My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Cornerstones

Bro. Kurt P.M.

2018 14G DCO
Premium Member
From time to time, Brethren ask why Masonry is involved in the placement of corner stones, and so a little information about the history of the tradition may be helpful. The tradition goes back to antiquity - so far that it literally cannot be traced to its origins, and it probably evolved out of the foundation and completion sacrifices which were common with any large building project (and which are echoed in the legend of the Master Mason Degree). In Babylon, clay cylinders, called "timmon" were inscribed with the history of the king and of the building, and buried in the foundations of the structure. Clay tablets describing the building and the history of the king were buried in the floors of the buildings erected by Darius and Cyrus.

During the construction of the cathedrals of the Middle Ages, special stones, hollowed to receive offerings, were included in the foundations of the walls.

Thus, from the remotest times, the laying of a special stone, usually sealing in a deposit intended for future generations, has been a part of any significant building.

Although the terms are often used interchangeably, there are actually three major classifications of such stones.

FOUNDATION STONES are the first stones placed as part of the foundation of a building (or, in the case of most of the medieval cathedrals, the high altar). These stones are below the level of the ground. The stone George Washington laid for the nation's capital was actually a foundation stone, as is clearly shown by the newspaper accounts of the time.

CORNER STONES are the first stones placed at ground level. They are generally placed in the northeast corner, from which building traditionally commenced. They are part of the structure of the building, and, of necessity, are placed before the building is built. Until the 1950s and 60s, this was the type of stone most commonly placed by the fraternity.

COMMEMORATIVE or DEDICATORY STONES are the stones most commonly placed by the fraternity today. They are not part of the structure of the building, but fit into a space left in the stone or brick work. They usually seal a cavity in which a "time capsule" type of deposit is made. Generally, the placement of such a stone is the last act in the building and serves as a dedication of the building and a signal of its completion.

The association of Masonry with the placement of corner stones is obvious and comes from the craft guilds. There are records of Masonic Lodges in Ireland placing corner stones, with full parades and ceremonies, dating from the 1500s and records from England from the late l600s. Apparently, the first stones in Washington, D.C. which were placed by Lodges with Masonic ceremonies were not those in federal buildings at all, but those which marked the boundaries of the District of Columbia.

Author Unknown
 
Top