One of the most visible aspects of the Masonic fraternity is its long tradition of ceremonially laying the cornerstones of many public and private buildings. This tradition contains great meaning for Masons, and ties the fraternity closely to many cities around the country, including Washington, DC.
The historic George Washington Gavel was among the Masonic implements used by Worshipful Brother George Washington when he performed the ceremonial cornerstone laying for the United States Capitol building on September 18, 1793 as Worshipful Master of Alexandria-Washington Lodge No. 22 of Virginia. Also participating in the ceremony were Lodge No. 9 of Maryland (now Potomac Lodge No. 5) and Lodge No. 15 of Maryland (now Federal Lodge No. 1, F.A.A.M., of DC).
The head of the Washington Gavel is made of the same Maryland marble originally used in the interior of the Capitol, and its handle is crafted of a dark, native American cherry of unique grain. It was made specially for this purpose by one John Duffy, who also made the other Masonic tools used that day. John Duffy was a silversmith by trade, and was married to a daughter of President Washington's gardener; he is also reputed to be a member of the President's mother Lodge, Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4 of Virginia.
The ceremonies of the day were carried out with great care and solemnity, and were well attended both by Masonic and civic leaders. Newspaper accounts of the event recall a grand procession from the north shore of the Potomac River in what is now Georgetown to the site of the Capitol, with spectators cheering every step of the way. Although the Capitol was at the time a simple hole in the ground in the middle of a forest, the dignity afforded to its cornerstone spoke volumes about the hope that it represented. To wit, President Washington's closing prayer follows:
"Certainly my dear brethren, it must be as grateful to you as it is to me, to possess the great pleasure of laying this corner stone, which we hope, expect and sincerely pray to produce innumerable corner stones; and that on every one of them, may spring immense edifices. We fervently pray to the Great Grand Master of Heaven, earth and all things, of his infinite wisdom, strength, goodness and mercy, to grant. So may it be.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, President Washington gave the silver trowel he used to his own Lodge, Alexandria-Washington No. 22 of Virginia, and presented the Gavel to the Worshipful Master of Lodge No. 9 of Maryland, Valentine Reintzel. It is likely that the Gavel was given to Lodge No. 9 because it was the older of the two Maryland Lodges participating in the ceremony.
Most Worshipful Brother Reintzel, who in 1811 became the first Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Free And Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia, retained personal possession of the Gavel until his death in 1817. At that time his family returned the Gavel to Lodge No. 9, then and now known as Potomac Lodge No. 5, F.A.A.M. of the District of Columbia, and it was kept locked with the other possessions of the Lodge at its regular meeting place until 1922. On 18 December 1922, it was moved to Riggs National Bank (now PNC Bank), where it has remained since.
"This Gavel was prepared for Bro. George Washington for the purpose of laying the Corner Stone of the U.S. Capitol and was so used by him September 18, 1793. He then presented it to Potomac Lodge No. 9 of Maryland, afterward Potomac Lodge No. 43 and now Potomac Lodge No. 5 of the Grand Lodge of the D.C., by whose Order of 1840 this Inscription is placed upon it. 1856"
Since that time, it has been used to lay the cornerstone of many public buildings throughout the eastern part of the United States and for other public and Masonic ceremonies of an historical nature. The following Presidents of the United States, all Master Masons but two, have either used or been present at the using of the Gavel on the occasions cited below:
- James K. Polk in the laying of the cornerstone of the Smithsonian Building, May 1, 1847.
- Millard Fillmore in the laying of the cornerstone of the extension of the U. S. Capitol, July 4, 1851.
- James Buchanan at the dedication of the Equestrian Statue of George Washington, February 22, 1860.
- William McKinley at the George Washington Centennial Observance at Mt. Vernon, December 14, 1899.
- Theodore Roosevelt at the celebration of the sesquicentennial date on which General Washington received the Master Mason's degree, November 2, 1902; in laying the cornerstone of the House Office Building, April 14, 1906; and again, in laying the cornerstone of the Masonic Temple, 801 13th Street, NW, June 8, 1907.
- William H. Taft in laying the cornerstone of the All Souls Unitarian Church, February 13, 1913.
- Warren G. Harding in laying the cornerstone of the Washington Victory Memorial, November 14, 1921.
- Herbert Hoover in laying the cornerstone of the Department of Commerce, June 10, 1929 and the Department of Labor, December 15, 1932.
- Harry S. Truman in the Centennial Observance of the cornerstone laying of the Washington Monument, July 1, 1948, this being a repeat engagement for the Gavel as it was used to lay the original cornerstone of the Monument, Jul 1, 1848.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower in laying the cornerstone of the new extension of the U. S. Capitol building, July 4, 1959.
- Potomac Lodge was singularly honored by having Her Majesty Queen Elisabeth II personally use the Gavel in laying the cornerstone of the addition to the British Embassy, October 19, 1957.
The George Washington Gavel has been present on numerous historic occasions in recent years, including the reenactment of the placing of the original boundary marker of the District of Columbia located at Jones Point near the Potomac River shoreline of Alexandria, Virginia. This ceremony was one of the Masonic events conducted by the Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M., of the District of Columbia, as a salute to our country's Bi-Centennial Celebration on October 9, 1976.
The ceremonial usage of the Gavel was most evident in 1982, when it was present for several special programs commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the birth of Illustrious Brother George Washington. The events were held not only at Potomac Lodge No. 5, but in several other locations including Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4, in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where he was initiated an Entered Apprentice Mason on November 4, 1752, and became a Master Mason on August 4, 1753; and in Alexandria Washington Lodge No. 22, in Alexandria, Virginia. Washington was installed as that Lodge's first Worshipful Master on November 22, 1788, when the warrant was issued by the Grand Lodge, A.F. & A.M., of Virginia, less than six months prior to his inauguration as the First President of the United States of America on April 30, 1789.
Source: Potomac Lodge No. 5
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