March is the month George Washington became a Fellowcraft
News stories bringing the history of Essex Freemasons alive to a modern audience
“So far as I am acquainted with the principles and doctrines of Freemasonry, I conceive them to be founded on benevolence and to be exercised only for the good of mankind.”
George Washington, 1798
Most people know George Washington as a leader and statesman but not many know about his membership and respect for Freemasonry. George Washington’s Masonic landmarks include:
1. Initiation: On 4th November 1752, 20-year-old George Washington was initiated into Freemasonry at Fredericksburg, Virginia in Lodge No. 4. The record shows: ‘Received of Mr George Washington for his entrance £2-3s-6d’.
2. Advancement: He passed to a Fellowcraft on 3rd March 1753 and was raised to a Master Mason on 4th August 1753.
3. Festivals of St John the Evangelist:
a. On 27th December 1778 in Philadelphia, Washington marched in the Masonic procession. He was then the Commander in Chief and in the 
sermon at Christ Church was referred to as the ‘Cincinnatus of America’.
b. In 1779, he was one of 68 visiting brethren observing the same festival at the American Union Lodge in Morristown.
c. In 1782, he celebrated the festival with King Solomon’s Lodge in Poughkeepsie.
4. Cornerstone of the Executive Mansion: On 13th October 1792, at the site he had selected, Washington laid the cornerstone of the White House with both Masonic and civic ceremonies.
5. Cornerstone of the Capitol: On 18th September 1793, President Washington marched with Alexandria Lodge No. 22 as a 
Master Mason to the laying of the southeast cornerstone wearing the apron and regalia embroidered by the Marquise de Lafayette. Assisted by the Grand Master of Maryland, Joseph Clark, and three Worshipful Masters, they delivered the customary corn, wine, and oil sacrifices before Washington struck the stone three times with a gavel.
6. Dinner in Alexandria: On 4th April 1797, Master Mason ex-President George Washington attended a dinner in his honour given by his
lodge in Alexandria, Virginia.
7. Lodge of Sorrow: On 1st January 1800, in memory of their beloved brother, George Washington who died on 14th December 1799, a Lodge of Sorrow was held by l ’Amitie, a French lodge of Ancient York Masons in Philadelphia. The address was published and widely circulated in French and English.
Did you know?
The Lodge of Sorrow is also known as ‘Roses and Evergreen - An Aspect of American Freemasonry’ and is still performed by Grand Lodges in the USA. The work was first introduced into the UK nearly 20 years ago by Patrick Wilkins of the Lodge of Fraternity No. 5916 at Southend who demonstrated it with two other Lodge members, Paul Tarrant and David Badger.
Photos
Top: Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge No. 4, Virginia where Washington was initiated, passed and raised.
Middle Left: Washington’s Masonic apron, believed to have been presented to him at Mount Vernon in 1784 by the Marquis de Lafayette, a former general, Freemason and close friend. As well as Masonic symbols such as the square and compasses it also has the crossed flags of the United States and France. Courtesy Mt. Nebo Lodge 91, West Virginia.
Middle Right: Laying the Cornerstone of the US Capital, a mural depicting George Washington in full Masonic Regalia. Mural by Allyn Cox, photo by Mount Vernon.
Bottom Left: Old Aleaxandria No. 22 Lodge Room. Courtesy George Washington National Memorial
Bottom Right: George Washington Masonic Monument at Houlton, Maine.
