George D. Seghers, 32°
Executive Secretary–Treasurer
The George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association
101 Callahan Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22301–2751
www.gwmemorial.org

The George Washington Masonic National Memorial is the highest tribute American Freemasons could pay to the memory of their most loved and highly honored Masonic Brother and the Father of our Country. George Washington was Worshipful Master of Alexandria Lodge when he was inaugurated our first President. The Memorial, dedicated in 1932, now houses a very large collection of Washington memorabilia, a replica of the old original Lodge Room, two Lodge Rooms currently used by Alexandria–Washington Lodge No. 22 and Andrew Jackson Lodge No. 120, a large auditorium, and a number of rooms depicting the activities of various branches of the Masonic Fraternity.

The Shrine of North America maintains three rooms on the first floor. Featured are models of their many Children's Hospitals and Pediatric Burn Centers. The second floor houses our two Lodge Rooms, the Replica Lodge Room, and Memorial Hall where the 17-foot bronze statue of Washington by Bryant Baker is flanked by the great Allyn Cox murals of Washington laying the cornerstone of our nation's Capitol in 1793 and attending a St. John's Day Service in Philadelphia in 1778. The Grottoes of North America furnished the third floor as their archive's room. The two Supreme Councils of the Scottish Rite furnished the George Washington Museum on the fourth level. This museum features the Washington Family Bible, Washington's field trunk, which he used throughout the Revolutionary War, and many other historic artifacts.

The fifth level expresses the work of the Royal Arch in Egyptian and Hebraic murals, and the sixth level houses a library on Masonic and related subjects. The Cryptic Masons have erected a replica of the crypt under King Solomon's Temple on the seventh level. The Grand Encampment of Knights Templar has provided a very beautiful chapel on the eighth level. The replica of the Throne Room of King Solomon's Temple on the ninth and uppermost level is provided by the Tall Cedars of Lebanon. This level is surrounded by an observation deck, which provides a panoramic view of the metropolitan Washington area.

The idea of erecting a National Masonic Memorial to George Washington was formulated by several members of Alexandria–Washington Lodge No. 22, in Alexandria, Virginia. The Lodge had lost several invaluable artifacts and relics of Washington in a series of fires. The Lodge, under the leadership of Past Master Charles H. Callahan, 32°, K.C.C.H., decided to erect a fire-proof building to house the Washington relics entrusted to their care by the Washington family. The original idea soon grew to erect a National Masonic Memorial to America's most distinguished Mason, George Washington.

In 1923, the local Memorial Committee of Alexandria published a booklet describing the proposed memorial that emphasized the relationship of the design of the structure and classical ideals: "The Memorial to Washington, in its colossal form would typify the power and strength of Masonry. The graceful outline and proportions would symbolize the beautiful tenets of the institution and would express the unfeigned loyalty and devotion of the American Mason to the ideals of Washington."

This beautiful Memorial was constructed entirely with voluntary contributions from members of the Masonic Fraternity. This Memorial, erected to honor the memory of our greatest Citizen and Freemason, George Washington, belongs to all the Grand Lodges of the United States and, thus, to all the Freemasons of the United States. Our task today is not only to preserve the memory and legacy of George Washington but also to preserve, promote, and perpetuate the Masonic beliefs and ideals upon which this great nation was founded. This Memorial to George Washington is a fitting tribute to the man who said, "A good moral character is the first essential in a man. It is, therefore, highly important to endeavor not only to be learned but to be virtuous."

The George Washington Masonic National Memorial is surely the most visible Masonic Monument to Washington in this country. Built of enduring granite quarried from the mountains of New Hampshire, the Memorial was designed to stand throughout the ages, carry the message of human brotherhood, and perpetuate the attributes of self-denial, patriotism, love of country and of fellowmen typified by the Master Builder of our Nation, Brother George Washington.

According to the Memorial's Charter, the purpose of The George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association is: "To erect and maintain ... a suitable Memorial Temple to George Washington, the Mason; which expresses in durability and beauty the undying esteem of the Freemasons of the United States for him in whose memory it shall stand throughout the coming years."

I believe the Memorial has done that and more. It portrays the ideals of Washington and is an inspiration for and a testament of the love of our Fraternity for him. It is more than a memorial to Washington, the Mason. It is a monument to civil and religious liberty, to a stable and orderly government, and to those principles of Freemasonry of which the "Father of His Country" was an exemplar.

George Washington is everywhere, from the dollar bill to Presidents Day sales. Yet he suffers from a historical "political correctness," and we as Americans and Freemasons have allowed the Father of Our Country to slip into obscurity. I believe we should return George Washington to the proper and so richly deserved position of honor and respect that he once held. When I was a child, there was a picture of George Washington in every school. Every morning we prayed to our Creator and pledged allegiance to the flag of our country. We were taught the history of this great nation, including the character of Washington and the great deeds, accomplishments, and suffering that were so instrumental in the founding of our country.

February 22nd was a National Holiday, a day when America paused to honor the memory of the one man who gave more and did more for the establishment of this great nation than any other. Making Washington's Birthday into a generic holiday was a mistake. Presidents Day celebrates nothing except another sale, another day we don't go to work, and another day the kids don't go to school. I never hear on Presidents Day any discussion of the virtues of any of our Presidents. There is no substitute for the Father of our Country. As such, President Washington deserves to be distinguished from the other Presidents. President James Buchanan once said, "When the birthday of Washington shall be forgotten, liberty will have perished from the Earth."

This wonderful building, The George Washington Masonic National Memorial, is a fitting memorial to the man so instrumental in forming this great nation. I believe the character of America is the character of General George Washington. His entire life was lived in his own country. There was no foreign education, no habits or tastes acquired abroad. His person, his character, and his greatness were truly and totally American. Perhaps George Washington's greatest achievement was that, almost alone among the revolutionaries of the modern era, he returned his power to the people. His character explains his achievement; he had the will and the charisma to win a war and found a state, with the moral and ideological guidance that held him to his proper role. His life is an ongoing example of citizenship and statesmanship and an example of the heights that humans can reach. At the Memorial, we are working to present the positive and important roles George Washington and Freemasonry played and are still playing in this country.

As Robert Frost observed, "George Washington was one of the few men in all of human history who was not carried away with power." Certainly, George Washington deserves his reputation as a man of great character, who performed the remarkable task of keeping the cause of freedom alive through eight long years of the Revolutionary War, eight long years during which he returned to Mount Vernon only once. George Washington committed the unprecedented act of surrendering his sword to the Continental Congress after the victory. Thrice he was offered kingship or dictatorship or the Presidency for life; thrice he refused. We literally owe our democracy and our nation, as we know it to him.

The character of George Washington is the character of America. The purpose of The George Washington Masonic National Memorial is to perpetuate the memory, respect, and honor of our First Commander in Chief, our First President, and the Father of our Country, and our Foremost Freemason—Brother George Washington.