pe- tition signed by these ten, praying for a warrant to establish a lodge. On the 18th November, 1806, a meeting of the brethren was held, when Bro. Pryse informed them that he had attended the meeting of the Grand Lodge, and obtained a charter. They then
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appointed committees to select and get in order such things as would be necessary for the lodge. One of these committees consisted of Valentine Reintzel, Wil- liam Knowles, and Thomas Beatty; and their duty was to collect and receipt for the jewels, &c., in pos- session of John Laird and Adam King. At their third meeting, 22d November, 1806, this committee reported that they had obtained all the jewels, &c., in the possession of John Laird and Adam King.
" At their fourth meeting, on 19th December, 1806, the lodge was organized, with Thomas Pryse as Mas- ter, under the name of Potomac Lodge, No. 43, and on the same night went into an election for officers, when Valentine Reintzel was chosen Master, and Dan- iel Kurtz, Secretary, and from that period to this time the lodge has uninterruptedly kept up its organization without any suspension, first as Potomac Lodge, No. 43, of Maryland, and when the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia was formed in 1811, as Potomac Lodge, No. 5, of that jurisdiction.
" The intimate connection between the three lodges that thus succeeded one another in this town, under charters from the Grand Lodge of Maryland, is shown by the fact, that two of the four brethren on the con- mittee to obtain the jewels, &c., viz: Valentine Reint- zel, and Thomas Beatty were, according to the pub- lished proceedings of that Grand Lodge, delegates to it from Lodge No. 9, at the semi-annual com- munication held at Easton, Maryland, on 19th April. 1791, and the name of Valentine Reintzel appears as delegate from, and Master of, Lodge No. 9, at the
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communication of 11th April, 1793. The names of others of the brethren who assisted, in 1806, in organ- izing Potomac Lodge, No. 43, appear both as mem- bers of Lodge 19, and Lodge No. 9. Each lodge seems to have been partly composed of the same breth- ren as members, and they followed so close in succes- sion as to have inherited the one from the other, with- out dispute, all property, jewels, and records of the preceding lodge, just the same as if there had only been a reorganization, which in fact it was, although from some cause the charter had lapsed each time, and they obtained a new one with another name and number for the lodge.
" We can observe that our late Bro. John Mountz takes this view of it, when in his letter to the lodge, he says: 'I was Secretary of Lodge No. 9, now Poto- mac Lodge No. 5, in the year 1793.' About the same time, also, Bro. James Thompson, in response to some inquiries from this lodge, addressed to us the follow- ing letter :
"'WASHINGTON CITY, May 23, 1854.
"'BRETHREN: In responding to your inquiries I offer the following remarks: I am now in the eighty- sixth year of my age, and have belonged to our an- cient and honorable order upwards of sixty years. I was Master of your lodge, then Columbia Lodge, No. 19, in the year 1795, and Secretary in the year 1796. Appointed delegate to represent the lodge at the Grand Communication held in the city of Baltimore in July, 1796. Elected Secretary for the year 1797.
"'I was one of eight oarsmen, and pulled the
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stroke oar of the barge that conveyed Bro. George Washington across the Potomac, at Georgetown, on one of his visits to the East, and stood near, and saw him when he laid the corner-stone of the Capitol in 1793. ""'I am, brethren, most sincerely yours,
J. THOMPSON.
""'To the WORSHIPFUL MASTER, WARDENS and BRETHREN, of Potomac Lodge, No. 5, Georgetown.'
"Here were two living witnesses of the circumstan- ces, both active members of No. 9, and No. 19, and frequent visitors to our lodge during their life, who concur in the same view, and evidently consider No. 9, No. 19, and No. 43, of Maryland, or No. 5, of the District of Columbia, as identically one and the same lodge, even if, when reorganized, they had taken a different name and number.
" During the suspension of the lodge, the Washing- ton gavel had been in the possession of Valentine Reintzel, Master of Lodge No. 9, in 1793, and when it was reorganized as Potomac Lodge, No. 43, it was by him brought forward as the property of the lodge, and as we mentioned before, ordinarily used as the Master's gavel up to 1818.
" Following the reorganization as described as Po- tomac Lodge, No. 43, we have its records from 19th December, 1806, to June 20th, 1808, when Valentine Reintzel was still the Master, and Daniel Kurtz, See- retary. The same book also contains the first by-laws of the lodge, which are longer, and have many more rules than are now customary, and commence with the following curious preamble :
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""" We, the Master, officers and members of Poto- mac Lodge, No. 43, of the most ancient and honora- ble fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons, duly con- stituted by charter from the Grand Lodge of Mary- land, bearing date the 12th day of November, A. D., 1806, and now in opened lodge assembled at our lodge room in Georgetown, this day of January, 1807, Annoque Lucis, 5807, in order to pay homage and ad- oration 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 Uni- verse, 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 which over-clouded the expan- sion, obeyed the Almighty fiat, and began to range into form and order, and for the purpose of dissemi- nating brotherly love, relief and charity ; and to main- tain the principles of benevolence and religion incul- cated by our order-have made, established, and con- firmed the following articles, as a constitutional code, for the government of ourselves and our successors.'
"Our next book of records seems at its commence- ment, to have had several leaves torn out, and now begins with the proceedings of a meeting held Decen- ber 17th, 1809, when the same brethren as before were still respectively Master and Secretary, but at an elec- tion held that evening, A. L. Joncherez was elected Secretary, instead of Daniel Kurtz, and from this date
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we have continuous records to the 19th August, 1811, when it is recorded in the secretary's writing-' This journal ends at this last regular meeting.' Daniel Kurtz then Master, and William Calder, Secretary; but, afterwards, in the back of the same book, we have records of meetings August 31st, 1812; February 15th, March 15 and 18, April 5th, May 17th, June 21st and 24th, August 25th, September 20th, and December 20th, 1813. It is probable the regular records for that time are lost, and these were only notes taken by the secretary on the nights of meeting, as many of them are written with a lead pencil, and few are signed.
" Until 1810, the lodge met in the third story of the dwelling-house of Valentine Reintzel, then Master. This was a three-story brick house, situated on the west side of Jefferson Street, between the canal and Water Street, and was standing until about eight years ago, when it was destroyed by fire. But, at that time, having much increased in numbers, they were desir- ous of securing to themselves a more suitable place for their meetings.
" They first presented a petition to the corporation proposing to join them in erecting at the market space a building which might serve as a town house and a Masonic Hall, but finally leased a lot on Jefferson Street; and on October 18th, 1810, it is recorded that this lodge in ample Masonic form laid the corner-stone of a building to be constructed for a Masonic Hall on the lot thus leased.
" The proceedings on that occasion are spread in full on our records, and we give a concise abridgment of 37
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them. The brethren formed in procession at their lodge-room, and went from there to the lower bridge, where they met their brethren from Washington ; they then proceeded along the water side to the mar- ket space, thence to Bridge Street, where they were joined by the mayor, members of the corporation, and magistrates of the place; then along Bridge to Jef- ferson Street, and down Jefferson Street to the place where the ceremony of laying the corner-stone was performed ; thence to the Presbyterian Church, where an appropriate discourse was delivered by Rev. Bro. Elliott, after which they went back to Jefferson Street, where the craft were called from labor to refreshment, and they partook of a collation prepared for the occa- sion.
" The building erected at this time was finished by the following summer, and is still standing on the west side of Jefferson Street, and just north of the canal. In 1840, it was sold by the lodge and stockholders to Mr. Philip Gormley.
" Our now venerable brother, James King, was ini- tiated on December 17th, 1810. He is still a member of our lodge, and is probably the oldest living Mason in the District of Columbia.
" The Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia was formed by delegates from five lodges, on January 8th, 1811, when Valentine Reintzel, for years the Master of Lodge, No. 43, and in 1793, Master of Lodge, No. 9, was chosen as the first Grand Master; and our lodge hence- forth was designated as Potomac Lodge, No. 5, of the District of Columbia, instead of No. 43, of Maryland.
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" We regret to say that we were unable to find any of the records of the lodge from December 20th, 1813, to January 24th, 1825. There is no doubt the lodge was in existence, and its records regularly kept, and in, at least, as prosperous a state as they had previously been. In 1818, the bible now used in the lodge was presented to it by Bro. George Richards, then Master. Previous to that time, the old bible referred to at the commencement of this report had been used. In 1818, a Chapter of Royal Arch Masons were formed in Georgetown, and through accessions, chiefly from members of Potomac Lodge, No. 5, soon attained a flourishing condition. In 1823, our lodge returned to the Grand Lodge the names of twenty-four brethren as members, with Daniel Kurtz as Master, and Wil- liam Calder, Secretary; and in 1824, the names of thirty members, and William Hayman, Master, and Edward Deeble, Secretary. During the intervening period, as near as we have been able to ascertain, Dan- iel Kurtz was Master in 1813, 1814, 1815, and 1816; John Wiley in 1817; George Richards in 1818, and James King in 1819, 1820, 1821, and 1822.
" Our next book of records commences with the pro- ceedings of a meeting held January 24th, 1825, when John Myers was Master, and Edward Deeble, Secre- tary, and ends with the meeting on April 11th, 1836, when John Myers was again Master, and Thomas Holtzman, Secretary.
"It was during part of this period, from 1827 to 1836, that the anti-masonic excitement raged so fiercely, happily, not with so much intensity in this locality as
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in others, where Masonic lodges were forced to yield to the popular frenzy and suspend their operations, some of them for several years. The effect of this ex- citement on our lodge for a while, seems actually to have caused an increase in the number of its members. Probably, because persecution had its usual effect in binding the objects of it more closely together, and the attention of individuals amongst our citizens, who otherwise would not have thought of it, was called to the consideration of Masonry. They wished to ex- amine for themselves what this thing was, then so vili- fied ; and many of them sought and gained admission to our lodge, and became, afterwards, worthy and ac- ceptable members. The only notice taken of it in our records is, that on May 10th, 1830, Bro. Lorenzo Dow delivered an address in the lodge to its members and a large number of visiting brethren, giving them an interesting account of the present excitement and its tendency, and adding some wholesome advice. This was the celebrated and eccentric itinerent preacher, Lorenzo Dow, who was neither afraid nor ashamed to avow himself a Mason during the time pop- ular feeling ran highest, and was most bitter against them. In 1834, he died in Georgetown, at the house of one of our members, P. M., George W. Haller; and our records show that on February 4th, 1834, the brethren of Potomac Lodge, No. 5, formed in procession to pay the last tribute of respect to their deceased brother, Lorenzo Dow, and went to the house of Bro. Haller, and there received the body, and then, with the re- mains of the deceased, the procession moved to HIol-
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